A Martyr is Remembered...!

For those of you who didn't know, 30 January is celebrated as Martyr's Day on the occasion of the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Yesterday, we celebrated had Martyr's Day even without realizing it...

All over India, various statues, roads, parks, halls and colleges have been named after Mahatma Gandhi. Bapu is only remembered during his birth and death anniversaries, but what keeps racking our brains is that does Bapu still remain in our thoughts?


The Times Of India reports that, "On the 62nd death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Saturday - the Martyr's Day was nothing but another day to motivate others about his principles". A 75-year-old Sri Ram Charan sitting at the Swantra Sainani Bhawan recalls: "Gandhi was a renowned pacifist. We were left shock and disbelief when we heard the news. People say he uttered ‘Hey Ram'. But that day a great man left us, left the country -- the one who got India free -- the freedom we misuse today." Read the entire article here.


A 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' dialogue vividly comes into picture - Remove all statues of Mahatma Gandhi in the nation... Wipe out all his pictures... Replace the names of all roads after him... If you want to preserve him, keep him in your heart!


Albert Einstein was known to have quoted about the great Mahatma the following...

Taken on the whole, I would believe that Gandhi's views were the most enlightened of all the political men of our time. We should strive to do things in his spirit: not to use violence for fighting for our cause, but by non-participation of anything you believe is evil.

Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.

Everyone concerned in the better future of mankind must be deeply moved by the tragic death of Mahatma Gandhi. He died as the victim of his own principles, the principle of nonviolence. He died because in time of disorder and general irritation in his country, he refused armed protection for himself. It was his unshakable belief that the use of force is an evil in itself, that therefore it must be avoided by those who are striving for supreme justice to his belief. With his belief in his heart and mind, he has led a great nation on to its liberation. He has demonstrated that a powerful human following can be assembled not only through the cunning game of the usual political manoeuvres and trickeries but through the cogent example of morally superior conduct of life.

The admiration for Mahatma Gandhi in all countries of the world rests on recognition, mostly sub-conscious, recognition of the fact that in our time of utter moral decadence, he was the only statesman to stand for a higher level of human relationship in political sphere. This level we must, with all our forces, attempt to reach. We must learn the difficult lesson that an endurable future of humanity will be possible only if, also in international relations, decisions are based on law and justice and not on self-righteous power, as they have been upto now.

Mahatma Gandhi is indeed respected all over the world for his simplicity and greatness... Let us salute him and get inspired by his noble principles..

What are your thoughts about our great Mahatma Gandhi?


[Image Source]

A Republic, Of Sorts

Wishing You All A Very Happy Republic Day!!

The flame of patriotism brightens in my heart on such special occasions like Republic Day & Independence Day. I hope you guys also feel a sense of patriotism on such occasions. In fact, Indians all over the world must be remembering their beautiful country today! If you observe closely, today i.e. on 26 January 2010, (for those who are reading it some other day) you will find the air to be one of love, sacrifice and pride for India! 

In fact, Vikram A Chandra, senior editor of NDTV recently tweeted that - I don't quite agree with the cynics who say India has achieved nothing in these 60 years. Lots to be proud of, but plenty still to do.

 If we basically talk about the concept of patriotism, I feel that it is a fleeting phenomena. For many of us, Republic Day is just another ordinary day. It is a fact that 98% of the public doesn't know what 'Republic Day' means and why it is celebrated. Mohan Nellore, a fantastic blogger remarks on his latest post 'Republic Day... So What?' :

Any working class Indian would cry foul if national festivals like ‘Republic day’ falls on a weekend. Because, we need such holidays to skip work on a weekday and pamper ourselves with sleep till noon or go out with loved ones for a movie or even a day trip etc., If we all dig our memories back to schooldays, do we ever care NOW to think and remember all those famous people who made our country for what it is today? Forget all that, do we have time to participate in any local event where our tri-colored flag is hoisted? How about a thought of standing and respecting our national anthem for at least once in a year?

For the poor, Republic Day is not a day of pride, but of business. You'll see people selling flags and their varied modifications into key chains and badges. As a matter of fact, flags and badges sell like hot cakes in markets and public places. At the same time, it is a matter of shame that a nation's people are searching for means of business than being proud of its nation and heritage, at least on such special occasions...


At this point, I would also recommend you to read my post on Independence Day last year : An Independence Of It's Own..


People are turning superficial these days. Showing off patriotic badges and bands only on particular days does not prove a person's true patriotism. I feel this is all show-off business like how we do with trendy clothes and latest gadgets. Having badges on your chest have become a matter of superiority and inferiority, thus being oblivious to the very purpose of these national days.  As for me, I don't need badges and flags to prove the love and affection I have for India. People are seriously becoming superficial without letting those flags and badges affecting their inner beliefs about their nation...


A Republic is defined as 'a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch'.


After reading this post, do you really think India fits the criteria of being a 61-year-old Republic? What are your views about it?

Entering The AVATAR Territory...

No, this is not a movie review...
A morning walk deep inside the woods compelled me to craft this innovative post.. I hope you guys enjoy it!


Do you know what is nature?


I'm afraid you must have forgotten it. Our lives have modernised, become technical and advanced. Who has time to take a stroll with nature and be late for office or college, right?


Our lives are similar to those modern people and mean machines in Avatar (Those of you who have seen Avatar will get my message, ...and for those who haven't, you are missing something very profound!). Shocking it may sound, but we are actually being oblivious to the beautiful nature surrounding us.


We all wish for some peace, silence and serenity in our hectic lives. And you can fulfill this wish just by being with nature for some time during the day, especially during the mornings! I go for daily morning treks deep in the woods, and for me, nature makes a complete day for me. The places I go truly reminds me of the Avatar terrain... dense forests, utter silence, the rustling of dry leaves, tall trees and native tribes.


I strongly feel that, we all need to take a break from our busy and monotonous schedule to explore this wonderful world.  Let us all connect with nature and our incredible surroundings - in some or the other way - and feel refreshed.


Nature is something, that I can term the only instance of permanent beauty. Unfortunately, we tend to ignore these things and look out for temporary beauty and happiness like gadgets and other materialistic things.


I don't think it is wise on our part to give a cold shoulder to nature.  Let us keep in mind that wisdom begins only when we realize our foolishness and apathy...


What are your views on connecting with our divine nature?

We Anxious Humans!

Sharing with you all a beautiful poem written by one of my very good friends, Neel...


Poet's Remarks: A factory visit to Gujarat near the Gir Forest National Park compelled me to pen these words. This particular factory used to kill trees almost every 15 minutes which hurt me a lot... Fortunately, it has been shut down. Anyway, hope you like my poem!

We Anxious Humans

Truths harsh & fed by fate

Smeared across the withering land

That fed me once.

Reeking of infertile soil

The trees show no mercy

Nor the relentless sea

Any more love.

A future axed down by dusty humans

Who look within no more.

-Neel (Bedabrata)

I find this poem to be very insightful and amazing. It purely reflects our mentality towards others. By the way, what do you feel about this beautiful work of poetry? What are your views about it..?