Gandhiji

Gandhiji
Coming generations would hardly ever believe that such a man existed in real flesh and blood .
                                                                 Albert Einstein

Because seeing is believing, Mr Einstein. The statues and roundabouts,  the institutions and roads, the Museums and Galleries named on the great leader make the visitors reminisce what is past, history, bygone, over.
Those of us-actually the majority of us have not seen him except through the ancient glittering eyes and nostalgic narration by our fathers (if we are born around 60s), our grand fathers if we belong to the era of 1980s born. If we are fortunate young people born after 1990s and blessed to have great grand parents whom we care for enough to listen with receptiveness , pay heed to what the 1940s and pre or post independence meant and brought to them; the literal or the catastrophic change in lives  may give a glimpse of the days of the yore when the frail bodied but with rock like strength of commitment and content of character Gandhi led the freedom struggle and forced the British to go back, freed us from the shackles of slavery.
Living in this our world influenced by extreme individualism, let's pause and ponder what selfish motive did Gandhiji ever have,what individual gain he meant to gain, what treasures he happened to achieve, what personal accolades he aspired for through all the relentless, steadfast efforts, fasting, leading through Satya, Ahimsa and Swadeshi?
I feel and believe that in almost all towns and cities, villages, blocks or districts there are some people who are doing things they don't have to do, regardless of appreciation or recognition they are contributing their mite to make this world a better place to live in, a more clean place to breathe in; there are people who do not have an iota of aspiration or rude questioning like 'what the country has done for me?'  but they are diligently and relentlessly working for a better today and tomorrow in their chosen field of activity with the spirit of ' jodi tore dak shuni keu na aashe tobe ekla chalo,ekla chalo,ekla chalo re' .
In a recently concluded 'Aaj ki Raat Hai Zindagi', the serial facilitated encounters with some of living Gandhis who have been trying hard to make this world a better place to live in contributing in their exquisite kind of way in small and big towns, known and places forlorn, single handedly or as team leaders with indomitable spirit of never say die and ever motivating canon of :we shall overcome some day. The nation salutes all such living Gandhis who are making the difference for the better. So many of us have felt motivated and encouraged by this programme. Is it not just the right time to make a start in any...a n y of the fields of activity-be it sanitation or health and hygiene, contribution in initiatives like adopting a day as car-free or cycling for hobby, motivating ten persons/ families for garbage segregation or beautifying the parks or not aggravating the congestion and helping in managing the traffic, leading the clean the street campaigns or plain participating by not adding to the filth around, imparting health through Yoga classes or learning to remain healthy by following simple tenets, spending an hour a week with specially-abled children or imparting patriotism through songs and theatre?  The list can be as exhaustive as we choose. After all doing something is definitely better than doing nothing at all.
Let's search for a Gandhi in us, shall we?