Looking at the history of
India you see a single course running across centuries; the Bhisma Syndrome..
Bhishm means terrible oath. An
oath so terrible that it had the capability of changing the course of history.
So the first instance was when
Devavrata, son of Ganga and Shantanu (the then reigning king of Kuru) took an
oath, a terrible oath, to remain celibate lifelong and serve the throne of Kuru
for his whole like. This oath he took to make sure his dad could marry his old
age love, a nubile fisher woman.
This terrible oath was like an
agreement which you sign with someone (usually a VC) which closes all the doors
for you. He was:
·
To be celibate (so no risk of progeny to sway
the mind in future)
·
The fiercest and strongest fighter (one who
defeated Parshuram) was to be free of cost body guard of empire.
·
The keenest political mind at service for all
time.
Now this not necessary as
Bhishma was capable enough to get a woman by force for his purposes. He did
exactly that to get his two younger step brothers married. He could have just
brought this woman for his dad. Anyways but this oath appealed to psyche of our
ancestors. The mark of greatness was:
1. Ability
to spurn power.
2. Beyond
the trappings of wealth, family and woman; the so called trappings of Maya.
And since then India just lost
brilliant leaders, rulers and men of exceptional capability who could have
changed the course of history.
Imagine Ganga Putra as the
King of India. Such a powerful man who would have united India and beyond, laid
foundation of development and cultural growth. Beyond speculation India would
have avoided such an expensive and huge war called Maha Bharat.
Lets come to now modern India.
Gandhi Ji suffered from same syndrome. I propose that he was a man who had
complete moral authority, control and position to give India a new direction.
Only thing he had to take power in his hand in terms of ruling India post
independence. But he wanted to be above this. If he had said that for five
years I would be prime minister (a la Mandela, although in hindsight) he would
have kept India so united. Jinnah would have been made the president of India.
A man driven by ego would have listened to Gandhi and would have felt proud to
be first citizen of India. Symbolically a community, so alienated today, would
have felt proud. Nehru would have been in his elements as brilliant foreign
minister.
The economic thought of Gandhi
focusing on grass roots and making populace self sufficient would have put a
foundation which would have eased into industrialization. Gandhi Ji just had to
make sure that the country was one. And with his moral authority and leaders
like Maulana Azad, Semmant Gandhi it would if not a cake walk, but an easy
task. Imagine the possibilities it would have ushered today. A country so vast.
Resources at its disposal. Today the world would have been talking about India
and not China. Most of political troubles we are saddled with today (From
Kashmir, to Fundamentalism, to border issues) would not have been there. Religion
was sorted. Only thing to tackle would have been un-equality of caste and economy.
We would have easily done away with that as the real issues would have been those
two and not so many fissures we have. Sangh would never had taken off and
neither would have other fundamental parties.
Also imagine the cricket team
India would have had. J
And this syndrome was repeated
again. JP.
I wish this syndrome was not
the cornerstone of our cultural psyche.
