8/3/2019 Song of a Stranger in a Strange World

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Song of a stranger in a strange world

Truly speaking, I am not very good at writing articles. But when I heard about the topic, the thrust and

the desire deep inside, has driven me to write an article today. One may think, What an Electrical

engineer has got to say about Gandhi. You may be right, but I am not here to impress you with my

thoughts. There is no possibility that you may know that I dont have the habit of listening to others and

I often fails to think what others think about me.

Well. I start here.

Frustrated truth

I was sitting for a lecture in my class. Nah, I am not going to talk about the lecture experience for god

sake. I had been thinking about a quote delivered by Gandhi which I seen recently when I googled for

Gandhiji in Internet.

My life is my message said Gandhiji. I wonder what message My life has got to deliver at the end.

The bitter truth is I was very submissive at the initial stage of my life. I still remember that moment.

When I was 12 years old, Untouchability was prevalent in our village. We were taught and every book

bore the quote as Untouchability is a sin. One day, I was playing with my friends in the corridor of my

house; there was a sudden downpour. A Street vegetable vendor (A Dalit) who was running around for a

hiding place took refuge at our veranda. He was completely drenched from top to bottom. My mom

came outside with a towel as she found him shivering out of cold as his teethes started producing a

chattering sound out of cold.

My friends mom came by that time and she asked, Why are you letting a Dalit to sit around here and

giving a towel, that too, to an untouchable. She gave a dirty look and a frowning smirk on her face.

The street vendor thanked my mom for her help and said that he was not worthy enough to receive help

from an upper caste and he left the place walking in the rain. I was totally startled. However, I didnt do

anything at that moment. But I felt my inside crawled away quite a long, even till now. We may be

speaking of Gandhianism on a large scale today in this world. Certainly, what the whole nation is striving

for? Is it for money? Is it for self-esteem? Is it for self-actualization? If you say yes to these, No matter

whom you are, you are the biggest stupid I had ever seen. Sorry, I am not supposed to use any abusive

language here. That is the reason why I restricted myself to stupid.

Maslow may not be right every time. Yes, there is a flaw in hierarchy of needs according to me. When a

human being doesnt know to respect a fellow being acquiring self-actualization wont really work out.

To all those who finds me aggressive: My confessions at the inception are not prefabricated metaphors

for crass. No pun intended, one can refer to it back again.

8/3/2019 Song of a Stranger in a Strange World

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And I happen to see a bitter shame on facebook, as lady Gaga carries 43814172 likes, but theres not

even a single page created for the father of our nation in a formal way. No matter what it signifies, does

this mean really none was inspired by him?

Still, you believe I am writing an article? If so proceed further.

Where my nation is up to?

A normal question arises in every Individuals minds! I am not speaking about any super humans. One

moment wait, before losing your patience of reading my essay; I too realized on this day that there is a

Gandhi sleeping inside me. Within everyone, there exists a subconscious mind, there exists these

thoughts left uninhibited, which were lost in the ashes of time.

14 June10 - 11:30 AM,

Registrars office, Gandhiji road, Tanjore-TN

I went for renewing my birth certificate as it was a mandatory requirement for the application ofpassport. When I entered the office, I met a government official (Clerk) who guided me to the next

official and I met 3 more officials as I need to get my birth certificate without a bribe. For knowing and

registering what is my name? Where I born? In which hospital I born? What is my dads name? I was

asked the bribe of 300 INR when the original price was 10 INR. Its such a pathetic situation only an

Indian faces! And furthermore, there exists a rate for each and every officer out there. When my birth

was already registered with all the required documents in place, I wonder why I should bribe them. I

fought with the registrar who at last agreed that my birth certificate will be made available within 15

days. But I had to face the repercussions of not abiding to their unethical norms and ended up receiving

the birth certificate only after 47 days.

I was totally bugged, these are the same officers who salute our national flag on every Independence

Day; who put a garland for Gandhi statue every republic day; who speak proudly of Gandhi in a public

meet; and participate in Anna Hazares campaign for word of mouth sake, what dignity they still got to

pursue this? Who gave them these rights to pursue those? Where my nation is going and what am I up

to? What every citizen is up to?

Connotation

After Satyagraha, Gandhiji said, I do believe. He wrote, ..that where there is only a choice between

cowardice and violence, I would advise violence. We all know the very word Gandhi reminds us of Non-

Violence. But not really, when cowardice erupts, its a call for action to act upon! One Anna Hazare is not

enough. Please wake up the Gandhi within you! Jai Hind!