We know him variously — a man whose face and form appear on currency notes in India and on stamps, as statues and as art, internationally. He was known as a pacifist, one who inspired the likes of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, Obama and many more leaders. And yet, he was a tiny, frail man, rather adamant and uncomfortable to live with and with food choices that many might find difficult to digest. This man was called Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Born on October 2nd 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, he became an internationally renowned figure for all of us. Like all great leaders, he impacted the world in ways more than one but he had some idiosyncrasies, for example, he had no faith on the film industry though a number of films have been made on and about him. Highlighting that is an essay from Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri. Gandhi affected people and much of the writing in this edition goes to show how he or his ideas impacted them. Ratnottama Sengupta comments and translates parts of the episode from the biography of eminent Bengali writer, Nabendu Ghosh, her father, as well as a short story by him, to focus on Gandhi’s impact on India’s Direct Action Day (16th August 1946). A poem by contemporary Santosh Bakaya about the same incident make one wonder why suddenly there is so much focus on this part of history.
Here’s to unraveling the mystery and celebrating Gandhiism in spirit—
‘He Belongs to Me, He Belongs to You’: Santosh Bakaya weaves magic in poetry around the persona of Gandhi. Click here to read.
Gandhiji, a short story by Nabendu Ghosh, has been translated from Bengali by Ratnottama Sengupta. Click here to read.
Magic of the Mahatma , Ratnottama Sengupta shows the impact of Gandhi and his call for non-violence on Nabendu Ghosh as she continues to emote over his message of Ahimsa and call for peace amidst rioting. Click here to read.
Gandhi in Cinema Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri explores Gandhi in films and also his views on the celluloid screen. Click here to read.
Borderless 