Relevance

 What a day! Here in India, we celebrated the memory of the gentle, sensible, sincere Shastriji. Indeed he was so. Remember the story about he not informing his family that he was a minister so as to avoid any pressure from them? Yes, he WAS a genuine person. Mysterious unfortunately was his death. The ''Tashkent Files'' are almost as much a puzzle as the 'death' of Subhash Chandra Bose. That unfortunate fact hardly matters. His life, lived most honourably, remains relevant.

For the majority, October 2 is a remarkable day as it marks the birth anniversary of Gandhiji. Why is Gandhiji relevant? In my opinion, he would forever remain relevant because he always first tested for himself his principles, his concepts, his ideals before releasing them in the public space.

I can provide multiple examples of this axiom. Let us take cleanliness, especially in relationship with the lowly work of the untouchables. He himself cleaned latrines to gauge the insult involved. Similarly, while the whole of India was busy celebrating the 'tryst with destiny', this old fragile man, almost all alone, was in Noakhali trying to douse the communal fire.  Hence his words appear genuine. Hence his relevance.

However, is his core concept, non-violence, relevant any longer? His birth anniversary is celebrated the world over as the world peace day. Most ironically, however, currently across the world, there is neither non-violence nor peace. In addition to the simmering Ukraine crisis, the Israel-Palestine-Hezbollah-Iran fracas is threatening to turn in to a full-fledged third world war, and literally any second. China-Russia are raring to reach this front as well. Given the election compulsions, America is already helping Israel who is threatening to target the oil rigs and the atomic plant of Iran.

None is above metaphorical muscle flexing and skin saving tactics right now. In such a scenario, what relevance are such principles as truth (which is relative), non-violence and peace? I thought through the whole day to find out the relevance of these principles not only at the international level, but also at the personal/individual level because being straightforward, honest, genuine, clean is currently considered stupid and ridiculous! May be, new realities need new axioms!

Pratima@Even during the freedom struggle, it was said that non-violence and non-co-operation would not have been equally effective against a Hitler or a Mussolini or a Franco! 

Honestly, despite deep analysis from every possible angle, I cannot fathom how to find the relevance of truth, peace, non-violence and non-co-operation while confronting (no alternative is available) a horror Hamas, a rogue Hezbollah, an inciting Khomeini and an avenging Netanyahu?