Loved this article on Gandhi... Felt like I was reading one of Lohia's lectures on Gandhi...

I am referring to an article by Mihir Shah in The Hindu on Gandhigiri... as against dadagiri!!!!!

And Cheri/Vibha/Abdus, recall our conversation sometime ago in this space on violence... and later on about nation and identity..on how these are nebulous categories. I think Mihir provides an explanation/way out of our dilemna in this article...

Like he says: ``Most ideologies of the oppressed contain the danger that they will only end up reinforcing the divisions they sought to fight against. History is replete with such examples. ''

or at another place: ``A natural question could be — does Gandhigiri work in the context of terrorism? It would be useful here to remember that ultimately all acts of terror (whether state-sponsored or of sundry groups) derive their legitimacy from a moral basis in perceived injustice. The battle is fundamentally an ethical one. Once the moral force is established, once the wounds heal, the power of the gun will gradually diminish. This should not be seen as appeasement, for it is a path we must be committed to quite irrespective of the terrorist. ''

Here is the link to the article... I think we will enjoy reading this several times....

(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/09/28/stories/2006092802241000.htm)