Peace of Mind (Mann Ko Shanti)

A couple of nights ago I was watching a program on BBC; it was about IDEI an Indian not-for-profit organization and the innovations they provide at the grass root level. ……KB drip (a drip irrigation solution) was being discussed as I turned on the television set and how it has revolutionised the farmer’s life, as now it allowed him a crop three times a year , hence 3 times the income ….

The farmer being interviewed was beaming with happiness as he had managed to pull himself out of debt and looked forward to a brighter future…. The chemistry between the interviewer and the farmer was evident as they both had met a few seasons ago when the farmer was deep in debt with no hope.


What was interesting was the response the farmer had for the question ….. So now you are happy with an income that’s 3 times?

The farmer responded – I am not so bothered about the income, it’s the peace of mind (“Mann Ko Shanti”) that I have, that’s a blessing.

His content look made me jealous; as I doubt if my income were to triple overnight I would be able to give the same response.

The power to be content is an art that was mastered by MKG.

Just Hangers

I had a very interesting visitor last Friday, an old associate… he now works with one of the largest hanger manufacturing companies in the world… revenues in the millions of dollars …. Manufacturing factories in 3 continents and it all started with a small European firm in Italy that an Indian living in Africa saw potential and made a strategic investment!!!!

I enquired what else do you manufacture … the response.. Just hangers!!! Then it dawned … “Just Hangers” it’s simple it’s needed by most, its disposable … the cycle goes on … it’s such a simple product that you don’t pay attention to it.

Nothing succeeds like simplicity as Simple ideas are effective ideas….. MKG proved it over and over again … remember Salt.

It’s time we all looked through the clutter and MOVED FORWARD INTO SIMPLICITY.

Mahatma in Brazil (Filhos de Gandhy)

The single largest annual congregation in the 21st century that was inspired by MKG is in Brazil, South America. I don’t know much about this group but am intrigued that they have stood the test of time … 6 decades and still counting

The pictures speak for themselves as they participate in the annual carnival in Bahia.


A trip to the "Sons of Gandhy" is required to attain first hand knowledge!!!!!, I have never been to Brazil and cannot think of a better reason to travel down there.



Googled a bit and have pasted a few lines from the mile wide inch thick landscape



Filhos de Gandhy (Sons of Gandhi) was formed in 1949 in Brazil, South America to promote peace and harmony. It was formed on a street Rua do Julião that runs through the poorest of neighbourhoods in Salvador. The poorest of the community were forming a Carnival group and the name “Filhos de Gandhy “was suggested by one Durval Marques da Silva as it represented the man who fought against poverty and social injustice using “Peace” as a weapon.

During the carnival in Bahia, The passing of the “Sons of Gandhi” has become a symbol of peace and dignity.

http://www.filhosdegandhy.com.br/

70 and Proud

Shri GOPALKRISHNA J.PANDYA sent me a message that I have “ Resurrected Gandhiji”, I don’t know him personally, but his message to my father humbles me as I am still not sure that the act of merely compiling this book is an act enough to be given such adulation. I only hope in time the message of the book reaches the young and allows them to find their own set of values under the guiding light of Gandhiji.

I love the word – PRIDE in his message … I hope my generation feels the same PRIDE and not get bogged down with MKG trivia that makes sensational reading !!!!

Sri Gopalkrishan J. Pandya must be around 70 and the best way to convey his sense and feeling is to paste his message below:

DEAR SHRI VATSALbhai,
NAMASKAR!
I INDEED FELT SO GOOD & PROUD;CHI.BIRAD HAS RESURRECTED GANDHIJI AND THAT OUGHT TO GIVE YOU,VATSALbhai,IMMENSE PRIDE,AND I AM SPONTANEOUSLY GETTING SHARE OF THAT PRIDE!
PLEASE CONVEY MY HEARTIEST CONGRATULTIONS TO CHI.BIRAD.
'MAKE WRONG-DOER'S CONSCIENCE YOUR ALLY'SO EFFECTIVELY SUMS UP GANDHIJI'S MESSAGE!
REGARDS,
GOPALKRISHNA J.PANDYA

MKG - Limited Edition # 21

Limited Edition # 21 of the MKG book was purchased today by Mr Dieter Glatzer, a person of German origin who was visiting India. I did not get an opportunity to meet him but was informed that he purchased the limited edition as a gift for his grandson’s 21st birthday. It made my heart smile, as Mr Dieter had captured the inner soul of the book …. A book about a man so precious that it needs to be treated as a work of art and passed down generations as memorabilia.



