(From the eyes of Child of Conflict)
Rameez Makhdoomi
Gandhi ji as the founder of modern India tried to lay a foundation of civilized and humane India. Seven decades later India has failed to live up to his great principles of non violence and adopting humanity over jingoistic nationalism.
I have recently got the opportunity to complete the reading of biography of Gandhi titled ” My Experiments with Truth”. I read this book at a time when Indian state is going on with its approach of aggression in Kashmir to quell public protests for resolution and at a time when violence appeal even tends to shake minds like me in midst of blinding and killings of fellow humans of my society . As a matter of fact, The Story of My Experiments with Truth is the autobiography of Mohandas K. Gandhi, covering his life from early childhood through to 1921. Gandhi’s destination and urge for nonviolent resistance to fight brutalities and injustice is appealing.
Pertinently, several points in book attracted my attention. In our world while we are failing to achieve the reform of evil and disgruntled, Gandhi had aptly stated-‘A reformer cannot afford to have close intimacy with him whom he seeks to reform. I believe ‘If this is adopted we can achieve true Reformation’. Furthermore, Gandhi in his autobiography My Experiments with Truth states emphatically on important topic of friendship that ‘True friendship’ is an identity of souls rarely to be found in this world .’
The heart touching lines of the book that appeared before me were -” Wife is not husband’s bond-slave ,but his companion and his helpmate ,and an equal partner in all his joys and sorrows -as free as the husband to choose her own path .”
Gandhi urged to accept the integration of pledges of weak and termed Interpretation of pledges has been a fruitful sources of Strife’s all over the world. According to my opinion, Had Indian state acted like this Kashmir conflict would have been long solved.
Gandhi made a morale and interesting appeal by urging to never having more money at ones disposal than necessary.
Gandhi greatly wrote in My Experiments with Truth that God could be realized only through service and in this context pointed out that when service or nursing is done for show or fear of public opinion it crushes man’s spirit.
For me as child of conflict the lines that really that define the book for me are -”
It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings,” quotes Gandhi on page no 143 and same applies to Indian journalists, armchair jingoists reporting, analyzing Kashmir pain and it’s issues.
Gandhi openly brings his faults to fore openly as human and does not hide behind his faults . Through book we get an idea that via discipline, perseverance, patience, humility Gandhi tries to never repeat the same mistake again. Gandhi Lucidly explains how various events and interactions with diverse personalities molded his character,
Overall, I felt the book My Experiments with Truth a great read and a book that will continue to have and hold morale appeal for humanity in times to come.
(The writer is a freelance Journalist and can be contacted at rameezh3@gmail.com. The article will appear in multiple outlets.)