We have traveled very far from the times of Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. They played their part and dissolved into time. Always citing them and their ideology and expressions, are most of the times not relevant to present times.
Mr. Gandhi is the only politician who clubbed spirituality and politics for the purpose of achieving independence from the foreign yoke, the British. Truth and non-violence are not copy-righted items of Mr. Gandhi. He does not possess any patent for them, giving lectures about them and practicing them. India has been replete with individuals who followed both truth and non-violence as their life-guiding wisdom from ancient times. Mr. Gandhi also adopted them. It is to the credit of Mr. Gandhi that he saw to it that there is no gap between his preaching and practice of truth and non-violence. His and its purpose, are over after the dawn of the independence. Immediately after getting independence he was assassinated for his pronouncements at that time by the fanatics of an ideology.
Quoting only Mr. Gandhi for the twin ideologies of truth and non-violence, is doing immense disservice to many a great and normal citizens and individuals who have originated it and followed it as gospel in their lives from times immemorial. And India got independence also because the British became bankrupt because of participation in second world war and were no longer able to manage such a vast "colony"; and of course showed their conceit nature by creating situations to divide India as they could not lose such a jewel and allow it to flourish after their departure. They saw to it that not only India is divided on religious lines and also mischievously gave "independence" to the 540 independent kingdoms separately.
But for the sagacity and administrative acumen of Sardar Vallabhai Patel India might have been still engaged internal wars. Unfortunately after independence there was not a single individual or ideology which kept all Indians emotionally integrated. Entered then the narrow-minded politicians who do not have any administrative or patriotic or intellectual and aesthetic QUALITIES to rule India and also emotionally integrate this nation of diverse communities, faiths, religions, regional-sub-cultures leading to sub-nationalism, castes, and the like; which are historical burden on the nation. No politician behaved as a statesman/stateswoman.
Instead they used these historical divisions to emotionally disintegrate the citizens and continue to rule frightening one group on the illusive onslaughts from other groups and siding certain religions, castes, communities, regions and pampering them to the extent of they believing that getting benefits and special treatment from the government is their birth right.
These citizens instead of working hard and making efforts to uplift and advance themselves in their lives have become permanent beggars expecting alms from the authorities and became weaker and weaker, backward but their leaders cornering all the benefits of special treatments.
Thus the politicians and intellectuals of India after Mr. Gandhi failed in their duty to make the nation one emotionally too. But were enamored of communist, rationalist, radical humanist, socialist, atheistic only to Hindu religion and aesthetic ancient Indian tradition and ideas and thought systems, sans comprehensive outlook; viewing things and situations only through their ideologically colored minds and dismissing everything traditional and ancient wisdom; proliferated the social scene and widened the gap among citizens bringing new and disquieting ideas and ideologies.
Mr. Nehru is enamored of socialism. Was an admirer of Soviet communist system and imported planning commission concept into India. His agnostic mind has compared new irrigation dams, factories and the like things as modern "temples" of India thus belittling consciously or unconsciously the temple tradition of India. Yes it is an attractive slogan "service to man is service to God". But very few follow it only preach it because it is not easy to practice and so they stop at preaching level. What is the use of such vain slogans?
We have seen the fall of communism in all the countries that adopted it and wondering are observing the reality, that how China, still being a "communist" country and wedded to socialist ideology, has become a capitalist nation, still treating its citizens as wealth-producing "animals" but not dignified individuals with freedom of thought. Thus the love of Mr. Nehru for socialism has given wrong direction to the fledgling nation and better thinkers like Rajaji and others were swept away by the popularity and charisma of Mr. Nehru. And Mr. Nehru has been a choice of Mr. Gandhi to be the PM and not the popular choice as majority of parliamentarians wanted Patel to become PM. Thus started the nomination culture of congress which is still the culture of the party. Democracy is given a go by and the new nation started by taking wrong first step. Mr. Nehru and Mr. Gandhi are responsible for this. And corruption is universal, is a grand statement of Mrs. Gandhi Senior. Kamaraj plan was initiated and implemented to cut many stalwart leaders to size and pave the way for introduction of family rule. Which is continuing to disastrous results till date.
It will be repetitive to narrate the bungling of many national and international issues by Mr. Nehru with his dreamy policies which are exploited by individuals and nations of our neighborhood. I am aware today is October 2nd, the birthday of Mr. Gandhi. This article is purposefully shared today to start a discussion on issues raised here.
But for Mr. P.V. Narasimharao, who with the innovative idea of making an economic expert as finance minister [until then any MP can become a finance minister without any knowledge of economic and financial issues; and many individuals were becoming ministers of as diverse ministries as home, finance, defense, foreign affairs, education (human resources), health, undermining the well-being and welfare of nation] ; and giving him free hand, has revived India financially and gave some hope by releasing India from licence-quota-permit raj and socialist dogma which enamored only individuals like Mr. Nehru and intellectuals, but failed miserably in implementation. Such P.V.Narasimha Rao was humiliated in his death by his body being refused to be put at Congress head-quarters for people showing their last respects; and unceremoniously dispatched to Hyderabad shows the zamindari and feudalistic culture evolved in congress under family rule.
Thus the nascent nation adopted ideas alien and not original to the Indian wisdom, culture and spirituality ; and leaders, who not only do not have any idea of the tradition of this great nation, which contributed to all fields of human endeavor and is appreciated and toured for its specialty and wealth by all continents; but are vehemently opposed to the idea of such an ancient India and its originality, genius and grandness. It has been guided by the leaders after independence, predominantly dominated by Nehru and his family, is now reeling under yoke of inefficient rulers and leaders who only know to divide the nation and citizens by any pretext and do not at all know to keep the nation emotionally one and make it a grand nation again.
Thus the missteps taken by India after independence under the influence of Mr. Gandhi (who un-democratically imposed Mr. Nehru on India as first PM) and Nehru who is more a dreamer and romanticist in politics and do not have required respect, though not love, for ancient Indian wisdom, has made a false start. For these missteps India has paid heavily with atack from outside, terrorism within and without, anarchy, corruption, inefficiency, lack of self-esteem, loveless-ness for the idea of grand ancient India and is looking for a change in atmosphere to be redeemed from these calamities.
But Indian citizens should know that they are also responsible for the present situation aspiring for things which they do not deserve but for the professions undertaken by their forefathers and belonging to a particualar religion, must play a role by refusing special treatments from authorities. Else every one will suffer under the inept, inefficient and divisive leadership and governance.
We have to transcend Gandhi-Nehru influence.
