Enduring metaphors
|
Rajagopal's book probes the contemporary relevance of Gandhism
|
Gandhijiya Rupakagalu
by Rajagopal M.
Karnataka Sangha, Puttur, Rs. 270
This is a book, born out of deep commitment, critical introspection and an enduring desire to probe the contemporary relevance of Gandhism, - a phenomenon, which was once capable of moving the psyche of a whole nation, rendering ordinary human beings into gold dust as D. R. Bendre the great Kannada poet puts it.
Rajagopal has been a maverick, writing only when he is convinced that the ideological and experiential parameters are just about right at a given juncture in his personal evolution, has translated Palestinian Guerrilla poems, written a novel of enduring lyrical beauty and a travelogue delineating his sojourn at Kailas and Manasarovar. A visit to a village near Almorah in Himalayas where the light of Gandhian ideals burns incandescently even to this day shamed him to an in depth study of the writings by and about Gandhi. Gandhijiya Rupakagalu (The Metaphors of Gandhiji) was the result. Bapu Kuti by Rajani Bakshi, which is an introduction to individuals holding the Gandhian spirit aloft, could be a companion volume to this book, which is more conceptual in its concerns.
Metaphors have an enduring quality because of the multiple possibilities of perception and interpretation suited to various spatial and temporal situations. Gandhiji's unique contribution was to create a network of metaphors such as truth, non-violence, non-cooperation, self-purification et al which lead an integral vision of life.
Unlike Tolstoy whose life was a continual strife between instinctual promptings and moral qualms, Gandhi could lead a life demonstrative of the tenability of his precepts.
This integral nature of his life and vision could encompass a galaxy of issues such as environmentalism, women's emancipation, untouchability and the horrors of industrialism bereft of any tangible concern for the under dog. His protest was not only against British colonial rule but also against western modes of thinking and living based on the concept of modernity. There is no line of distinction between the personal, social and the religious in the Gandhian world because these realms are interactive.
The methodology adopted by Rajagopal is to present some seminal concepts forged by Gandhiji in very competent Kannada, give them a through analysis and then put them in a larger framework. His unwillingness to resist the attacks of Nehru on the very foundations of his teachings does not find Rajagopal's approval because he finds it, a betrayal of his more loyal supporters. On the contrary Bapu's adherence to Hinduism with an insider's prerogative for reforms seems to be dear to the writer's conscience.
This book should not be gobbled up at one go. It demands a contemplative mind, not hampered by ideological prejudices, prepared to absorb the details and implement them to the extent possible.
As Lakshmisha Tolpadi writes in his perceptive preface to the book, every single step taken with intent to serve the entire community is a significant movement towards self-realization. Purification of the self and the service of the other go hand in hand. However the book ends with a tinge of sadness, focusing on Bapu's death where the father of all these metaphors was annihilated. That mindset prevails even to this day. But any sincere effort that makes us look into ourselves and bemoan the void created during the modern times deserves a close scrutiny not because it sells a dream but because it provides an alternative which is viable at a personal level with inevitable social fallbacks.
H. S. RAGHAVENDRA RAO
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
