Oct 2012
it pains me to see
that for many
you’re just a photo on a wall
and on our currency
a permanent fixture in our lives
a tradition that no one knows the origin of
and even if known-misunderstood
your philosophy distorted, your methods abused
the poorest, most controversial parts of it magnified
and what is really important buried
under generations of lip service
and self-serving biases
i myself don’t agree
with everything you said
but still, i admit
that most of it made sense
thank you for questioning violence
and greed, corruption and falsity
thank you for the difference you made
Happy Birthday!
i wish you were around
to clarify what has become twisted
to silence your detractors
and light the way again
-Vijayalakshmi Harish
02.09.2012
Copyright © Vijayalakshmi Harish
that for many
you’re just a photo on a wall
and on our currency
a permanent fixture in our lives
a tradition that no one knows the origin of
and even if known-misunderstood
your philosophy distorted, your methods abused
the poorest, most controversial parts of it magnified
and what is really important buried
under generations of lip service
and self-serving biases
i myself don’t agree
with everything you said
but still, i admit
that most of it made sense
thank you for questioning violence
and greed, corruption and falsity
thank you for the difference you made
Happy Birthday!
i wish you were around
to clarify what has become twisted
to silence your detractors
and light the way again
-Vijayalakshmi Harish
02.09.2012
Copyright © Vijayalakshmi Harish
Gandhiji was fondly known as "Bapu"-Father. October 2nd is his birthday. I sincerely regret that for most in my generation his birthday is just another holiday, and worse, a "dry" holiday. They can't see the value in what he practiced and preached. "Ahmisa" is seen as being weak or as a tool for extortion. Not their fault entirely, nor his. As a generation, i think we are extremely cynical and disillusioned by the state of politics and governance in India. Its just a sad state of affairs that I'm making an effort to change in a small way.
