Everyones out with a post on the world cup and India's amazing triumph. A lot of positives and negatives on the win out there on the net. so here is my two cents ( and maybe more ) on that and a related thing that I thought of.
Witnessing the crazy things that people do when we win ( or lose ), the aggression that people show, out on the streets, in the cricket stands, the 'mob phenomenon' is truly a fearful thing. Its sheer potential to get what it wants, the uncontrolled power that it exudes, feeding on everything and everyone on its path, encompassing all and destroying anything that tries to stop or control it. It makes me wonder, if a cause such as cricket can set a nation ablaze, how much emotion would there have been in the fight for freedom? How many millions would have come forward, daggers drawn, ready to put forth their lives so that the country may breathe free again? If a thousand people in a cricket stand can cause such things as stampedes, how much could millions do? How long would it have taken the guns and cannons notwithstanding, to raze down the British, to wipe them clean off the face of our motherland?
If one man, a single human soul, has turned a whole nation from breathing fires of war and revolt to protest in silence for freedom, whatever may his faults be, he is truly a mahatma. It is not so much as the loss of life that he prevented , but his ways that changed the mind, body and soul of a nation from war to peace. I think we owe it to him if the rest of the world sees us today as a country which despite being one of the most populated, is also one of the most peaceful and tolerant in matters of foreign relations.
It may sound strange to link two things so far apart, but on reflecting, there aren't enough superlatives for me to describe the job that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi did. I salute you.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
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Extremely interesting detour!!! :)
ReplyDeleteBut am not too sure abt the direct proportion of the numbers.. In this case people thronged the streets cos they had nothing to lose..
But in the case of fights for freedom, the risk of losing one's life was always there.. That would have been a definite deterrent..
If you think am being cynical, think of how we react to corruption, for e.g. How many of us complain to the anti-corruption dept when we are forced to cough bribes out? Very negligible.. And the reason is: we fear the possible backlash to whistle blowing.. I guess this picture can be blown up to fit the freedom scene..
Not to take anything away from our struggles for freedom, mind you.. I do acknowledge that there were thousands (or even lakhs) who were involved in unleashing our country.. But the numbers cannot be compared to those of the people who celebrate cricket in India.. Cos one requires immense passion, while the other needs just an armchair in front of the TV!
Anyway, great post!!!
Good to see somebody saying Gandhiji did help us. Its much more easier goign by the popular notion today that we could have acheived freedom much earlier than 1947 if not for his methods. But if not for his methods our struggle would be just another bloody revolution in history wouldnt it?
ReplyDeleteThanks fr the comment guys
ReplyDelete@vishy
True na, but u see the causes and rewards are equally different.
one is just the jubiliation of a cup
the other the right to live your own life and make your decisions! I would argue that the magnitudes of the desires are different!
@sriram
true da. sometimes it helps to think of these things. You feel humbled in front of the greatness of such people!