[dropcap]N[/dropcap]owadays, Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru are always in news for wrong reasons. People have lost respect for these great leaders who struggled for the India’s freedom. Since BJP came into power, we hear many unheard revelation about these leaders, which can be termed as ‘character assassination’. Aam Aadmi Party’s senior leader and spokesperson Ashutosh compared AAP Minister’s sexcapades to Bapu’s Bramhacharya Experiments reflects his moral and ethical decay. Ashutosh had said that Sandeep, who is currently embroiled in a sex scandal, lived with desires beyond social boundaries like many great leaders of India. Ashutosh had cited examples of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi and many other leaders. I wonder what he was trying to tell.
Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ government was formed, it has been doing something which everyone is doing when they take over the charges from others – changing signage. The BJP government’s attempt to removes the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty names from the government schemes is apparently visible. After coming to power in May, the BJP had said it would review the use of Nehru-Gandhi family names in 650 schemes, projects and institutions. Recently, it replaced, the Planning Commission with a new institution named NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India). The institution was set up by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the year 1950. In such situations, where they are replacing these names, a foreign delegation will find it difficult to recollecting those names. I am sure; Modi must be somewhere even ashamed of his deeds. We cannot neglect their contribution towards nation pre and post independence.
What is that, which is bothering the Sangh parivar, BJP and AAP about Nehru’s family? Why don’t the ministers get on with the job of governance instead of constantly plotting different ways to undermine or even wipe out any mention of Nehru in the public domain?
There is, of course, a political agenda – because it is the BJP’s mission to make India Congress-mukt and ensure that there is no other national political party on the scene. However, the Sangh’s exertions in that direction seem overwrought, considering that the Congress itself is doing a fine job of making itself politically irrelevant. No, the BJP doesn’t want to just fight the Congress at the hustings; it wants to obliterate the Nehru-Gandhi family’s place not just in contemporary India but also in history. Anyway, BJP might play dirty politics but world will always remember these three great leaders of India.
For criticism to be declared good, one must have compelling reason to do so or should have been specifically asked to do so or it must be for larger good. Above everything else, criticism has to be done with integrity and not with malice towards the person criticized or a personal agenda. Devoid of these parameters, criticism cannot be stated to be good. Our history and culture are replete with examples where we have converted perfectly normal human being into God like creatures who can do no wrong. We expect our leadership to be right always and our villains to be always wrong. This makes the discussions between supporters and opponents quite colourful and devoid of factual interaction. You will agree that flight of fancy is an extremely pleasant, though shortlived experience.
Now coming back to Gandhi and Nehru, there are some definite rewards of criticising them. They are dead and hence cannot defend themselves. Their die-hard supporters have probably never read them and this makes the job easier. Criticizing them does not result in libel or slur and thus one has nothing to lose by such indulgence? Lastly, our country is full of “leaders” with extremely rabid thought processes, it is here that the non-discrimination of caste, colour, creed, gender and religion really applies, and even an attempt to criticise them attracts attack by their goons. In contrast, Gandhi and Nehru stood for Ahimsa. Their supporters do not threaten you physically. In this world full of frustrations, these two provide us perfect punching bags and a release from the day to day frustration. It is an ideal situation – they do not hit us back, help us release our frustration and give moments of importance to an otherwise inconsequential life – all the good reasons for us to concentrate criticizing them.
Mahatma Gandhi is too big to be criticised. A human who can put his life on stake for the lives of other human beings, had pledged to die of starvation if Hindu-Muslims doesn’t stop killing each other. I wonder, how many more would have died if Mahatma wasn’t there? British and their sponsored RSS guys tried to undermine him but nation still loves him. AAP leaders need to see the great picture of Bapu, when it comes to comparison with sex maniac leaders of their party.
(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)
