 "Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy: Two films, dry days and bad ads")
As we ‘celebrate MK Gandhi’s 144th birth anniversary, one wonders what his legacy is. Gandhi, the man who believed intensely in two basic principles, truth and non-violence, would be turning in his grave as he looks at an India run by politicians who give truth short shrift and use violence as a means to further their ends. In addition to truth and non-violence, Gandhi also gave us the concept of ‘sarvodaya’, loosely translated as universal upliftment. With 269 million Indians defined as poor, the country has given short shrift to sarvodaya as well. So what do we remember him by? [caption id=“attachment_1147149” align=“alignright” width=“380”]
Akhilesh Yadav talking about non-violence? Okay.[/caption] First, of course, is the dry days we observe on his birth and death anniversary and the last day of ‘Gandhi week’. “Alcohol makes a man forget himself; and while its effects last, he becomes utterly incapable of doing anything useful. Those who take to drinking, ruin themselves and ruin their people. They lose all sense of decency and propriety," Gandhi said. So we pay lip service to his thoughts and force the prevention of sale of alcohol. It’s completely mindless, as many who want to have a tipple get their alcohol on dry days as well, and others stock up in anticipation of the dry day. Even in the dry state, Gujarat, it’s easy enough to get. What else has Gandhi given us? Well, he’s given us a holiday. Which, of course, we do not use in introspection, but as, er, any regular holiday. Make the most of the day. My Bus Tickets will help you.If it’s a holiday, how, in India, can we not think of films? To many young Indians, Ben Kingsley, thanks to Richard Attenborough’s film Gandhi, is the face young Indians see when they think of Gandhi. Lage Raho Munnabhai, with Gandhi’s ideals being the essence of the storyline, raked in big bucks. Besharam, which has nothing to do with Gandhi or Gandhi’s ideals, takes advantage of the Gandhi Jayanti holiday, but Utkarsh is not amused.
What else? In 1969, on his birth centenary, the country decided to honour him by plastering his face on our currency notes. This, from twitter: #IKnowGandhiji very well. He is in my wallet. #GandhiJayanti We use these currency notes to buy film tickets and alcohol, among other things. Like T-shirts, for example.
And sadly, thanks to Gandhi, we get something that’s impossible to avoid. Open any newspaper this morning and you will see that each is filled with terrible, terrible advertising. Like this one. Akhilesh Yadav talking about non-violence? Okay. One day, this hypocrisy will end.
Anant Rangaswami was, until recently, the editor of Campaign India magazine, of which Anant was also the founding editor. Campaign India is now arguably India's most respected publication in the advertising and media space. Anant has over 20 years experience in media and advertising. He began in Madras, for STAR TV, moving on as Regional Manager, South for Sony’s SET and finally as Chief Manager at BCCL’s Times Television and Times FM. He then moved to advertising, rising to the post of Associate Vice President at TBWA India. Anant then made the leap into journalism, taking over as editor of what is now Campaign India's competitive publication, Impact. Anant teaches regularly and is a prolific blogger and author of Watching from the sidelines.