My dear Anna...

I was mere an adolescent when I first read a Tolstoy’s story. It was a remarkable story about a wife’s dream of her husband who has snow white hairs instead of black which sadly comes true at the end. This fictional dream hunted me for long.

Mystery of dreams and intuitions always engage my deepest attention. I still remember how I had felt after reading Tolstoy’s story .  And same I felt again after reading Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. For me , this epic fiction oscillates between a super-realistic dream and an awareness of corporeal world and human relations.

 

Though being world’s greatest fiction it deals with every aspect of mundane life but what really attracted me was psychological struggles of major characters. Where Lenin strives for Katie’s love and later to feel God’s blessings , Alexei suffers and tries to overcome the blow on his sophisticated social life. Dolly chooses to accept her husband’s character as a philanderer and thus lives a spurious life like other major characters except Anna. Anna doesn’t love her husband and later begins to feel for Count Vronsky. She spurns to live a double life as offered by her husband who doesn’t really care whom her wife loves but wants to save his reputation. But Anna can not sacrifice her honesty and so chooses to be an outcast by living with Vronsky without a formal divorce with her husband.

“Can one ever tell anyone what one’s feeling?” Anna asks to herself towards the end. And this question can pose more somber one in a reader’s mind, “Can one ever know anyone ? Or even oneself?”  … “the struggle for existence and hatred is the one thing that holds men together. No it’s a useless journey you are making.”  Anna is talking to herself. Human relations and the motives behind one’s action are very intricate to understand. Self-interest , consciously or unconsciously overshadows love most of the times.

We perished , each alone ,

But I beneath a rougher sea… (As Mr. Ramsay mumbles in To The Lighthouse)

And yet why should the life be ended like this? Why our faith should diminish when hope is a lifeline given to us by God? The novel ends along with Levin’s struggle. After Anna’s episode is left unresolved and romantically ended , it is through Levin Tolstoy gives the Mantra to his deserving reader. But that mantra is like a precious gem which reader must seek and bring out himself . 

P.S. -

To my Anna , 

 Immoral , moral , or beyond that (as my teacher used to say – nothing is moral or immoral) , my Anna I don’t judge you , will never. Because I know you listened to your heart and did what you needed to do because you could have never done otherwise. Only human eyes see tragedy otherwise there is no such thing called a tragedy. Life goes on , and there is an afterlife and so on and so forth…we born ,  we learn , we perish and only wisdom we carry with us… you also did , I am sure… and you have won my heart my dear Anna...

Young India and Gandhian Philosophy

Lawyers should  abandon  their job... Doctors are good for nothing... Railways are rubbish... Factories and mills are not the sign of development ...  wait ! wait ! .. these are not my thoughts , but the one whom we affectionately call - Bapu. Yes! Mahtma Gandhi , the father of our nation. These thoughts he has shared in his very famous book called - Indian Home Rule or Hind Swaraj which he wrote in 1909 when he was traveling from London to South Africa.

But isn't it a very weird thought? I think for most of youths like me , it is. It was shocking when I read his thoughts on civilization , non-violence , truth et cectra . But these are not baseless thoughts they have solid logics behind them . They are the treasure of Gandhi's own experiences.

Gandhi writes a message in the book's preface which ends as following -
"The reader may balance against this the opinion of a dear friend , who alas! is no more , that it was (the book) the production of a fool."

Certainly , the book may sound terrible to someone who believes in "tit for tat" or "revenge" or "grabbing our right by hook or crook" But  Gandhi ji gave such logics behind his every thought that even an extremist would embrace them contentedly  .

You would say , we have attained Swaraj then what is the use of this book now? But what if I say , we have not attained Swaraj yet then? Not the one which Gandhi meant by this word? Gandhi ji explains in this book the meaning of Swaraj that it does not mean the expulsion of Englishmen but it is in fact the expulsion of English civilization , which we see has infected our country and is the root of all our sufferings. Swaraj means to rule ourselves. And one can only rule oneself when one's mind is in his own control and pure.

Gandhi ji says that his own life is his message to everyone , which is a powerful statement. He is able to say this because of his one quality that he does what he says to others. He proposes to walk on the path of Truth and Non-Violence which was propagated by all ancient saints . And he also proposes to let India untouched by modern civilization and let it be as it was in ancient times. He has strong reasons behind his thoughts , which you would come to know when you read the book yourself.

Being a youth and seeing the India affected by Globalization and Modernization , all the thoughts of Gandhi ji seem to me like a Harry - Porter world ,  though I want their implementation but they seem Impossible . We are so much drowned in the technology and modernity that it is almost Impossible to turn back now . But it does not mean that the book has nothing to offer you. It lightens up something in our heart. Something which I may call "truth" of  a soul of human being , of civilization or of a nation . It tells you that if you can not Change everything about your New World at least you can change a bit and be a true Indian . For instance - You can take an vow that you wont use English Language until its necessary , Wear Khadi , Gift handloom or craft items , Use Swadeshi items where you can.

I would highly recommend this book to every youth because I think they are really untouched by such sublime thoughts and it is a high time for us to think about such issues. Gandhi himself said that the change can not come until we become discontent with our present situations. So, its time for us to ask from ourselves that have we awakened or still  we are in the state of comatose?