Gentle, kind and yet firm is how the person of the day can best be described. Yes, you guessed it right. I am indeed talking of Sane Guruji, the cultural icon of the twentieth century Maharashtra.
Most of the people of my generation would have weaned on "Shyam chi Aai", a great read. As for me, it was one of my childhood buddies. A very interesting book, which is a great account of his growing up, it is written in a unique style, stories within a story, and is told with genuine gentleness, his hallmark.
His is a childhood I can easily identify with! Idealistic, genuine, honest, straightforward parents trying to inculcate values and principles in their children is the crux of his story, and of my upbringing. Sure, such a self development makes one quite naive, a person rather unfit for the "nasty, selfish and brutal" world to quote Hobbes' famous description.
Gentle yet firm was Sane Guruji. The proof thereof is the Pandharpur Vitthal Mandir Satyagraha, a fast unto death that resulted in the total accessibility to each and every devotee, absolutely thanks due to Guruji.
Indeed wonderful is his poem "khara to ek chi Dharma/jagala Prem arpawe", that is to say, 'the only true religion is an offer of love to the whole world". No wonder, his birth anniversary falls on the Christmas Day. Jesus' story, too, is an inspirational gospel of love and humane kindness for all, including those who crucified him. Merry Christmas!
Pratima@ Goodness is its own reward.
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