Dear parents,
Early in the morning when I opened the newspaper, I was pleased to see the front page. On one side, lay the picture of Mr. Anna Hazare and the news about his proposed fast . By his side lay the Independence day speech to the nation given by our respectable prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, with his picture.
Normally the faces I am forced to see on front page of the newspaper are simply monstrous. They make me feel hopeless early in the morning. So, today's front page was an ultimate breakfast treat.
I gathered that Anna insists on executing the fast and the government thinks just the opposite. Anna feels it is high time people take action and force the government to act. Dr. Manmohan Singh feels that though the issue is grave and urgent, it is all the more vital that one waits and handles with patience.
In your modern language, it is a conflict between `living in the present' and `living in the present moment, i.e. in the moment of action - NOW'. What is the difference between `to be in the present' and `to be in the present moment NOW'? `To be in the present' is while Arjuna is fixing his mind on the bird's eye and at the same time critically watching the bird, the tree and the expanse around. At this time he is trying to concentrate his mind at the eye of the bird totally. `To be in the present moment NOW' is when Arjuna is actually releasing the arrow from the bow.
As far as `to be in the present' is concerned, both Anna and Dr. Manmohan Singh agree that the need of the hour is to act.
But their `NOW' differs. Anna feels, come what may, he must start his fast. Dr. Manmohan Singh feels, at this moment, how you do such a thing is much more important than what you intend to do. This NOW is vital.
At this point, I started viewing my `NOW'. I saw
1. Today was justthe day after 15th August. The Delhi police and security staff have been on duty working vigilantly for last 48 hours. They are simply exhausted. If violence breaks, it is physically beyond them to handle it. We must show them `Now' that we care. They are our brothers and a brother must know that the other cares.
2. Anna Hazare, though a thorough Gandhian, is not under his own influence`now'. He is dominated by two lobbies. A lobby of highly intelligent law wizards and other lobby of media savvy socially committed people. The media have blown up the issue without making any effort to educate the people about their responsibility towards offering support to Anna in order to register their protest.
While seeking justice, one must first find out what the truth is. No one who claims to actively support Anna seems to have bothered to get a fair insight of the situation. Democracy is of the people & for the people we know. `NOW' expects us to remember and realise that `Democracy is BY the people'.
`Now' demands an ultimate responsible contribution from everyone who is actively participating today. Everyone has to exhibit a responsible behaviour in the interest of the country. We have to behave like what we expect the government to behave `Now'.
I just remembered Gandhijee.
It is a story of 1921. Our freedom movement was on. Gandhijee was to do a novel experiment. He was to symbolically declare the Taluka of Bardoli to be Free. They were to deny the government rule in that taluka. This was to be followed by countrywide Satyagraha. Whole country was electrified, overexcited, fully charged. Suddenly violence erupted at Chourichura. Mahatmajee was deeply pained. He realised that though this was an opportune moment in the movement of Swarajya, he has to hold on and wait. He felt, people including Gandhijee himself were not mature enough or evolved enough to handle the challenge if the violence broke. He instantly called off the programme. He himself kept the fast individually and thought deeply over the issue. He ultimately decided to execute the plan later on. It was executed in 1928 instead of 1921. Gandhijee believed that one had to wait long enough if he has people's interest, and country's welfare supreme in his mind.
Gandhijee was widely criticised. He was humiliated, condemned very harshly by press as well as his close associates. They all said it was a blunder to call off the programme. But Gandhijee was unperturbed.
Later, after many years when someone asked him, "Which was the most important day in your life ?" He answered, "The day I decided to withhold Bardoli action plan when whole nation was against me. It was a day of taking a step back but it was certainly the day of triumph for the principle of Satyagraha and Ahimsa."
I felt if Gandhijee was alive today, his call to the nation on the 65th birthday of our freedom would have been something like this : He would have said, "My dear countrymen, we all are celebrating 65th Birthday of our Freedom. We are proud of our democracy. In democracy, the country walks ahead only when the countrymen walk hand in hand, with the idea of weal of the whole nation. Everyone walks and acts together. Synchrony needed then is ultimate. Let us all rise to the occasion and embrace the `truth' together.
