Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Sabarmati to Ralegan Sidhi; A Travellers Short Tale

On the day Anna wound up his fast at Ram lila maidan, our ground zero of anti-corrruption crusade, it was flattering to witness history in making. The euphoric air of truimph blew harder with Kejriwal's 'mission accomplished' speech. Many I talked to said they no more felt the abscence of 'living presence' of Gandhi whom they were content to know through school text books or see in rupee bills. (Yes. The rupee bill whose mysterious catwalk is at the heart of the dispute.) They had now a 'real one' standing on the dias before them. A very redemptive moment for a long suffering people.
An enduring mystery of our culture , so providential, that it produces at every hinge point a great man who matches the moment. Or is it merely wish fulfillemnt of a civilization steeped in mythology of Mahabharata where Lord Krishna counsels Arjun to not despair as he is ever re-incarnate in any epoch that sees a decline of 'Dharma'. (Yeda, yeda hi dharmashya glanirbhavati bharat..)? Whatever that was. Anna gave wings to myths and whole nation looked up into the sky with thanksgiving gaze.
This is just the beginning. If Gandhi shifted his earthly office from Sabarmati to Ralegan sidhi, then he will have appoint his new Nehru's, Patels et al, to complete the mission. A 'Team' is ready to fill that vacuous imagination of our history while antagonists are ready to introduce their Jinnahs and juveniles .
If artistic defficiencies of this narrative has trumped your thoughts and you haven't seen the unfolding face of future, then read on...