[Buddha-l] FW: H-ASIA: Gandhi's Birthday

[jkirk]

>From another list, posted by H-Asia editor Frank Conlon. 

Nehru's homage to the Mahatma after his murder. Gandhi tried very hard to
live a life of fidelity to dharma and non-violence. When I was a teen, he
was marching and preaching to attain the end of colonial bondage for India.
His fearlessness caught me and I never forgot him. Maybe politically he
didn't always do the right thing, politics being what it is, an evil empire,
but I think no one can challenge his sincerity, even if he wrestled often
with ambivalence. As don't we all. (For a touching tribute to the effect
Gandhi had on young people in India back in the day, read _Waiting for the
Mahatma_ by R.K. Narayan.)
Reading this eulogy brings perplexity and heartache as I see what the Indian
government is doing now about the uprising in Burma. Nothing.
Joanna
==============================

Here is the speech  made by Jawaharlal Nehru on All India Radio, January 30,
1948:

Tryst With Destiny The Light Has Gone Out, by Jawaharlal Nehru. 

	Friends and Comrades, the light has gone out of our lives and there
is 
darkness everywhere. I do not know what to tell you and how to say it. Our 
beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the Father of the Nation, is no 
more. Perhaps I am wrong to say that. Nevertheless, we will never see him 
again as we have seen him for these many years. We will not run to him for 
advice and seek solace from him, and that is a terrible blow, not to me 
only, but to millions and millions in this country. And it is a little 
difficult to soften the blow by any other advice that I or anyone else can 
give you.
	The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light
that 
shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined 
this country for these many years will illumine this country for many more 
years, and a thousand years later, that light will be seen in this country 
and the world will see it and it will give solace to innumerable hearts. 
For that light represented something more than the immediate past, it 
represented the living, the eternal truths, reminding us of the right 
path, drawing us from error, taking this ancient country to freedom.
	All this has happened when there was so much more for him to do. We
could 
never think that he was unnecessary or that he had done his task. But now, 
particularly, when we are faced with so many difficulties, his not being 
with us is a blow most terrible to bear.
	A madman has put an end to his life, for I can only call him mad who
did 
it, and yet there has been enough of poison spread in this country during 
the past years and months, and this poison has had an effect on people’s 
minds. We must face this poison, we must root out this poison, and we must 
face all the perils that encompass us, and face them not madly or badly, 
but rather in the way that our beloved teacher taught us to face them.
	The first thing to remember now is that none of us dare misbehave
because 
he is angry. We have to behave like strong and determined people, 
determined to face all the perils that surround us, determined to carry 
out the mandate that our great teacher and our great leader has given us, 
remembering always that if, as I believe, his spirit looks upon us and 
sees us, nothing would displease his soul so much as to see that we have 
indulged in any small behaviour or any violence.
	So we must not do that. But that does not mean that we should be
weak, but 
rather that we should, in strength and in unity, face all the troubles 
that are in front of us. We must hold together, and all our petty troubles 
and difficulties and conflicts must be ended in the face of this great 
disaster. A great disaster is a symbol to us to remember all the big 
things of life and forget the small things of which we have thought too 
much. In his death he has reminded us of the big things of life, the 
living truth, and if we remember that, then it will be well with India…
	...People in Delhi who wish to pay their last homage should gather
along this 
route. I will not advise too many of them to come to Birla House, but 
rather to gather on both sides of this long route from Birla House to the 
Jamuna river. And I trust that they will remain there in silence without 
any demonstrations. That is the best way and the most fitting way to pay 
homage to this great soul. Also, Saturday should be a day of fasting and 
prayer for all of us.

Those who live elsewhere, out of Delhi and in other parts of India, will 
no doubt take such part as they can in this last homage. For them also, 
let this be a day of fasting and prayer. And at the appointed time for 
cremation, that is 4 pm on Saturday afternoon, people should go to the 
river or to the sea and offer prayers there. And while we pray, the 
greatest prayer that we can offer is to take a pledge to dedicate 
ourselves to the truth, and to the cause for which this great countryman 
of ours lived and for which he has died. That is the best prayer that we 
can offer him and his memory. That is the best prayer we can offer to 
India and ourselves.

JAI HIND.
---------------
Frank added: As for the new resource: I have just had notice of a new
collection on 
Gandhi to be published this month by OUP India:

_The Oxford Gandhi_ Gopalkrishna Gandhi, ed.
ISBN-13: 978-0-19-569252-5
Estimated publication date: October 2007
OUP India

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