A diamond is just a stone, but it is precious. Why is it so? Because of its matchless ability to hold out. If this be taken as a principle, then we may say that Mahatma Gandhi is a diamond among humans. He is abstract, yet omnipresent by virtue of his long, action-filled life and his ideals. The urge to understand the message of his life has increased. His message is formulaic, contained in a sentence. The talismanic code he left behind takes some deciphering. But it’s easy enough to bear in mind his life’s message; in his own oft-repeated words: “My life is my message.” The message is also inscribed on the covers of two thick volumes that contain a historical account of Sevagram. But what is the message?
Has the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) internalised this message? The question may appear odd, but it is germane and timely. Because the RSS holds sway over the life of common Indians. It is a power centre. One may or may not like its existence, but that does not affect its power, and its existence is impossible to ignore. It’s only right, then, to ask what the Sangh’s plans are at a time when, coinciding with Gandhi’s sesquicentennial (150th anniversary), people both at home and abroad are trying to grasp the essence of Gandhi.
A lecture series was held at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan last year from 17-19 September. The speaker was Dr Mohan Bhagwat. He is the sixth sarsanghchalak of the RSS. People were keen to listen to him, and Vigyan Bhavan proved too small a venue for the throng. He was there to talk about the RSS. He spoke and took questions. The Sangh has a seasoned relationship with controversy; even now, it’s mired in controversies. Which is why the sarsanghchalak had to come to the capital to explain what is what.
Esta historia es de la edición October 07, 2019 de India Today.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 07, 2019 de India Today.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
TITAN WHO DARED TO DREAM BIG
Remembering the gentle giant who turned steel into dreams, cars into revolutions, and boardrooms into launching pads for India’s global ambitions, while redefining corporate philanthropy
UPHILL TASK FOR AJIT PAWAR
Having burnt bridges with uncle Sharad and being the odd one out in the Mahayuti, deputy CM Ajit Pawar is trying to regain his standing by projecting a friendlier avatar
LESSONS NOT LEARNT
THE GRAND OLD PARTY’S SELF-DEFEATING MOVES LEAD TO ANOTHER LOSS IN HARYANA. IF IT DOES NOT RIGHT ITS SHIP IN TIME, ITS PROSPECTS COULD SINK IN MAHARASHTRA AND JHARKHAND TOO
NOW FOR THE HARD PART
WHILE I.N.D.1.A THWARTED THE BJP’S KASHMIR PLANS, OMAR ABDULLAH WILL FIND IT TOUGH TO MEET PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS. GIVEN J&K’S UT STATUS, THE CENTRE HOLDS THE KEY LEVERS OF POWER
BJP'S HARYANA HURRICANE
ITS STUPENDOUS WIN IN THE STATE REJUVENATES THE CADRE AND HANDS THE PARTY A READY TEMPLATE TO FOLLOW IN THE UPCOMING POLLS IN MAHARASHTRA AND JHARKHAND
THE BJP DILEMMA
On September 29, Kirodi Lal Meena-the 72-yearold Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran in Rajasthan-attended a cabinet meeting. Why was that an event?
Jostling for Tribal Trust
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intensified focus on Jharkhand, particularly its tribal population, has put adrenaline into the state's electoral landscape.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
The craggy ravines have never disappointed Bollywood. The Sunil Dutt starrer Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), Putli Bai (1972), Dacait (1987), with Sunny Deol in the lead, Bandit Queen (1994) and Paan Singh Tomar (2012)-the dacoit genre had Madhya Pradesh as one of its most sought after filming destinations for six decades.
TIPPING POINT
As the autumn leaves begin to fall in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself in familiar territory in the state-embroiled in internal strife just as another crucial election looms on the horizon.
STRIKING AT MAOIST ROOTS
Intelligence gathering, planning and execution by security forces came together in a perfect operation against the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in Chhattisgarh.