Fiction, Film, Painting, and Comparative Literature
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
The Life Ad Afterlife of the Mahatma
Indi@logs Vol 1 2014, pp. 103-122, ISSN: 2339-8523 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GADHI ISM VS . G ADHI GIRI : THE LIFE AD AFTERLIFE OF THE MAHATMA 1 MAKARAND R. P ARANJAPE Jawaharlal Nehru University [email protected] Received: 11-05-2013 Accepted: 01-10-2013 ABSTRACT This paper, which contrasts Rajkumar Hirani’s Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) with Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982), is as much a celebration of Bollywood as of Gandhi. It is to the former that the credit for most effectively resurrecting the Mahatma should go, certainly much more so than to Gandhians or academics. For Bollywood literally revives the spirit of Gandhi by showing how irresistibly he continues to haunt India today. Not just in giving us Gandhigiri—a totally new way of doing Gandhi in the world—but in its perceptive representation of the threat that modernity poses to Gandhian thought is Lage Raho Munna Bhai remarkable. What is more, it also draws out the distinction between Gandhi as hallucination and the real afterlife of the Mahatma. The film’s enormous popularity at the box office—it grossed close to a billion rupees—is not just an index of its commercial success, but also proof of the responsive chord it struck in Indian audiences. But it is not just the genius and inventiveness of Bollywood cinema that is demonstrated in the film as much as the persistence and potency of Gandhi’s own ideas, which have the capacity to adapt themselves to unusual circumstances and times. Both Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning epic, and Rajkumar Hirani’s Lage Raho Munna Bhai show that Gandhi remains as media-savvy after his death as he was during his life. -
Chapter I Introduction
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Nonviolence is the pillar of Gandhi‘s life and work. His concept of nonviolence was based on cultivating a particular philosophical outlook and was integrally associated with truth. For him, nonviolence not just meant refraining from physical violence interpersonally and nationally but refraining from the inner violence of the heart as well. It meant the practice of active love towards one‘s oppressor and enemies in the pursuit of justice, truth and peace; ―Nonviolence cannot be preached‖ he insisted, ―It has to be practiced.‖ (Dear John, 2004). Non Violence is mightier than violence. Gandhi had studied very well the basic nature of man. To him, "Man as animal is violent, but in spirit he is non-violent.‖ The moment he awakes to the spirit within, he cannot remain violent". Thus, violence is artificial to him whereas non-violence has always an edge over violence. (Gandhi, M.K., 1935). Mahatma Gandhi‘s nonviolent struggle which helped in attaining independence is the biggest example. Ahimsa (nonviolence) has been part of Indian religious tradition for centuries. According to Mahatma Gandhi the concept of nonviolence has two dimensions i.e. nonviolence in action and nonviolence in thought. It is not a negative virtue rather it is positive state of love. The underlying principle of non- violence is "hate the sin, but not the sinner." Gandhi believes that man is a part of God, and the same divine spark resides in all men. Since the same spirit resides in all men, the possibility of reforming the meanest of men cannot be ruled out. -
Gandhi's View on Judaism and Zionism in Light of an Interreligious
religions Article Gandhi’s View on Judaism and Zionism in Light of an Interreligious Theology Ephraim Meir 1,2 1 Department of Jewish Philosophy, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; [email protected] 2 Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa Abstract: This article describes Gandhi’s view on Judaism and Zionism and places it in the framework of an interreligious theology. In such a theology, the notion of “trans-difference” appreciates the differences between cultures and religions with the aim of building bridges between them. It is argued that Gandhi’s understanding of Judaism was limited, mainly because he looked at Judaism through Christian lenses. He reduced Judaism to a religion without considering its peoplehood dimension. This reduction, together with his political endeavors in favor of the Hindu–Muslim unity and with his advice of satyagraha to the Jews in the 1930s determined his view on Zionism. Notwithstanding Gandhi’s problematic views on Judaism and Zionism, his satyagraha opens a wide-open window to possibilities and challenges in the Near East. In the spirit of an interreligious theology, bridges are built between Gandhi’s satyagraha and Jewish transformational dialogical thinking. Keywords: Gandhi; interreligious theology; Judaism; Zionism; satyagraha satyagraha This article situates Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s in the perspective of a Jewish dialogical philosophy and theology. I focus upon the question to what extent Citation: Meir, Ephraim. 2021. Gandhi’s religious outlook and satyagraha, initiated during his period in South Africa, con- Gandhi’s View on Judaism and tribute to intercultural and interreligious understanding and communication. -
