Satyagraha-113 Hit-Wicket
By – Pamarty Venkataramana
It was in the year 1907 that Mahatma Gandhi first announced Satyagraha as a political tool of resistance to counter oppression by regimes. He had organised opposition to the notorious Asiatic Registration Law (the Black Act) of South African Government.
It is the year 2020, now!
The ‘Mahatma’ is still revered around the globe. Rightly or wrongly depends on which side of the elliptical Earth you are tilted towards.
It is an honorific even the most corrupt ‘converted Indian bahu’ assumes as a mask of respectability ( if only imaginary).
Evil still stalks society.
Even in a ‘good governance’ age of India. There is a Parliament enjoying a thumping, absolute majority.
There is a semblance of an opposition comprised of the motley group of anti-Government leaderships.
The society still has its more than fair share of criminal offenders and other anti-social elements.
So much of hue and cry is raised over partisanship allegedly shown in matters of statecraft in the people’s democracy.
Yet,the only form of ‘Satyagraha’ is the noise and clamour witnessed on popular social-media platforms; by paid media or manufactured news-stories planted in a myriad fake-media posts.
There are sporadic instances of arson,mob violence on streets and gheraos.The fasting festivals are reduced to mere charades and spectacles of temporary hunger-strike with a ‘Good Samaritan’ descending at the venue of such display-shows and offering a glass of lemon-juice.
No lemons for the crowd abetting a Satyagrahi.
However,what takes the cake for a certain satyagrahi opposition-neta is the ‘Wink wink’ in Parliament and most recently,only yesterday morning,doing a ‘dive-dive’ into the green thicket of bushes- supposedly courageously, defying the law of anti-gravity.
Social-distancing?
‘Satyagraha’ was once upon a time the art of self-abuse, in order to draw the attention of a kind, sensitive society.
Today, it is the ‘selfie’ moment of photo-ops where ‘agrah’ rules roost over ‘Satya’.
No more ‘sharamdaan’ on October 2nd- birthday of the ‘Father of the Nation’.
No one sits on a ‘Satyagraha’ for just causes espoused- be it to bring justice to victims of molestation or murder; or to seek relief for hungry and jobless millions.
BapuJi’s Satyagraha is out ‘hit-wicket’ at 113.
No doubt about it, India.
Non-violence & non-alignment are concepts swallowed by the demons of technological development.
If ‘wink-wink’ and ‘dive-dive’ imposters of politics are boycott by a much-enlightened society,’Harijans’ would mean and include everyone of us Indians, regardless of caste or religious affiliation. All of us shall then be leading life as equals : not as the preferred or deprived ones; the minorities or majority community; and, certainly not let leaderships in powerful positions to continue to succumb to political opportunism.
‘Satyagraha’ is the perennial tool of resistance. Not, mob-violence or road-shows involving precious property such as tractors or hordes of unemployed vagabonds barricading roads. Let the good word spread far and wide. No more self-destruction.
Athma Chintan and not ‘ aatmanirbhar Bharat ‘ is the need of our times. Now!
Satyamewa Jayatey 🇮🇳
🙏
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I completely agree .Society has to go under Athma Chintan . To understand what are we doing and keeping Bappu’s principle as guideline .