I first visited Rajghat in 1994. I was about four years old back then. That is the oldest recollection of mine about Gandhi Ji. I have always revered Bapu. This admiration was mostly because of the fact that he was a leading figure of our independence movement and partly because the stories from his life scattered throughout my school education impressed me in one way or the other. These stories always had some values embedded in them. Bapu lay dormant for few years in my life.
Then came October 2, 2009. I was nearing the end of my teenage. I reckon age is an important factor in understanding Bapu and his ideas. Gandhi Ji's words can only be appreciated with wisdom which only comes with age (not necessarily!). I was in my first year at Banaras Hindu University. BHU has a tradition of celebrating Gandhi Jayanti in Malaviya Bhavan. It's a very simple affair where a peace prayer is read at the start of the function by priests from different faiths followed by a few bhajans and a lecture by a Gandhian. There is also a book exhibition where one can buy books related to Gandhi Ji. The chief guest for the function was Professor S N Subbarao, Director of Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi. I don't recollect what Prof. Subbarao said that evening but it was an evening filled with laughter. The only instance I remember was of Prof. Subbarao making a joke about his attire. He came wearing a khaki short and said that we should not think of him being related to RSS in any way.
After the lecture, I bought a copy of Bapu's autobiography, 'The Story of My Experiments With Truth'. I finished reading the book on October 2, 2010. I have this unusual fondness with dates and I am naturally good at remembering important events. The book turned out to be one of the best books I have read till date. It provides an insight into the man's convictions and one is able to understand the logic behind many of his decisions which at first sight appear totally incomprehensible and whimsical. My respect and admiration for Bapu grew manyfold after I put down that book.
Today, I, after 22 years, visited Rajghat with my friend Rishabh followed by a visit to National Gandhi Museum. The museum is very nice. They also have a tea shop within its compound. It has several of Gandhi Ji's personal belongings and important photographs among other things. They also have one of the three bullets which was fired at him. I was really struck by a painting named 'Secularism' which depicts four people, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Sikh and a Christian looking up to Bapu while holding each other's hands and the men at the extreme hold Bapu's hand while blood is dripping from his chest. They have a collection of postage stamps of Bapu issued around the world and the most striking of them were the stamps issued by Sierra Leone in 1998, which was somewhat ironical and yet a sign of hope. Nevertheless, it was a soul-stirring experience. I think the question that I asked myself at the beginning is premature. The understanding of Gandhi Ji's life and work deepens with age. It can only be answered appropriately by an older version of myself, probably 50 years down the line.
The question, then, will be, "What Gandhi Ji Meant To Me?".
उसी को मार डाला जिस ने सर ऊँचा किया सब का
उसी को मार डाला जिस ने सर ऊँचा किया सब का
न क्यूँ ग़ैरत से सर नीचा करें हिन्दोस्ताँ वाले
मिरे गाँधी ज़मीं वालों ने तेरी क़द्र जब कम की
उठा कर ले गए तुझ को ज़मीं से आसमाँ वाले
— नज़ीर बनारसी
— नज़ीर बनारसी