Title a Revival of Gandhism in India? : Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Anna
A Revival of Gandhism in India? : Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Title Anna Hazare Author(s) ISHIZAKA, Shinya Citation INDAS Working Papers (2013), 12: 1-13 Issue Date 2013-09 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/178768 Right Type Research Paper Textversion author Kyoto University INDAS Working Papers No. 12 September 2013 A Revival of Gandhism in India? Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Anna Hazare Shinya ISHIZAKA 人間文化研究機構地域研究推進事業「現代インド地域研究」 NIHU Program Contemporary India Area Studies (INDAS) A Revival of Gandhism in India? Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Anna Hazare Shinya Ishizaka∗ A 2006 record hit Bollywood comedy film, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, where a member of the Mumbai mafia began to engage in Gandhigiri (a term meaning the tenets of Gandhian thinking, popularised by this film) by quitting dadagiri (the life of a gangster) in order to win the love of a lady, was sensationalised as the latest fashion in the revival of Gandhism. Anna Hazare (1937-), who has used fasting as an effective negotiation tactic in the anti-corruption movement in 2011, has been more recently acclaimed as a second Gandhi. Indian society has undergone a total sea change since the Indian freedom fighter M. K. Gandhi (1869-1948) passed away. So why Gandhi? And why now? Has the recent phenomena of the success of Munna Bhai and the rise of Anna’s movement shown that people in India today still recall Gandhi’s message? This paper examines the significance of these recent phenomena in the historical context of Gandhian activism in India after Gandhi. It further analyses how contemporary Gandhian activists perceive Anna Hazare and his movement, based upon interviews conducted with them during fieldwork in India in the period August-September 2011. -
Revisiting the Assassination of the Mahatma*
61 MRIDULA MUKHERJEE Revisiting the Assassination of the Mahatma* On January 30, 1948, in a little over six months after the tragedy of the Partition, another tragedy visited the fledgling state.1 If Partition could largely be ascribed to Muslim communalism, aided by colonialism, then Hindu communalism bears the responsibility for the assassination of the “greatest living Hindu”. In Nehru’s words:2 Communalism resulted not only in the division of the country, which inflicted a deep wound in the heart of the people which will take a long time to heal if it ever heals but also assassination of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji’s assassination was a premeditated act. In November 1947, Karyanand Sharma, the CPI kisan leader from Bihar, had warned that the demand for a Hindu Raj “was very bad and behind it there was a conspiracy to murder Gandhiji and Panditji.”3 Gandhi himself understood the true nature of the abortive attempt that was made on his life on January 20, 1948. When a co-worker wondered if the bomb blast was accidental, he replied: “The fool; Don’t you see, there is a terrible and widespread conspiracy behind it?”4 In his Presidential Address to the Hindu Mahasabha in 1937, Savarkar, the creator of the concept of Hindutva, the first to *Excerpt from the Presidential Address ( Modern India) Indian History Congress, 2011, Malda, West Bengal 62 MARXIST propound the two-nation theory, and the organiser of the conspiracy to murder the Mahatma, declared: ‘India cannot be assumed today to be an unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main, Hindus and Muslims, in India.’ He refers to ‘centuries of a cultural, religious and national antagonism between the Hindus and the Moslems’. -
India After Independence
10 India After Independence A New and Divided Nation When India became independent in August 1947, it faced a series of very great challenges. As a result of Partition, 8 million refugees had come into the country from what was now Pakistan. These people had to be found homes and jobs. Then there was the problem of the princely states, almost 500 of them, each ruled by a maharaja or a nawab, each of whom had to be persuaded to join the new nation. The problems of the refugees and of the princely states had to be addressed immediately. In the longer term, the new nation had to adopt a political system that would best serve the hopes and expectations of its population. Fig. 11Fig. – Mahatma Gandhi's ashes being immersed in Allahabad, February 1948 Less than six months after independence the nation was in mourning. On 30 January 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by a fanatic, Nathuram Godse, because he disagreed with Gandhiji’s conviction that Hindus and Muslims should live together in harmony. That evening, a stunned nation heard Jawaharlal Nehru’s moving statement over All India Radio: “Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere … our beloved leader … the Father of the Nation is no more.” 128 OUR PASTS – III 2021-22 India’s population in 1947 was large, almost 345 Activity million. It was also divided. There were divisions Imagine that you are a between high castes and low castes, between the British administrator majority Hindu community and Indians who practised leaving India in 1947. -