Do forward these thoughts to your friends if you feel like.
Lataaji
Early in the morning when I opened the newspaper, I was pleased to see the front page. On one side, lay the picture of Mr. Anna Hazare and the news about his proposed fast . By his side lay the Independence day speech to the nation given by our respectable prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, with his picture.
Normally the faces I am forced to see on front page of the newspaper are simply monstrous. They make me feel hopeless early in the morning. So, today's front page was an ultimate breakfast treat.
I gathered that Anna insists on executing the fast and the government thinks just the opposite. Anna feels it is high time people take action and force the government to act. Dr. Manmohan Singh feels that though the issue is grave and urgent, it is all the more vital that one waits and handles with patience.
In your modern language, it is a conflict between `living in the present' and `living in the present moment, i.e. in the moment of action - NOW'. What is the difference between `to be in the present' and `to be in the present moment NOW'? `To be in the present' is while Arjuna is fixing his mind on the bird's eye and at the same time critically watching the bird, the tree and the expanse around. At this time he is trying to concentrate his mind at the eye of the bird totally. `To be in the present moment NOW' is when Arjuna is actually releasing the arrow from the bow.
As far as `to be in the present' is concerned, both Anna and Dr. Manmohan Singh agree that the need of the hour is to act.
But their `NOW' differs. Anna feels, come what may, he must start his fast. Dr. Manmohan Singh feels, at this moment, how you do such a thing is much more important than what you intend to do. This NOW is vital.
At this point, I started viewing my `NOW'. I saw
1. Today was just
2. Anna Hazare, though a thorough Gandhian, is not under his own influence`now'. He is dominated by two lobbies. A lobby of highly intelligent law wizards and other lobby of media savvy socially committed people. The media have blown up the issue without making any effort to educate the people about their responsibility towards offering support to Anna in order to register their protest.
While seeking justice, one must first find out what the truth is. No one who claims to actively support Anna seems to have bothered to get a fair insight of the situation. Democracy is of the people & for the people we know. `NOW' expects us to remember and realise that `Democracy is BY the people'.
`Now' demands an ultimate responsible contribution from everyone who is actively participating today. Everyone has to exhibit a responsible behaviour in the interest of the country. We have to behave like what we expect the government to behave `Now'.
I just remembered Gandhijee.
It is a story of 1921. Our freedom movement was on. Gandhijee was to do a novel experiment. He was to symbolically declare the Taluka of Bardoli to be Free. They were to deny the government rule in that taluka. This was to be followed by countrywide Satyagraha. Whole country was electrified, overexcited, fully charged. Suddenly violence erupted at Chourichura. Mahatmajee was deeply pained. He realised that though this was an opportune moment in the movement of Swarajya, he has to hold on and wait. He felt, people including Gandhijee himself were not mature enough or evolved enough to handle the challenge if the violence broke. He instantly called off the programme. He himself kept the fast individually and thought deeply over the issue. He ultimately decided to execute the plan later on. It was executed in 1928 instead of 1921. Gandhijee believed that one had to wait long enough if he has people's interest, and country's welfare supreme in his mind.
Gandhijee was widely criticised. He was humiliated, condemned very harshly by press as well as his close associates. They all said it was a blunder to call off the programme. But Gandhijee was unperturbed.
Later, after many years when someone asked him, "Which was the most important day in your life ?" He answered, "The day I decided to withhold Bardoli action plan when whole nation was against me. It was a day of taking a step back but it was certainly the day of triumph for the principle of Satyagraha and Ahimsa."
I felt if Gandhijee was alive today, his call to the nation on the 65th birthday of our freedom would have been something like this : He would have said, "My dear countrymen, we all are celebrating 65th Birthday of our Freedom. We are proud of our democracy. In democracy, the country walks ahead only when the countrymen walk hand in hand, with the idea of weal of the whole nation. Everyone walks and acts together. Synchrony needed then is ultimate. Let us all rise to the occasion and embrace the `truth' together.
Do forward these thoughts to your friends if you feel like.
Lataaji
it is indeed surprising that the methods have gained more importance than the cause.
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