Renouncin eroc

Confronting the Mahatma reveals the greater truth of his principles of non-violence

My father was a farmer and we grew cotton. While we we re n o t rich, we had a comfortable livin g just on tbe outskirts o f A hm edabad. I had enjoyed a carefree childhood playing witl1 the v illage children and under the care of loving parents. I t was a happ y home and while we knew that die British ruled our homeland, it was not of any real significance. Generations of our ancestors bad served one master or the ocher. The Maharajas, the MoghuJs and even our village head, all expected some kind of obedience, so it was easy to transfer tha t dependence and loyalty to the British.

During those frrst five years of my live, I bad not e,, en seen a 'British sahib' though m y mum often spoke of our 'Queen Victoria,' and m y teacher showed us a painting of her at schoo l.

It was when l was five and a balf, chat an inciden t happened that would change tl1e course of my life and would sec it on a patl1 where 1 would see g reat struggle, offer immense sacrifice and live to see evenmal success. As a nation we would find freedom and evennially become 'independent'.

I remember one afternoon , when die village rs came running 26 to our home. They brought m y fatl1er in tl1eir bullock cart. His white km-ta was stained with his blood and h is Jeft e ye had been swo llen shut. My mother began wailing even before she came out of her room. The villager explained what had happened, for m y fatl1er who was still in shock, was unable to speak for himsel f.

The two villagers who had accompanied m y father to the city to sell out cotton had w itnessed it all. They were b oarding th e u·ain atAhmedabad station when m y father was sco pped from entering, even though he and his men had bookings. When he asked that they permit him to enter, he was pushed to die ground. When he tried to reboard his compartment, be was beaten up by tbe guards who were accompanying the niece of the local 's ahib'. They told him chat no Indian could travel in tl1e same comparm1enr as the Sahib's niece. My father should have let it be, but remembering a similar incident that o ccurred with Gandhiji, be was determined to make a st.'lnd. A stand that ultimately cost him his left eye.

My father never regretted that move. Instead he called it the day 'he truly began to see,' because for the fust time he saw India for what she was, a mere mistress to an alien monarch.

Two da ys after th at incident, mere was much anger among die village rs and I too carried a rock to tl1row at die next 'sah ib' tl1at crossed m y path. Many s poke of burning tlieir homes and of abductions My father remained calm , bur did not object to what was being suggested.

On tl1e fourth day after die incident, I beard great commotion coming from die road leading into o ut village There were more than twenty people coming o n foot. At die front was a strange man, skinny, bald, wearing glasses and a p lain white dhoti. I heard someone call o ut, 'Gandhiji is coming!' l ran and hid behind m y father, and watched as the villagers began to gather around my fatl1er too.

As the man reached my father, I saw my father rise. It was the first time that he had stood up si nce he was brought home after the attack He cried to touch the man's feet but was instead pulled imo his embrace. And tl1e man said, "Yo u silly man, did m y experience n ot teach you any thin g?" Then after a smile he added, "But I am g lad, you stood up for your right!"

Gandhiji spent that e,, en.ing at our bome along with his twenty fo ll owers. We had a simple communal m eal and everyone helped in cleao.i.og up. Then we sac outside as someone sang Raghupati &igh11v Raja Ra11J, one of Gandhiji's favourite bhaja11s. Our counyard was already full, but more and more peop le kep t coming from the neighb ou ring villages. Finally tl1ere were too many to fit inside our walls, so we g arnered around die local well instead.

There, Gandhiji talked of his dream of a free India, of an independent India and of his wish tO see die British leave Indian so il. Seated near my father, I s h outed,

" Then let us al] throw stones at them and make diem go away!"

Gandhiji froze and looking directl)' at me said , "And that will make you no better clian th ose that hit your fatl1er''.

He tbe n added, " To kill for freedom will legitimise killing after freedom".

\"Xlhen I continued to maintain my silence he added in a softer cone, "Do you not see child, chat 'an eye for au eye' will make the who le world bli nd?"

He continued, "1 need volunteers who will fight for a free India, but tliey must come \Vith the commiunenc co non- violence and a promise to honesty. lf there is anyone here who cannot commit to these principles, do n ot join my cause. D o n ot pollute it with hatred and anger I w ish co free my homeland , not enslave it to a greater evil".

My five-year-old mind could nor decipher its true meaning, bL1t I know that tl1e rock fell &om my hand and I have never lifted o ne up again.

The entire gathering chanted witli one voice, " \Ve give you chat promise, Bapu. Lead us to independence and we will follow as yo ur non -violent army!"

And so, ] too gave my pledge. I walked in tl1e Dandi Salt March alongs ide m )' pa.rents I visited my father i.n jail on so many occasions, tl1at l almo st felt incarcerated too. I even learned to ,veave cotton on a cbmkht, or spinning wheel as Bapu did. I wrote patriotic so ngs and J o nly wore a white garment.

At e,, ery step of th.is movement, I knew tl1at history was be ing made and that I was a part of it. l was part of an India mat had served its queen with love and devotion, but which now wanted to respectfully severe tliose ties and stand o n irs own An India that wamed to decide its own fun1re w itli 'Self-Rule'!

I am now 83. Like Bapu, l walk with a stick and 1 wear glasses Like him, l sit in my little home, spinning tl1e wheel and watching independent India revolve around me.

I still have great hopes for the country mat was so loved by 'die fatl1er of the nation'. I have dreams of it being restored ro its former glory But I have great fears too. That just as Bapn was gunned down when tl1e couutry most needed him, I fear m y free India will be enslaved by greed and corruption. Th e only way to stop th is is to keep that struggle for non -Yiolem alive.

1/Jis is a work officnou. Most co1111ersfl1io11s m-e p11rt ofthe lllltbor's i111ngiuarion .