Mr Dieter’s purchase has enabled the message and life of the Mahatma to reach students as his purchase subsidises the Student Edition.

I hope each of young people that would be influenced by the act of Mr Deiter and Book #21, find their set of values from the Mahatma.

MKG book launched in London

MKG - Mahatma Gandhi - Imaging Peace, Truth and Ahimsa (Limited Edition)
29th January 2010
www.visualquestbooks.com
Transcript of Birad Rajaram Yajnik



Good evening honourable guests, ladies & gentlemen.
It is indeed a great honour to be here and share my thoughts. I will address two questions that I have been asked multiple times while creating this book.

Why another book on the Mahatma ?
Why am I here in London?

I was born 99 years after Gandhiji’s birth or twenty years after he ceased to walk this earth. Needless to say I never had the opportunity to see him or hear him in person; my exposure to him in the initial years of my life was the story of independence at bedtime by my grandmother Nivedita and a chapter in the middle school text book.

October 2nd, national holiday in India and the minute of silence on the 30th of January each year have served as a constant recall on the name Mahatma and the person Gandhi.

The film Gandhi by Sir Richard Attenborough, like many from my generation was the first real comprehensive exposure to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, I was 14 and it was a film that moved me to accepting the power and wisdom of the man. I saw the English version.

Over the next twenty six years his name and context have crossed me a few times, some in the form of simple discussions and some in the spate of films from Bollywood that hover around Bapu.

What I am trying to say is that I come from a generation that sees Gandhi multiple times a day without an emotional connect or a realisation of the values he stood for. Our recall is limited to the image of Gandhi on the rupee notes, postage stamps and dusty photographs in government offices.

I am from a generation that does not associate khadi with peace and non violence but with politics and corruption. The charkha is just an Uber kool artefact. And the context of Salt is Iodised or not.

I am from a generation that has lost the power to learn from his experiments of truth. All we get is trivia and 1000 word articles whether or not he said the words “Hey Ram “when he was assassinated. Or if he was to be blamed for the politics of that day.

We have forgotten to see the glass full, its time to move on and leverage his principles for the success of humanity. We need to draw from his experiments, as he was a scientist of Human Values and scientists don’t make mistakes they experiment.

Hence the decision to create this book, to lay Gandhiji’s life out in words and pictures for a generation that was born and lives in the attention economy.




The book is a visual insight to Gandhiji’s life, it’s a presentation of facts and images in a hope that it would mean something different to each viewer and allow my generation to explore the principles of the Mahatma.

It has an age line along with the time line of his life, this would allow us to explore his life using our age as a barometer. The book has 200 plus photographs to show his transitions in life and 20,000 words that provide a commentary into incidents of his life.

The book by no means is an exhaustive compilation of him; it is more a visual catalyst to set one on a journey to explore more.

The book is produced to act more as a piece of art and the contents published to be treated as treasured experiences of a man so simple yet so unique and valuable. The end objective would be that this book acts as an heirloom and is passed down generations spreading the simple message that would be relevant for a long time to come.

I hope that the generations of today will draw from his experiments of life and seek their interpretations and learn from a simple Man we made the Mahatma.



Thank you for your patience, I request 2 more minutes …to answer the question why this book was launched in London.

I was questioned “Why London” and my answer was “Why not” …. But the real reason truly is that history has proven that London is the epicentre of the single largest body of humanity that has the courage and conscience to accept and appreciate an opponent. The collective conscience of the people of England has been and will be its strength and hence we could not think of a better place to launch the book.

The Most important part of this evening,I would like to thank you all for coming down; braving the weather I am humbled by your presence.



Birad Rajaram Yajnik
@
The Nehru Centre
8 South Audley Street
London
W1K 1HF

Wind 6 kmph, Temperature 2 degrees, Humidity 60%