Bapu!

Dear Bapu

Pranam! Hope you are doing well.

Let me first wish you a very Happy Birthday! I will not say “many many happy returns of the day” because I know there are none as of now.

To start with, I wish to tell you that your protagonists and antagonists both love you for your “value”. Einstein had rightly said that future generations will not believe that such kind of person (that you are) could ever live on this Earth. It is true. It is really hard to believe that one can be so selfless yet passionate. Wish I was born in your era to experience it.

The way morality, rationality is getting deteriorated day by day, Bapu, you won’t believe that coming generations will not hesitate to reduce you to just another “God man”. The values you inculcated in yourself first and then tried to imbibe those in the masses now seem to be too Utopian. This is a reason why people will believe that person having such values can never exist.

I appreciate the “farsightedness” of our Government and Central Bank. They had foreseen that no one here is going to remember you, your sacrifice and your contribution. Out of sight is out of mind! That is why they made sure your face is printed on every currency note of our Country. They made you inseparable part of our life. (Life is really hard without you, they say).

Earlier you were part of our life as one who will give us freedom from colonial rule. Now we expect you to free us from “procedures”, “delays” and help us come out “clean”. Bapu, meaning of “clean” has changed now.

During freedom struggle you reached out to masses and you continue to do so even now. Some revere for what you taught and some for what you can do. It is really disheartening to tell you that your “real values” are undermined by your “nominal value”. That is why, when “money” speak, “truth” is silent! It is the worst irony. They have dirtied you Bapu, what can you do about it?

It is really painful to see people for whom you sacrificed your life now talk all crap about you. They dig out some or the other controversy about you. This is sheer hopelessness. On the top of that they even try to glorify your murderer. Bloody hypocrites! They fail to understand that an eye for an eye will make this world blind. This is injustice done to you.

It makes me wonder if we are really credible enough for what you did for us. We have failed to understand that whatever we are now we owe that to people like you. Even you might get ashamed the way “Gandhi” is interpreted now. It is used in derogatory sense.

Bapu, I sincerely feel we don’t deserve all that you did for us and even you don’t deserve to be 

treated like this. I know, despite all this, if we are to say “sorry”and ask you to “forgive” us, you will do so for you are such a great soul. 

You were our saviour, you are and you will remain one in future too. Let the light you ignited in us never douse down. India, you dreamt of really deserve a great future and yes it is possible if we think and act accordingly. It is high time to clean ourselves first and then clean India (taking original meaning of clean here). This is the day we should start with. It is time we return all happiness you deserve.

As you say Bapu ‘Be the change you want to see in others’, please wish us courage to do so.  All I can say is I’m too dwarf to say anything about you, but thought instead, will write straightway to you. Lastly, let me confess Bapu that am really happy and proud of the very fact that I was born in your Country. 

Happy Birthday, again! Please come and stay in our conscience, it is a need of time. Have a good day.

Your Child,

P S 

(#Late post from 2014. Nothing major has changed though!)