On the Art of Dying: Death and the Specter of Gandhi
VINAY LAL On the Art of Dying: Death and the Specter of Gandhi Such was the end, Echecrates, of our friend: concerning whom I may truly say, that of all men of his time whom I have known, he was the wisest and justest and best. —Plato, Phaedo i: the timepiece and the last walk On the evening of January 30, 1948, around ten minutes past five o’clock, Gandhi emerged from the interior of Birla House, where he had been immersed in a meeting with his close associate Sardar Patel, and began to walk towards the garden for his customary evening prayer. A crowd was gathered as usual to catch a glimpse of the old man and seek his audience; among those awaiting his presence were the American journalist Vincent Sheean and BBC’s Delhi correspon- dent, Bob Stimson. But something was amiss: though scarcely a Protestant, Gandhi could well have been mistaken for one, considering that he swore both by punctuality and by the maxim that “cleanliness is next to Godliness,” and yet this evening the prayer meeting had not commenced at 5 pm. Gandhi had failed to keep time, prompting Stimson to remark to Sheean, “Well, this is strange. Gandhi’s late. He’s 1 Vincent Sheean, Lead, Kindly Light: practically never late.’1 Gandhi’s life was governed by the watch to an Gandhi and the Way to Peace (New unusual degree, but he was no prisoner of time; remarkably, though York: Random House, 1949), 202. he adhered to a meticulous, even punishing, schedule for much of his life, Gandhi was generous in giving his time to others, whatsoever their station in life. -
Remembering Gandhi: Political Philosopher and Social Theorist
REMEMBERING GANDHI: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER AND SOCIAL THEORIST Published by Salesian College Publication Sonada - Darjeeling - 734 209 Don Bosco Road, Siliguri Phone: (+91) 89189 85019 734 001 / Post Box No. 73 www.salesiancollege.ac.in [email protected] www.publications.salesiancollege.net [email protected] ii “My belief is that whenever you go into somebody’s head - anyone’s head - it’s all insecurity.... I live with that fear that in a minute everything could go away.” Andre Acimann, in the interniew on his books - Call me by Your name and Find Me, in Rich Juzwiak, “The Story Continues, after all” Times, November, 4, 2019, 91. Salesian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, X(2019) 2 REMEMBERING GANDHI: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER AND SOCIAL THEORIST ISSN 0976-1861 December 2019 Vol. X, No.2 CONTENTS Editorial Remembering Mahatma as Gandhi: Gandhi as Political Philosopher and Social Theorist v Pius V Thomas Original Articles Gandhi and the Development Discourse Siby K. George 1 A Conciliatory Gaze: SNG on MK Gandhi and BR Ambedkar 23 George Thadathil Gandhi’s Legacy: Vandana Shiva as Gandhi’s Heir 51 Pius V Thomas and Violina Patowary Gandhi in the Tropics: Climate, Disease and Medicine 73 Bikash Sarma The Violence of Non-violence: Reading Nirad C Chaudhuri Rereading Gandhi 85 Jaydeep Chakrabarty Freedom, Authority and Care as Moral Postulates: Reexamining Gandhi’s Proposal for Ethical Reconstruction 95 Subhra Nag Decoding Gandhigiri: A Genealogy of a ‘popular’ Gandhi 111 Abhijit Ray iv General Commentaries Labour for Love or Love for Labour? 135 Shruti Sharma Production of a ‘degenerate’ form 149 Vasudeva K. -
Sunday Indian, Alan Clements Discusses Suu
GA N D H I IN TH E 21 S T C E NT U R Y GANDHI – THE IDEA… …WHOSE TIME HAS COME...OR GONE? istorians of the did not take up’ says his nephew, Abhey future, I believe, Singh Sandhu (See the story on page on will look upon Bhagat Singh) – parted ways. this century not Dr. Douglas Allen, Professor of Phi- as the atomic losophy at the University of Maine who age but as the is writing a book on the Mahatma pro- age of Gandhi." - Eknath Easwaran. vides an intriguing perspective, ‘Espe- ‘EveryH Indian city has a Mahatma Gan- cially relevant and significant today is a ‘dhi Road. Almost. But how many actu- greatly misunderstood position from ally walk down the road that the Ma- the non-violent Gandhi. Rather insist- hatma illuminated through his ing on some utopian, absolutist posi- thoughts and credo? Over generalised tion, Gandhi grants a surprising and simplified, Gandhi has been re- number of cases in which there are no duced to a synonym for non-violence good non-violent alternatives and vio- without any attempt at understanding lence is necessary. But we should never the brushstrokes of thoughts that glorify such violence. The fact that we panned the Gandhian canvas and may need to resort to violence is tragic, their nuanced hues that today, more should sadden us, and is an indication than ever, need to be revisited under of human failure.’ new light. Today, Gandhi’s philosophy perme- Gandhi’s firm backing of his basic ates pop culture in a relatively superfi- principles – that of ahimsa and satyag- cial manner like Raj Kumar Hirani’s raha – were evident in his calling off the "Lage Raho Munnabhai" or tongue-in- non-cooperation movement after an cheek Gandhigiri cards. -
