So who is the Mahatma? You know of any such person residing in your locality, district or even country? Any person who ever was or will be? Any guesses ( okay, wild and weird ones are also allowed!)? No my friend, the answer is definitely not a certain Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi that we all know of. Well, that is the answer I expected from most of the readers of this article.So it seems that most of u fit well into my parameters of mediocrity. And for those who thought otherwise…..this article has been written for you.
Now that I have screened and shortlisted my potential readers, I think I should straightaway highlight the issue that this article deals with.
“Mahatma”, as the dictionary defines it “a person who is held in the highest esteem for wisdom and saintliness.” Another goes …..“a great sage who has renounced further spiritual development in order to aid those who are less advanced.” More precisely a Mahatma is a saviour……one who will save Mankind from its impending doom. So have you heard of any such people in our modern times? If your answer is a “yes”, tell me where do they live? What stuff are they made of? What do they look like? Saints? Descendants of the Almighty? Are they Hindus like us? Or Muslims like them? I would really like to know all about their whereabouts. What excitement to know that there exists a heavenly being, messenger of God amongst us, who has the perfect formula to solve all the problems of mankind!!!
Where does that leave us, the commoners? What do we become in presence of such saintly figures? Nothing but a bunch of educated fools, being taken on a ride which will cost us our lives someday! Mankind is full of believers who are blind……….just like a herd of sheep!
Enough of beating round the bush……I wish to further narrow down the premises of this article. I am here to talk of the Mahatmas existing in all of Us, the Hindus and Muslims, the Pakistanis and Indians, the Maoists and the Administrators, the Oppressed and the Privileged. Each of us believe that we could never go wrong in our ideologies. It is ALWAYS the opponent which is wrong. And so we indulge in the sinful “blamegame” conveniently ignoring the root causes.We are not looking for a solution, are we? We are convinced things will never change. All we want is blood for blood…..blast for blast. Is it? And what will we get from all this? A Hiroshima and a Nagasaki……..and generations of deformities and disabilities. That will for sure satisfy our need and greed for revenge and bloodshed putting us on satisfactory parameters. For “survival of the fittest” is the only teaching we have ever imbibed from our early uncivilized ancestors. No? The much talked about modernity and innovations have not been able to change us….a bit also. We are supreme and always will be. Great Going!!
So let me tell you……..the commoners…..for I belong to you…..I am no Mahatma and I do not wish to be so. But I am sensible and human. That is all that is required to realize where the actual problem lies. The problem is ATTITUDE. It is our attitude towards our neighbours, fellowmen, co-workers, friends, etc, that determines our relationship and effective social role playing with each of them. The rule is simple….We Get What We Give. A thousand Pune blasts, Mumbai(keeping the Shiv Sena in mind)attacks, Ahmedabad bombings by the Jehadis, or the more domestic Maoist lethal strikes across the eastern region of India will not usher in equality, tolerance, brotherhood, respect and most importantly Universal Love. A series of assaults and bombings all across an already shattered Pakistan or the developing Sri Lanka and Bangladesh or the very at home Maoist affected region, will not quench our thirst for revenge and fill up for all the losses of human lives and property that we have suffered in the recent times.
What will then serve the purpose and save us from day to day insecurity of life? And herein lies the answer. SAVE US. We need to save…..our resources, our ammunitions, our intelligence and most importantly……OUR PATIENCE, OUR TOLERANCE and OUR LOVE….. for those who are less fortunate, for those who look up to us(they have no option) for help, care and upliftment .And for those who think that we are the only ones who can destroy them (at will) if need be, but will SAVE THEM.
