Of the enduring legacies

Sunil Sharma

"Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."

 

---Mahatma Gandhi

 

The message is still relevant today as it was in the last century!

So is the philosophy of the apostle of peace in an age of sectarian violence and close-mind.

The finest values are in peril.

And no fresh voice of sanity.

Then a return to old prophets yields significant insights and a moral compass for humanity.

 

Mahatma Gandhi continues to speak and engage with the willing, and provide right pathways to the seekers of truths in a violent and fractured world.

 

With the wars going on, and terror and climate crises looming upon humanity as the recurrent tragedies, along with a significant rise in hatred, racism, bigotry, unemployment, inflation and pandemic, the overall human situation looks very grim.

Human condition has always been very sad, despite the best efforts of the well-meaning teachers. With the military-industrial-capitalistic alliance's aggression on the ascendancy in various parts of the planet, the challenges of the new millennium are as depressing as they were in the last few centuries for the common human being.

 

The only way forward is through the teachings of great saints, prophets and persons like Gandhi who advocated all his life the credo of love and non-violence, and paid a heavy price for that.

 

October 2nd is celebrated as the birthday of Bapu and an inspiring event for the Gandhians, now a minority, in his own country.

 

This month's Setu carries a special section on his philosophy and practice as an individual and mass leader.

 

Curated by the eminent Gandhian and author-critic-public personality Santosh Bakaya, the careful selection of works offers a creative engagement with a game-changer called Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who delivered freedom from the oppressive rule of the imperialist Britain and who continued to find worthy disciples in Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela, among many other notables.

The legacy of the Bapu continues.

Talking of the impact of the extraordinary soul, Santosh shares: “Writing his biography in verse form was a thrilling experience. It was a trance-like state for me. Seems that my tribute Ballad of Bapu was blessed by his hovering presence in my life.”

True words!

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October 24 marked the celebration of Dussehra---the festival of the triumph of good over evil. 

 

Watching the large gathering in one of the leading temples in Ontario, one could feel the relevance and power of such civilizational events and the emotional nourishment they provide. People witnessing the Ramlila- ballet and the subsequent burning of the effigy of demon-king Ravana on the ground of the sprawling temple on a cold evening, part of a multi-ethnic audience---well that was pure cathartic and going back to your roots in another dim land for the assembled diaspora of Indians.

 

We would like to thank all the contributors and eminent guest editor for their overall support.

 

Please enjoy!

 

Sunil Sharma,

Editor, Setu (English)

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Setu, October 2023