On March 6, 2009 five personal articles belonging to Gandhiji were bought by India New York
Here is a poem I wrote on that occasion. The poem may interest the readers.
Here is a poem I wrote on that occasion. The poem may interest the readers.
GANDHI’S RELICS
A brass bowl and a plate
A pocket watch
A pair of leather chappals
A pair of spectacles:
The Father of the Nation’s mementos
The Mahatma’s legacy
The essential Gandhi -
Being put to auction!
How can they do it?
Commercialize Gandhi
Put him on sale
His simplicity
His non-violence
His message of peace
His sainthood
His quintessential humanity!
But they did it
In spite of our best efforts
But at least
We did not let anyone else
Usurp his legacy
We bought it
And brought it home
Through a playboy liquor baron
Paying two million dollars
Paying two million dollars
Now through these relics
We shall keep
Bapu’s legacy
Embalmed and entombed in glass
Museumized
Museumized
To be reverenced
To be looked upon with awe
To be shown to our children
To be preserved for posterity
Against time’s corrosion
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