Monday, November 27, 2006

Great AD on Gandhiji

It took Italians to make this one!

Superb Advertisement- shows popularity and respect to Gandhiji,

A great ad.... Ironically from a non- Indian company!!

And none the less this ad won the EPICA awards for best ad.

Click here to watch the AD...

Gandhigiri Works -- 1

From -- Vinut Hemrath -- Bangalore


Hi Friends,
I have an interesting incident to tell you all. This happened on Saturday (23rd Sept).
I, my wife and my mother had to go to my native place Davangere this weekend.
We boarded Chalukya express in the morning from Yeshwanthpur. All was well till Tumkur.
At tumkur two middle aged men boarded the train and sat beside me. It looked like they were relatives who had met after a long time.
From their talk it looked like they were right hands of some political guy and were completely engrossed in their political talk.
They were purposely talking loud so that other passengers in the compartment know that they are some influencial guys.
I was getting irritated listening to them. They bought some kallekayi (groundnuts/peanuts) and continued their talk.
I put on my MP3 player and dozed off unable to bear them.
I woke up after about 45 minutes and found to my horror that the whole compartment was full of groundnut shell.
Both of them had thrown the shell in the compartment itself not even caring for other passengers and nobody had complained.
I was furious and wanted to confront them. But I knew that they wouldnt even care for me.
At that moment Munnabhai and his Gandhigiri flashed into my mind. I thought why not try it...!!! But I wanted some support.
I told my wife about this and she readily agreed to support me.
Me and my wife armed with old papers and cover started cleaning the compartment....!!! Both of them were taken aback.
One of them asked What were we doing... I said We are cleaning so that we and the passenegrs who will board after us do not sit in the garbage....
Both of them were really surprised. He said why dont we just push all this under the seat. I said.... No, we cant.... and continued with my cleaning.
The other guy was ashamed.. He apologised and said sorry for what he had done....!!!
We finished our cleaning and were back in our seats and pretended as though nothing had happened. Both these guys were silent for the rest of the jou
ey...!!! :)
Gandhigiri works.

Memories of Mahatma - 2

Collection of Articles from Gandhigiri.org

GANDHI QUOTES
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)


" Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well. "

" An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. "

" As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, keep it. "

" Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right. "

" Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. "

" Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. "

" Hate the sin, love the sinner. "

" Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress. "

" Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. "

" I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers. "

" I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life. "

" I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent. "

" I think it would be a good idea. "

" I want freedom for the full expression of my personality. "

" In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth. "

" Indolence is a delightful but distressing state; we must be doing something to be happy. "

" It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence. "

" It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. "

" One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds. "

" The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. "

" Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. "

" What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy? "

" Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. "

" You must be the change you want to see in the world. "

" You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. "

Memories of Mahatma - 1

Collection of articles from gandhigiri.org

THE DAY MOHANDAS COULD NOT TALK

C.R. Gopalakrishna

It was one of those times in summer, in early 1961. I was returning back to Waltair from Madras, after handing over his passport to my father who was on his way to Paris for a meeting with UNESCO. Of all days, the River Krishna decided to get into ‘spate’ and she did it successfully. So the Madras-Calcutta Mail, which normally goes via Vijayawada, and reaches Waltair in about 20 hours (in those days) was diverted via places I hadn’t known existed! Instead of the normal 20 hours, it took close to 40. Fortunately I had no luggage, except for a jute bag containing my change of clothes and toothbrush and paste. I was in one of those unreserved IIIrd class compartments, which was packed like a sardine can, filled with Malayalees. One can imagine the mayhem, with their non-stop rapid-firing dialogue that filled the compartment!
By the time I got down at Waltair, I felt I had corns on my rear!
Resigning myself to the long travel, I took out from my jute bag, Gandhi’s book on ‘My Experiments with Truth’ Next to me was an old gentleman, whom I didn’t notice at first. He had with him quite a few magazines and novels, having come fully prepared for the ordeal. After some time, when he had finished reading one of the Telugu magazines, I made bold to ask him if I could read it. Sleeping was out of question; sitting itself was at a premium. Came dinnertime, and at the station, I found that there was nothing available as the train was unscheduled, and they did not anticipate a massive crowd to descend on them. I resigned myself to starvation till I reached home. Just then, the gentleman sitting next to me opened a large Tiffin carrier, and looking at me said, “There is enough and more for the two of us.” Never did food taste so delicious. To top it, it was a typical Vijayawada style of cooking, where the chillies were liberally used. As I was eating I was steaming from my ears! And as we were eating, we started talking. And I told him what I was doing, and why I had come to Madras, and then asked about him. He was silent for a few minutes and then said he had retired in 1947 after serving the British India Police as a D.I.G. a senior position for an Indian at that time. I asked him for any memorable or exciting cases that he handled during his service. He smiled. Then he said, “I have many, but I will narrate to you an incident that took place when I was an Inspector at Vijayawada. This concerns the person whose book you are reading. It took place in the ‘late thirties.” I was very curious of what the incident was, and waited for him to tell me. We managed to wash our hands and sat relaxed as much as possible, and lit our cigarettes, and then he began.
“I was the Inspector at Vijayawada, a rarity in the British Police for an Indian. I was known to be very tough, but very fair in my dealings. I had brought in a lot of secure feelings in that city, and was always on the prowl, looking for mischief-monger, eve teasers and the like. I would not hesitate to arrest such persons, whoever they might have been. There used to be pressures brought onto me, but I would never wilt. Gradually, I won the people’s respect and support, though I was serving the British masters!
One day I got a message from Madras, which was then the Presidency Headquarters that Gandhi was visiting Vijayawada, and that I should make preparations to ensure that everything should go off peacefully, but to be alert and if necessary, stern. I was asked to assess the requirements of the police needed for security purpose, and if I thought reinforcements were needed, that I should ask for it.


