GANDHIJI’S GLASSES
   Date :12-Aug-2020

time n tide_1  
 
THE expected price of 19,600 dollars for Mahatma Gandhi’s glasses at an auction indicate how precious those are. For collectors of such items, the auction would be looked forward to by countless enthusiasts to present bids to acquire those glasses which the Mahatma used in initial years. But more precious than the glasses is the vision that the Mahatma acquired in his lifetime. It is that vision that mesmerised the world, including the British rulers who tried their best to suppress it. Most unfortunately, modern human society does not seem to make much effort to promote and implement that vision in practical terms. In fact, what Gandhiji preached his whole life was a vision of mankind living in the most harmonious manner with a sense of togetherness that is described only in utopias. In fact, a lot of people believe firmly that Mahatma Gandhi’s vision is a practical possibility which the modern society is refusing even to try. No doubt, Gandhiji’s glasses are precious and would fetch a great price in an auction. But more precious is his vision which is completely in the realm of practical possibility -- if we tried!
 
BASIC GOODNESS
 
THE story is doing the rounds that a woman in Mumbai -- Kanta Murti -- moved the lid on a manhole on a major road to allow accumulated rainwater to flow away, and then stood near it for seven long hours to caution the traffic against running into the open hole. Such a human goodness makes news because it is rarely seen in today’s world where everybody is in a terrible hurry to keep going (where only God knows!). But when a Kanta Murti stands for seven hours helping the traffic to stay clear of the danger, she scales a newer height of human goodness. Such demonstration of virtue is generally appreciated, and even rewarded occasionally, but is only rarely replicated. That is so because the larger society has forgotten the importance of such core value and virtue that marks the humans different from other species. There is no doubt that such examples are often appreciated, but the larger society is not known to promote such a behaviour out of its members. This bereftness of values of the larger society makes the contribution of someone like Kanta Murti special and precious. Such stories must be told to our kids in schools and colleges with much celebration.