For the past 35 - 40 years, except in schools, text books & government offices, MKG; Gandhiji; Bapu; Father of the nation either remained in textbooks, songs, walls & part time teachings.

In the school, text book had chapters devoted to history of independence, teachings of bapu, values, which neither the teachers acknowledged nor students remembered after the bell signaling the period was over.

The songs were practiced & sung during the assembly, a week before republic day; independence day or 2nd October & then forgotten.

The book sellers made merry every year.

The portraits hung on every wall of the government offices made many a painter, photographer, frame maker wealthy. A lot of good, bad & evil was conducted beneath his eyes, which accepted everything, just as it probably did when alive.

Whatever the reasons, government, relatives, friends, foes, well wishers fought over his meager possessions, not giving a damn whether he would have approved of it or not.

Then OTIS struck…….All of a sudden, everyone who had forgotten him, relegated him to the background for 350 days in a year started acknowledging him, his worth, claiming that they were following his principles, values ready to bring back his possessions back to India!!!

In the heat of the moment, money was pledged, collected, social activism armchair, online, offline gathered momentum (hey, I was also a part of it, but for no other reason than a friend Tushar’s passion).

Some people raised questions, relevant, irrelevant…..

Why did we not plan?
Why does the government not intervene?
What purpose would it serve?

so on & on……..

But watching from the sidelines, Bapu was laughing at all these hypocrites……because he never believed in keeping his possessions close to his chest, remember he gave all of it away.

Unfortunately, nobody asked him but he would have said ” Vijay, save your money - either do good with it or keep enjoying life, but do not waste it on my possessions”