Overview: -
"If my faith burns bright as I hope it will even if I stand alone, I shall be alive in the grave and what more speaking from it."
The Father of Our Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, amiably known as Mahatma Gandhi; lives on in his indispensable values and invaluable teachings even after almost 75 years of his deplorable death.
Gandhiji led a life based on certain morals and principles which have inspired millions of people across the globe to imbibe them in their lives. Gandhiji himself was averse to the notion of his ideas being called 'Gandhism'. He argued that he was not someone who wants a school of thought behind him for he believed that the ideas that he adhered to were infact not his own, but were the outcome of various influences and experiences that he had had throughout his life. His thoughts are an active amalgamation of the ideas from the Western World that he was exposed to during his time in London and the deeply rooted values in ancient religions of India that successfully managed to create an impact within his mind and soul. His ideas were influenced by people like Henry Stephens Salt, Leo Tolstoy, as well as Raychandbhai Mehta and Swaminarayan Sahajanand. Gandhiji belonged to a Vaishnava family. The founder of the aforementioned sect, Vallabhacharya, left a lasting impact on Gandhiji's conscience, as well. Later in his life, he went on to quite a few countries and the lived experiences helped him further develop his perspective regarding things and get a clarity on his thoughts. His ideas were ever evolving as he kept on embracing different aspects of life and society on multiple fronts, including social, political and spiritual levels.
He acclaimed that his ideas were his 'experiments with truth' and how he tried to apply the eternal truths in day-to-day life. He did not want to leave a sect behind him. Despite this, one cannot deny that his thoughts and doctrines inspired a fair chunk of population and continues to remain relevant even after seven decades of his unfortunate death. Those ideas are referred to as 'Gandhism', which is not an organised school of thought, but is based largely on what Gandhiji believed, said and did. One derives the meaning of Gandhism from the life and works of Gandhiji. There are some basic principles that Gandhiji prescribed and lived his life abiding by those morals. They include Satya, Ahimsa, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha, Sharirshrama, Asteya, Sarva Dharma Samantva, Aswada, Sarvatra Bhayavarjana, Swadeshi and Sparshbhavana.
The film I'll be referring to is based on some of the many ideas of Gandhiji. The 2010 film, 'Road to Sangam' effectively depicts how Gandhian principles have influenced a Muslim mechanic. Hashmatullah is torn between following a decree issued by his community and completing a task that the government has entrusted him with. The film deals with how he struggles to stand his ground and complete the promise he made whilst upholding his beliefs and morals that he draws from the Gandhian ideology. Following is an analysis of the critical issues the film deals with and how it reinstates the Gandhian principles in the minds of the audience.
Analysis of the issues depicted in the film: -
The film opens with the sound of 3 dreadful gunshots that shook the nation on 30th January 1948. Gandhiji's assassination stirred up the emotions of the entire country. He wanted his ashes to be taken to different rivers in the country. 22 urns of ashes were taken across the country and finally were immersed in the holy confluence of the three pious rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in Allahabad. However, for some reason, the urn that was sent to Orissa’s then capital Cuttack, stayed locked up in the State Bank of India's locker room up until the time Gandhiji's descendant, demanded it back. Tushar Gandhi (only in the film, in reality, the last urn of ashes was taken to Mumbai and immersed in the sea) wanted to take the urn to Allahabad and immerse the ashes in the Triveni Sangam with due respect.
The government assigned the task of repairing the old engine of Ford V8 lorry to a skilled mechanic, Hashmatullah. The purpose was unbeknownst to him, though. Hashmat, a devout and God-fearing Muslim was a reputed mechanic and was greatly admired by the people of his community. He was the General Secretary of the Muslim Committee of his area. However, the relations between him and Chairman of the committee Mr. Kasuri were somewhat strained. Hashmat never went against him. He did not hate Kasuri, instead, he believed in brotherhood and love.
