Gandhiji’s freedom struggle was in another words more or less his experiment with the truth as is taught in the school textbooks. On the auspicious occasion of 73rd I-Day, let us search whether his stark truth actually exists in the political or practical lives of the countrymen, after more than seven decades. We are patriots but do not seemingly accept the never-ending challenge of truth. We try to speak the truth according to the situation. When we try to surmount a crisis, there remains no hesitation on our part in resorting to false means. That’s what exactly is happening all around us at present.
Though the round, pillared temple of the largest democracy now dazzles in the glittering glow of the pied lights, the essence of truth appears to have been waned from the psyche of our political leaders. They do not seem to believe in the ideals of the simple man in a loincloth.
The three mighty minds: senior journalists Urmileshji and Qurban Ali, and Ratan Lal from the History department of Delhi University recently held a talk to prove how history is being manipulated in politics today.
When we tend to develop a mindset charged with false ideas, we excitedly hail the transitory success in the process. Thoughts about the failures and setbacks do not enter our mind. Several questions start afflicting the human brain at a time. We tend to think that we have expended our energy carelessly. What do all the blatant lies bring for us at last? Further, do we not deserve the respectful life which our Constitution assures to provide us?
What they mentioned during their discussion was aimed to enlighten the youth of the country. They pointed out that the media did not bother to present factual truths before the young, immature viewers. They either deliberately avoid the facts or continue to present news debates based on half-truths. The loss is obviously not theirs. The young, immature minds suffer the damage of this sheer unproductive publicity.
Is it not horrifying to think of a situation where the young Indians will learn quite the opposite of what had been written in modern history? Are they not being brainwashed to accept the lies as the absolute truth? That’s what a minister in Germany during the autocratic days of Hitler practised, but what was the result? What if the youth today is compelled to learn the wrong facts about the freedom stalwarts?
In their wide, yet time-bound discussion on this issue confronting the country, the pain in their hearts was visible in their expressions. They only emphasised the truth. Without a doubt, the truth saves us from unnecessary lies in a given situation. We should confidently learn to follow the absolute truth on this day of great value. We achieved independence from the oppressive British rule, but we seemed to have been mired in lies. How can we come out of this web of lies?
They discussed in detail how lies were being woven. Factual views of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and other socialist leaders on Kashmir were not known to the younger generation. They also felt odd at the silence of all the present-day political leaders who run active politics in the names of those great leaders. Naturally, others notice our views more precisely than we take time to emphasize them in our own ways. It is time to recollect real evidential truths hidden in the past years of our country’s pre- and post-independence history.