So kasab would be hanged, well good riddance as most of us would say but I didn’t start writing this blog to bolster the already prevalent cry for his blood but to commit a ‘sacrilege’. Just finished ‘waiting for the mahatma’ by R.K.Narayan and have to admit I have been hit by something, not of the sort that one experiences after reading an Ayn Rand (thankfully ie as she tends to shake up my very foundation), in this case I have been forced to change my views about our ‘father of the nation’. From time immemorial I have been a critic of the man, his philosophy ( which I now admit that I really didn’t understand) and his way of attaining Swaraj. I was always seduced by the firebrand characters of our freedom struggle and their philosophies. But R.K has changed all that for me. In his simplistic yet effective style he depicted mahatma with such honesty that you nearly start living with the character. All this has made me think about non-violence, unconditional honesty and great strength of character..everything that the man symbolized.
Coming back to the sacrilege part, I wonder if the mahatma would have been happy with the verdict. Trying to guess his reaction would be difficult especially with my history of ignorance about Gandhi. Still I feel he would have never endorsed the gallows for the 22 year old man. Mahatama is said to have once branded Bhagat Singh and his likes as terrorists (something which infuriated me to no ends) and I guess he would do the same with Kasab too. But the point is if he is a terrorist and that part is accepted then why not hang him? Mahatma being mahatma would have declined. That man had some magic. Imagine a man as insignificant looking as they can be, comes and changes the socio-politico environment of the whole nation without raising his hand, voice or even an eyebrow! Our rational, logical mind stops us from believing that a man of such ability lived amongst us.( remember Einstein once saying “Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth". I’m a great admirer of that scientist as is half of the world and when a brain such as his says something like that, the lesser mortals like me better listen to it. )
So what is it to Gandhi that makes him The Mahatma. That is a million dollar question I would say. You know it was not just Satya and Ahimsa which he preached that maketh the man ( he himself once said "I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills") There was something more to the man, may be some halo about his head or some eternal light bestowed upon him..I exactly don’t know but there was something which this generation of human beings must find out if it intends to prolong its stay on mother earth. Martin luther king junior had rightly said “……..If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought, acted and inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony…………..".
In the end I would like to question that till the time we decipher what mahatma actually wanted to teach or another mahatma comes about, what are we supposed to do with the kasab sorts? I know the common choice but I would like to hear that ‘No’ from the mahatma himself and more importantly I would like to know his reason behind saying so. Till then kasab is all yours, mutilate him in the middle of the road and feed him to the scavengers, I say ( and hope that mahatma didn’t hear it, did he?? )
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