Gandhi’s great challenge to independent India was never “follow me.” It was: think for yourself.
In today's modern age of political polarisation, instant opinions and viral outrage, what does Gandhi mean to India? Perhaps, more than ever, it means this: never surrender your political conscience to any party, ideology, crowd, influencer or algorithm.
Happy Gandhi Jayanti!
On Gandhi jayanti sharing the footage of Gandhiji's 1931 visit to London - shortly after he was on the Time magazine cover as the person of the Year - one of his three times on the cover of the magazine.
The Britishers are waiting in pouring rain to catch a glimpse of him.
When people are shivering in overcoats and hats, he is striding forth in sandals, bare head and bare knees to represent the people of his country.
https://t.co/WqmR1FODTR
Till date, more than 100 countries have statues Of him.
Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and Martin Luther King junior have all spoken of him as their inspiration.
Albert Einstein famously wrote of Gandhi, "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."
And here is Kavi Pradeep's tribute to him 🙏 a song we grew up on
दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड्ग बिना ढाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
आँधी में भी जलती रही गाँधी तेरी मशाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड्ग बिना ढाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
धरती पे लड़ी तूने अजब ढंग की लड़ाई
दागी न कहीं तोप न बंदूक चलाई
दुश्मन के किले पर भी न की तूने चढ़ाई
वाह रे फ़कीर खूब करा��ात दिखाई
चुटकी में दुश्मनों को दिया देश से निकाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड्ग बिना ढाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
रघुपति राघव राजा राम
शतरंज बिछा कर यहाँ बैठा था ज़माना
लगता था मुश्किल है फ़िरंगी को हराना
टक्कर थी बड़े ज़ोर की दुश्मन भी था सयाना
पर तू भी था बापू बड़ा उस्ताद पुराना
मारा वो कस के दाँव के उलटी सभी की चाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड्ग बिना ढाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
रघुपति राघव राजा राम
जब जब तेरा बिगुल बजा जवान चल पड़े
मज़दूर चल पड़ी थी और किसान चल पड़ी
हिंदू वो मुसलमान, सिख पठान चल पड़े
कदमों में तेरी कोटि कोटि प्राण चल पड़े
फूलों की सेज छोड़ के दौड़े जवाहरलाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड्ग बिना ढाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
रघुपति राघव राजा राम
मन में थी अहिंसा की लगन तन पे लंगोटी
लाखों में घूमता था लिये सत्य की सोंटी
वैसे तो देखने में थी हस्ती तेरी छोटी
लेकिन त���झे झुकती थी हिमालय की भी चोटी
दुनिया में तू बेजोड़ था इन्सान बेमिसाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड्ग बिना ढाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
रघुपति राघव राजा राम
जग में जिया है कोई तो बापू तू ही जिया
तूने वतन की राह में सब कुछ लुटा दिया
माँगा न कोई तख्त न कोई ताज भी लिया
अमृत दिया तो ठीक मगर खुद ज़हर पिया
जिस दिन तेरी चिता जली, रोया था महाकाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
दे दी हमें आज़ादी बिना खड्ग बिना ढाल
साबरमती के सन्त तूने कर दिया कमाल
रघुपति राघव राजा राम
रघुपति राघव राजा राम
रघुपति राघव राजा राम
#GandhiJayanti
Gandhi helped popularise a shared Indian identity across caste, religion and region. He also drew on Hindu traditions to mobilise people across caste boundaries. The civilisational Indian identity already existed. His achievement was conjuring up a modern nation-state identity from it. This is his primary achoevement, as opposed to freedom(more due to INA, Royal Indian Naval Mutineers). Gandhi created a sense of community via Organisation, boycotts and civil disobedience.
He also gave India immense international moral influence. His methods inspired movements beyond India, including struggles for rights in Africa and America and East-Asian nations.
Even his much condemned pacifism - while wrong - was down to being spooked by the crushing of 1857. It was talked about for generations after it occurred, so he grew up with that legacy. He wanted to avoid Indian casualties, hence the non violence.
I prefer Gandhi as our foremost national icon. Because his followers allow room for disagreement unlike the followers of he who must not be named.
@Blue_Footy According to them if Etihad would have sponsored Chelsea, most of the money would still have been coming from UAE govt rather than Etihad themselves.
@Blue_Footy They're claiming UAE government has some scheme under which they fund UAE companies to sponsor and advertise globally.
Thus according to city, it's between those companies (e.g. Etihad) and UAE govt. and it doesn't have any city involvement.
Today, I challenge old politicians and bureaucrats to make new policies that reward scientists and Engineers in India, the policy that can stop brain drain and shape future of India instead of just focusing on freebies that is rewarding lazy and unproductive people.
In 2020/2021, Arsenal had their worst run for about 50 years under Arteta. After 14 games they had 4 wins, 8 defeats and only 14 points. They were 15th in the table. Arsenal were a joke.
Look at them now. Same manager. In fact he had several years less experience than Xabi, and less trophies.
People can go "excuses, we're not Arsenal". Well, reality check, we're basically what Arsenal were pre/early Arteta. Regardless of why, we just are.
We're a big club who lost our way and have to rebuild the club and our mentality. We've got an elite manager, and he'll need time to rebuild the club - not just the squad.
Take the ego away and recognise reality. TBH it doesn't matter how it happened or or who did it, its where we are. Xabi will need years.
Either arrogance has completely taken over BJP or they have no idea how terrible this looks while 50 lakh people across Bihar are struggling through devastating floods. 🤡🤦♂️
I reiterate- @nsitharaman is a trojan horse on a mission to destroy every aspect of the economy. This year she alone will suck out 90000 cr of pure liquidity from the markets.
This UPI MDR might be a totally useless idea but it has a huge lesson for Govt. Just see how difficult it's for Govt to charge fees on UPI via MDR after it has been free for years.
Now imagine the day Govt can't afford to give freebies. The way it's increasing before every election, at some point it will become unsustainable and Govt has to stop freebies, that will create unrest and make people hit the streets, because if given without any conditions, people start thinking Freebies as their right.
If Govt really keeps the nation above everything, they should make a law to stop new elections freebies right away otherwise it's just a matters of time, it'll explode.
Hope some people are still there with active brain cells and courage to take right decisions in Govt.
I used to hand over every single rupee I earned to my parents.
Then I became a husband. Then a father.
My expenses didn't become 4×… they became 20×. School fees, EMIs, insurance, groceries, healthcare-real life has its own mathematics.
Maybe that's the math missing with supreme leader : assuming that if he can part with almost everything, every Indian household can do the same.
Family budgets don't run on slogans. They run on reality.
And hardly any tax payers love to see his hard earned money is used for people who are biggest hurdle of their life.
India mein koi 5 minutes number Google kar le to doodh ka doodh paani ka paani ho jaye.
RBI surplus to Govt : ₹2.87 Lakh Crores (US$30 Bn)
Total listed bank profits : ₹4.11 Lakh Crores (US$42 Bn)
NPCI - which runs UPI pre tax ‘surplus’ : ₹ 1,888 crores (US$200 Mn)
To nuksaan kis ka ho raha hai UPI se aur kaunsi subsidy de rahi hai Govt UPI pe jo chubh rahi hai?
Cost of running ATMs and cash logistics in India is ₹30,500 crores (US$ 3.0 Bn). If you want to optimise shut ATMs and promote UPI instead.
Any levy on UPI is just tax collection. UPI is the one scientific achievement of India everyone acknowledges par ab tax ki bali chadhegi.