Historiography and the Dandi March

The following message is about India’s freedom struggle. A struggle in which the whole country united against the British in 1857, in which during 1930 people began manufacturing salt in every house, a struggle which ended in freedom.

At 6.30 a.m. on 12 March 1930, Mahatma Gandhi led a column of seventy-eight of his followers, large crowds in tow, from Sabarmati Ashram towards the seashore of Dandi some 200 miles distant, on the commencement of the epic Salt March.

No Women? Yes
Though women were full and active members of Gandhi's community, and many were to be closely associated with him over a lengthy period of time, no women were present among the 78 people chosen to accompany him on the march.

Opportunistically distorted beliefs
‘Just as Hindus do not harm a cow, the British do not attack women as far as possible. For Hindus it would be cowardice to take a cow to the battlefield. In the same way it would be cowardice for us to have accompany us’.
-Gandhi’s remarks at prayer meeting, Sabarmati Ashram, Navajivan, 9 March 1930.

An interesting article:
in.rediff.com/news/2006/apr/05spec.htm

Historical Facts

There is not any one view of history. Historical ‘facts’ can change with time in accordance with the beliefs of those bringing history to the public.
-E.H. Carr, What is History?, London: Macmillan, 1961.

(Image: Theseas & Minotaur)

'Sometimes legends make reality, and become more useful than the facts'

- Rushdie, Midnight's Children, p.80

Corporate rules the globalize (d) world.

I worked for a big corporate, say a monopoly; I was wondering how a corporate functions or how a day-to-day complicated business activities happen slickly? Knowing that it is not one person’s effort alone, but what regulates or directs the interdependence of groups of men or labourers.

The same I wondered for society or a nation.

Below extracts helped me to see things differently

“People work for each other without knowing each other, without inquiring about another’s needs, in the hope, and even with the assurance, that their relations will somehow regulate themselves. And by and large they do, or rather, were wont to.”

Touching tale!

I found this touching tale over at Muslim Refusnik:
Two Arabs boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat. Just before take-off, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After take-off, the Marine kicked off his shoes, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a Coke.""Don't get up," said the Marine. "I'm in the aisle seat. I'll get it for you."As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marine's right shoe and spat in it.When the Marine returned with a Coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good. I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone, the other Arab picked up the Marine's left shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened."Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in Cokes?"

Drama & Theatre / Plays

I like theatre plays, to be particular 'modern plays with a social message'.
Now a days not many good plays are seen..

Shakespeare said it rather more elegantly
" Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

What are you?

If you believe in the philosophy of ‘service to humanity’, whether you’ll live for it or die for it?

"What do the dangers or the sacrifices of a man or of a nation matter, when the destiny of humanity is at stake."
- Che in 'Message to the Tricontinental'

/comments welcome/

Motive of this blog!

Contradiction is not a sign of falsity, nor the lack of contradiction a sign of truth.

- Blaise Pascal