The local Congress leaders were friendly with me, and that evening, after office, I went to meet them in their office as a casual visitor. And there was total excitement amongst them. “Gandhiji is coming! Bapu is coming! How do we plan all this?” was all that I could hear.
I probed a little, and came to know that things would be peaceful. I went back and sent a message to the S.P., a Scotsman, who was at Madras, and assured him that I could manage with the present force in my hands. “Be careful, ole’ chap! Otherwise, your head will be on the block!” he said. I assured him, I would.

Soon, the great day dawned. There was a complete festive look in the city. It was decked up with marigold bowers and arches, a large pandal was put up with the tri-colour draped behind, durries were in place, and I had arranged for my C.I.D men to mingle with the crown in plain clothes.

I had gone to the station in my full uniform, not to receive him, but to ensure that there was no trouble. But as he alighted from his 3rd class compartment with that beatific smile and that halo around his head, something in me made me step forward and salute him! Bapu raised his head and folded his palms in greeting with his toothless smile. I felt I was Blessed!
Bapu was taken in a huge precession by the citizens of the city, which slowly wended its way through out the streets finally arriving at the huge maidan where the pandal for the evening had been put up. He was constantly cheered, “Gandhiji ki Jai! Gandhiji ki Jai”. And he slowly walked up to the dais, with his staff, and his two grandnieces. It was a great and emotional scene, that one cannot forget,
It was Bapu’s prayer time meeting as well. He started with his Bhajan on ‘Vaishnavo Janotho’, and after that, he started his talk. He spoke to the people to support the struggle for a Free India, but while undertaking this struggle, he also cautioned them that the British should in no way be physically harmed. The fight was against the establishment and their policies, not on their people, who were here in the call of duty. And then he appealed for monetary support for the party activities. His Hindi to Telugu translator was doing a splendid job by conveying what Gandhiji was saying. I was standing near him, enthralled. Suddenly from the crowd, a little girl, could not have been more than 8 or 9 years, jumped onto the dais, and before the police could catch her, she was at Bapu’s feet. She was in tatters, but in her poverty, there was total peace and serenity on her countenance. Bapu bent down and smiled at her, holding her tender face in his equally tender hands. “Kya Chahihen, Beti?” ( “What do want, Child?”) he asked. Without a word, the girl removed her silver anklets, a few glass bangles and her thin gold chain and literally poured it into his hands. At that Bapu’s eyes were streaming with tears.
Her mother came forward, and seeing me, begged me not to arrest the child. “ She and I work in houses, cleaning vessels and cleaning the homes. We make around Rs.20/ a month, and somehow live by. Her father deserted me a few years ago.” I assured her I wouldn’t arrest her.
Bapu called me, and asked me what the mother said. I told him.
He fell silent, while two large tears dropped from his eyes. “I yet have hope for India,” was all that he said, even as he had his hand on the child’s head. Gandhiji did not speak any more that day.”




I fell silent at the end of his story. I was moved. “You can imagine how I felt! And how Bapuji felt” was all he said. By then, we were chugging towards Waltair. I asked him his name. “Subba Rao. I retired as I.G. of Police in Free India,” he said.

Monday, November 20, 2006

When Frnds tell our Character ..!

The cool guy! Never takes anything serious and I have never seen you getting tensed. Loves his sister and parents so much. Always willing to do anything for friends. A good poet and he is not the usual software engineer. He knows to enjoy the another face of life and lives it every day. Another face of life means writing poems, pinging everyone with good sms, sending some puzzles, tasting his favorite chocs, watching cartoons and reading cartoons, taking care of his sister and playing with his niece etc etc…I knew u right from the day one when we joined as an ELT in TCO academy block. I cant forget the dumsherads we played in out route number 1 bus, when we went to ayudha yezhuthu film with thiagu, when we had long/short chat with each other in elnet etc etc. Your poems were excellent and many of them brought out the hidden feelings (which we forgot in our day to day routine) in every one’s heart. Keep it up da. Share your poems with us for ever. I also remember the days when we used to kid u, linking with different girls. I don’t remember all the girl’s names as the list is so huge. But I remember one girl who used to board her bus in mogaappair and another girl ----. You used to take all those things light heartedly with a gentle smile in your face. Kadasila oru ponnum un kitta matama pochey da??? Sari there are many things to say about u . All the best for ur future da. Expect u to be in onsite in the near future and near by my location. Let us see. Please speak up during your appraisal and make sure u get onsite and promotion. Convey my wishes to ur sister and family. You are such a wonderful friend! All the best da! Take care of ur health! Bye da!

--> And this was written by One of my Best Friend Mugunth who is nw in US awaiting my arrrival thr...