Of Jain Pizzas and Love-cum-Arranged Marriage - I

Mahatma Gandhi undertook the Dandhi march to protest the tax on Salt, an essential commodity. He did manage to make the British sit up and notice that there is a threat to their monarchy in the form of a scantily clad monk. What the British couldn't understand was his unique idea of protesting without violence. For them it was a strange way to protest. Saying that I don't agree to your tax without being vocal about it was akin to protesting without actually protesting. For Indians however, this was a very natural way of reacting to circumstances. "We don't agree to you boss, but we do not really want you to know that we do not agree." The wholesome acceptance of the masses of the idea of protest without violence and that in an age without any distributed medium of communication, showed that everyone was completely tuned in to the idea. Gandhi spoke to the basest of our instincts. An instinct that had evolved over time. An instinct that was so widely present that it made all of us united in our action. Or inaction as the case here. This was the instinct born over a period of time. A period of subjugation to the ruling monarchs without wanting to be so. It was the instinct of hypocrisy. Gandhi knew that there were only 2 ways to generate the loyalty of the masses. You either crack the whip or you give them the consent to express their discontent without actually seeming to do so. For the masses receiving the consent was very important. In their subconscious a war waged between the need to revolt against the subjugation and the need to suppress the former need. For them receiving the consent was very important. 'I did what you wanted me to, it was not really my original idea' was what they were saying to Gandhi. 'I didn't really revolt and you can't punish me for something I didn't do.' was what they were saying to the British. This was ultimately the downfall of our colonial masters. Unused to the idea that one+one can be more/less than two depending upon the circumstances, they tried all the wrong means to enforce order and failed each time. We are Indians boss, we don't like you ruling over us. But its not that we don't want you to rule over us, we are not saying that. Its just that we don't want you to be ruling us.
Being able to "appear" to do something without actually doing it is an art mastered by us over timeless age. Hindu mythology sings praises of Gandhari who covered her eyes and refused to see the things which couldn't be seen by her blind husband. She could see but she couldn't really see. Kunti couldn't accept Karna as he was a bastard child. She couldn't see him suffering but she can't do anything. I mean come on dude what with you being an illegal child and all I can't really admit to be your mother. But I also can't see you suffering with indignities so why don't you just go away. Drona wouldn't accept Eklavya as his pupil as he was a shudra. But when he finally managed to be a better archer than Arjuna, Drona asked him to sacrifice his thumb. And Eklavya being the true Indian that he was, gladly gave the sacrifice. So what if I can't shoot which has been my life long passion, I will gladly cut off my thumb and give it you as you totally rock Mr Drona!
Closer to earth, Gandhi didn't want Shaheed Bhagat Singh to be hanged but he kept quiet as he couldn't really do anything. See oh Angrez sahib I am being a good Indian. Remember it the next time I go on a hypocritical strike against your tyrannical rule! But it won't really be a strike as I am not doing anything to stop you from doing what you are doing. I am just appealing to your nature of being a good human being!

Quit India! But leave your western ideologies behind.