By Pradeep A. Shah | Chartered Accountant
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Mahatma Gandhi gave us freedom from the Britishers. Yet, we still have to be free from hunger, poverty, and above all, from corruption. We, the older generation, who witnessed to our freedom struggle were losing heart. We remembered with nostalgia and a deep sense of sadness those days when the whole country was united and fighting against the foreign rule. The air resounded with the slogans of ‘Quit India’ and ‘Do or Die’. I personally recollected having helped in making badges and posters at home. We believed that all is lost and the torch lit by Gandhiji and our other leaders is extinguished. There is no more light. Only darkness.
But things are not so bad. There is a silver lining to the dark clouds. Anna Hazare and his team have rekindled the flame. From what we believed were smoldering ashes, he has relit a flame and brought back hope.
In August, we saw history in the making. Anna Hazare demonstrated to us and the world, what can be achieved by satyagraha and non-violence and how the common people can make the Government wake up from its slumber, sit up and listen to the message that people are not prepared to tolerate corruption.
The fight today is against corruption. We have to get rid of this cancer which is eating away the very vitals of our social fabric, that is based on Dharma and sapping at the very roots of our real freedom.
The present generation is dimly aware of the great movement which brought us freedom. I am reminded of an incident narrated in the book ‘Exodus’. The Jews were fighting the Britishers to get their homeland. One aged freedom fighter, a grandfather was dying of bullet injuries, suffered while breaking out from the prison where he was held pending his execution. His young grandson, who had helped him in the escape, tells him “Grandfather, it is good to die for one’s country”. The grandfather replies, “Son, it is good to have a country to die for !” People today are not aware what it means to be citizens of a free country. The sacrifices of freedom fighters and lakhs of our people during the freedom struggle have been forgotten.
There are three great things about the entire movement by Anna Hazare, which have gladdened my heart. First is the spontaneous response of lakh’s of people to the cause. Such a response was beyond the wildest imagination of anyone. Second is the amalgam of people which responded. They were from every strata of society. Many of them were young and most of them were the common man. It was indeed a movement of masses and the younger generation. The third is that the entire movement was peaceful and without any violence, incidents of looting, stone throwing or burning of vehicle. There was nothing like ‘The Jasmine Revolution’ of Middle East. This has restored my faith in our people and the principles laid down by Mahatma Gandhi.
But the battle has just begun. We have to see that the torch lit by Anna remains burning. There is a saying in Gujarati, that “Gujaratis are courageous only in the beginning”. That applies to the rest of the country also. We have to disprove this and wash this black stain from our forehead. Of course Mahatma Gandhi proved this for us.
I came across this very apt shloka from Niti Shatakam of Bhartruhari.
“Base men do not undertake any work apprehending obstacles. Mediocres make a start, but cease working when they encounter hindrances. The men of excellence, however, after commencing a job do not give up despite recurrence of impediments.”
We all have to take part in this movement against corruption. We have to finish it before it finishes us. We can no longer be passive observers. We must support and participate in the anti-corruption movement in every possible way. Of course we must resolve not to be part of corruption. We must not indulge in ‘convenient corruption’ — corruption to get what we want through offering bribes. We must also resist coercive corruption and refuse demands for bribes.
I would end with my Namaskaar to Anna and his team, for starting the struggle, and leading from the front, and also to millions who gave tremendous sacrifices in our freedom struggle. Let us assure Anna that we all are with him in this struggle to eradicate this cancer called corruption. Let us then rise united for this cause, and see that the torch of real freedom remains ever burning.
I conclude by quoting the national poet and freedom fighter Zaverchand Meghani:
“We do not know what perils lie ahead of us on the path. We only know that the call has come from Mother India.”