The Origins of Non-Violence
The Origins of Non-violence Tolstoy and Gandhi in Their Historical Settings Martin Green The Origins of Non-violence This book describes the world-historical forces, acting on the periphery of the modern world—in Russia in the nineteenth century—which developed the idea of nonviolence in Tolstoy and then in Gandhi. It was from Tolstoy that Gandhi first learned of this idea, but those world-historical forces acted upon and through both men. The shape of the book is a convergence, the coming together of two widely separate lives, under the stress of history. The lives of Tolstoy and Gandhi begin at widely separate points— of time, of place, of social origin, of talent and of conviction; in the course of their lives, they become, respectively, military officer and novelist, and lawyer and political organizer. They win fame in those roles; but in the last two decades of their lives, they occupy the same special space—ascetic/saint/prophet. Tolstoy and Gandhi were at first agents of modern reform, in Russia and India. But then they became rebels against it and led a profound resistance—a resistance spiritually rooted in the traditionalism of myriad peasant villages. The book’s scope and sweep are enormous. Green has made history into an absorbing myth—a compelling and moving story of importance to all scholars and readers concerned with the history of ideas. www.mkgandhi.org Page 1 The Origins of Non-violence Preface This book tells how the modern version of nonviolence—and Satyagraha, and war-resistance, and one kind of anti-imperialism, even— were in effect invented by Tolstoy and Gandhi. -
Very-Very Short Answer
Very-Very Short Answer Q.1. Complete the sentence: ‘ ___________’ is a famous speech made by the first Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru at the midnight hour of 14–15 August 1947. Ans. Tryst with destiny. Q.2. State True or False. Freedom came with the partition, unprecedented violence and trauma of displacement. Ans. True. Q.3. Correct and rewrite the statement: Three stamps issued in 1950 to mark the First Republic Day tell us about the future plans of the new republic. Ans. Three stamps issued in 1950 to mark the First Republic Day tell us about the challenges to the new republic. Q.4. Match the following: ‘A’ ‘B’ i. Sardar Patel a. Division of hearts ii. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan b. Gandhiji’s Assassination iii. Nathuram Godse c. India’s Deputy Prime Minister and the iv. Survivors described partition Home Minister d. Frontier Gandhi Ans. (i) - (c), (ii) - (d), (iii) - (b), (iv) - (a). Q.5. Who gave the speech titled ‘tryst with destiny’ and when? [CBSE (Comptt.) 2014] Ans. First Prime Minister of the independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Q.6. When was the constitution of India adopted and signed by the members of constituent assembly? When was it brought into force? [CBSE Delhi 2013] Ans. Constitution of India was signed and adopted on 26th Nov, 1949. It was brought into force on 26th Jan, 1950. Q.7. What did independence bring along to India? Ans. India got partition along with independence. Q.8. How many major challenges were before India after independence? Ans. India had three major challenges after the independence. -
The Bhagwad Gita According to Gandhi and Godse
International Journal of Engineering Technology Science and Research IJETSR www.ijetsr.com ISSN 2394 – 3386 Volume 2, Issue 11 November 2015 The Bhagwad Gita according to Gandhi And Godse Miss Alpana Designation: Assistant Professor in English Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa (C.D.L.U.) Address: H.No. 648, Sector-20, Part II, H.U.D.A., Sirsa. Haryana, India PIN Code: 125055 ABSTRACT This research paper deals with the ancient religious book of the Bhagwadgita and how it had led to two entirely different notable personalities namely, Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse. The main purpose is to highlight the respective ideologies which took shape after reading this book. There is also an attempt to put forth the significance of an ancient book in the making of our nation’s independence struggle. The Bhagwadgita has always been an important part of the debates at national and international levels. On one hand nations like Russia once banned the book in their nation due to its “violence evoking” content while on the hand, for men like Godse and Gandhi , it’s a store of inspiration and guidance. Keywords: Gandhi, Godse, bhagwadgita, religious, independence "The significance of such a philosophical poem as the Bhagavad Gita , or similar works of world literature , can only be rightly valued by one to whom they are not mere theory but a destiny." -Rudolf Steiner, The Bhagavad Gita and the Epistles of Paul The above mentioned line asserts the crucial space a text like the Bhagvadgita occupies in the broader space of Hindu religious canon. While attempting to take a dive into the realm of Hindu philosophy , one would come across myriads of ideas, compositions, compendia, etc.