02/10/2020
Dear Bapu,
I find myself in quite a predicament when it comes to addressing you. Should I call you 'Mahatma' or 'Father of the nation' or rather simply 'Mr. Gandhi'. In fourth grade, when I wasn't part of any ideological bloc, I referred to you as 'Bapu'. More than any other title, 'Bapu' truly stands apart for me. After all, it was what the masses called you, right?
Bapu, there are more than one lakh books written on you and your thoughts. No other political leader in the world can match you in this case. For more than a hundred years, the contemplation of your thoughts continues all over the world. Gandhi and Gandhism are taught in over 600 universities all. over the world. The number of followers you gained during a lifetime has remained unrivalled, even after you left. Einstein has said that future generations won't believe that a man like you, ever in flesh and blood, walked upon this world. Bapu, did you know? We have proved him right. You have inspired the freedom movements all over the world. However, in our country, in your beloved India, your identity has become 'someone who weakened the country with his lessons of Ahimsa'. Did you really weaken this country, Bapu? The youth of this nation knows you only as a worshipper of Ahimsa and an adulterer.
You have been ridiculed with phrases like ‘Majboori ka naam Mahatma Gandhi.’ You have been blamed for partition. You have been accused of being a Muslim-sympathiser, an orthodox Hindu and even blamed for making Nehru as Prime Minister. Bapu, why are you so quiet today when a barrage of accusations is hurled at you?
Bapu, we have stopped celebrating you. We have geared up to wipe out the history of the people's movement built by you and the sacrifices you made for it. Father of the nation, Mahatma aka Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi stands in the trial dock today. Bapu, do you have answers for these questions? Or are you going to give me the usual mantra of 'time will tell'?
We remember you as the humble servant of the British rule who was awarded the 'Kaiser-i-Hind' Medal. And yet, the same person went on to tear down the same kingdom. The person who advocated the varna system in his initial years later allowed inter-caste weddings in his ashrama and refused to attend endogamous weddings. Bapu, why did you keep changing each day? Change has been a constant thing for you. Is that why many found you to be mysterious? Bapu, how do you come with different interpretations to the new scholars?
Gandhi from 21 years in Africa; the one who returned to India in 1915 and was till 1919; the biggest leader in India from 1920 till 1936; and Gandhi, who fought against the British rule from 1939 till 1948, I find all of these Gandhis different from each other. Which out of these represents your true message? The first one or the final one? Or the one who answers our questions?
Nehru was a youth leader, Sardar a farmer’s leader, Maulana a Muslim leader, Rajagopalachari was the leader of the South and yet, for all of them, you were their one true leader. Bapu, How did you manage it while spinning wheel? All these leaders used to say that lakhs of people visit their rallies to listen to their speeches and heap praises but left shouting ‘Gandhi ki Jay.’ Today, leaders have to spend millions to gather a crowd of thousands. This makes me wonder, why did so many people congregate to listen to you?
Bapu, how did you manage to fight against the mammoth empire? You neither had a weapon nor resources and yet, how did an unarmed person like you help us attain freedom. How did you manage to rock the foundation of the British empire by picking up a handful of salt?
While there was a rejoice of Indian Independence on 15th August the country, thousands of countrymen were dying in the riots at the other side. Lakhs of people were becoming homeless. The communal politics was overpowering winning over humility. Unfazed by the bloodied stories, Jinnah was taking oath as the head of Pakistan. Where was Gandhi at the time? Where was he? He was diffusing the riots in Noakhali, unarmed. How did you manage all of this, Bapu?
While making a film on Gandhi, Sir Richard Attenborough was asked why he chose to make a film on Gandhi instead of other leaders like American revolution hero George Washington, Russia’s Lenin, Italy’s Garibaldi, and China’s Mao. He answered that there has been a leader in every country who has fought for the freedom of his country. However, the only one who fought the Independence struggle unarmed happened to be from your country. And that was none other than Gandhi.
Bapu, please forgive us for not giving you the honour that you deserve. We gained independence because of you. You deserved a treatment like a king because you did not belong to any particular group. We should have crowned you on the throne, but you were busy stopping the riots. Bapu, you are the only leader who paid the price of independence when a self-proclaimed orthodox Hindu, Nathuram took your life silencing the whole nation. You were still greeting him when he fired at you. Why did you do that, Bapu?
Why are we still known as the ‘nation of Mahatma Gandhi’ all over the world? Why is it that even after killing you, your thoughts are still alive? Why is it that the world, including those who don’t agree with your thoughts, still respect you while uttering Sabarmati? Why does the world think that it can be saved only by following your path? Why is it that from Martin Luther King to Nelson Mandela and from Barack Obama to Aung San Suu Kyi, consider you as their source of inspiration?
Bapu, the gun that killed you still has many bullets left. Kalburgi, Pansare, Gauri Lankesh, Dabholkar and perhaps tomorrow will it be my turn? I still wouldn’t feel bad about it because one can kill a person but not their thoughts. Bapu, you fought to create one single caste called ‘Indian’, but do you know a politician once called you a ‘chatur Baniya’. We are discussing the caste of the Father of the Nation who made efforts to remove caste-based discrimination. On that day, many other Indians like me couldn’t think of having a meal.
Bapu, answer my questions. Bapu, don’t look at me so compassionately. I can’t bear it! You shouldn’t be this forgiving. Bapu, answer me...!
Author: Vishal B Dole
(The article has been published originally in Marathi on the online portal, Aksharnama)
Translation credits: Pratik Aswalkar
Image credits: Vishal B Dole (Aga Khan Palace, Pune)