A bomb blast rattled the court of Lucknow and an innocent Muslim from Allahabad was arrested on the basis of suspicion earning widespread protests and strikes from the Muslim Committee. They vowed to keep their shops closed and abstain from work as a demonstration of rebellion against the government. Kasuri's nephew was killed during the cane attack and community wanted the government and police to take up the responsibility for it. Amidst all the chaos and restlessness, Hashmat was in a dilemma when he got to know the purpose of the engine. He eventually decided to go against the decree issued by the mosque and complete the work of the engine to ensure that the lorry can restart and carry the last urn to its destination, take the urn on its Road to Sangam. Throughout the film, Hashmat's words and actions tell us about Gandhiji's principles and how he puts them into action.
Truth: Gandhiji believed that, "Truth is one, paths are many". Hashmat's own people, his community kept on telling him that he should side with them and support them in their cause. They tried to chide him away and went to the extent of isolating and outcasting him. Hashmat, however, did not flinch. He kept on saying that he is doing nothing wrong and believed that he doesn't deserve the punishment. He stood up for what he believed and truthfully acknowledged it time and again. His truth was his power and his belief was his strength. Gandhian ideology presses the inherent importance of truth, in all forms. Being true to yourself and your cause by all the means; words, thoughts and actions is depicted through Hashmat and his perseverance. Non-violence: Gandhiji said that "Non violence is a weapon of the strong". Throughout his life, Gandhiji was an ardent supporter of Non violence of any kind and persuaded people to further their cause without inflicting harm upon others. He was criticized often for this but he stood his ground, so did Hashmat. When a drunk Zuber attacked and assaulted Hashmat for his decision of repairing the engine, Hashmat did not retaliate, infact he summoned the power of his soul and was able to drive away Zuber without harming him at all. When the members of the committee stopped him from opening his shop, there was a potential threat of tussle between the members and Hashmat's son Rafat. But Hashmat did not want that to happen and he asked his son to leave immediately.
Disobedience, Peaceful protests and Fasting:
Gandhiji believed in the power of Ahimsa and called for Civil Disobedience movements many a times. He believed that protesting without inflicting violence of any sort was an able means to make ourselves heard. He obviously thought that violence was not an answer to the questions and thus used measures like these to demonstrate the disappointment and protest. One of the measures that he used was sitting on fast. Gandhiji used the method of fast unto death and had been successful quite a few times.
Hashmat disobeyed the decree and decided to work. He went to open his shop but the members of the committee tried to convince him to follow the decree, they even confiscated the keys of his shop to stop him from continuing the repair. Hashmat voiced his disagreement and sat outside his shop waiting for Inayat Ali to return his keys for two days without eating. He was on the fast and registered his protest by remaining still on his ground and in his position outside the shop until Inayat was eventually moved by Hashmat's obstination. He obliged and returned the keys.
Fearlessness:
Gandhiji quoted that "the enemy is fear. We think it is hate but it is fear." Gandhiji thought that fear was the root cause of hate. He even said that the hatred stems from fear of others' ideals and that one should confront their fears.
Hashmat was very fearful of the Chairman initially, due to the history and the relations. He was a simple man who wanted to avoid conflicts with his 'own' people. However, when he realised that his one decision has made him a traitor in the eyes of those very own people, he went beyond his fears. Maulvi tried to instil God's fear amongst the followers time and again through the addresses that he made to the community. Everyone followed the decree, the Maulvi and Mr. Kasuri more out of fear rather than devotion. Hashmat confronted Maulvi and claimed that he did not need anyone else between him and his God and that he is not scared of them. Others however could not get out of their fears easily and until the end urged Hashmat to keep their association with him a secret from the leaders of the Committee. The Voice Within and The Strength of Will:
Gandhiji placed a lot of his faith in the power of one's mind and soul. He trusted the unity and integrity of one's body and soul and the power that can be wielded from that source. He was of the opinion that "Everyone who wants to, can hear their inner voice. It is inside all of us." During his confrontation with Zuber, Hashmat did not flinch or attack, he just stood there with the power that he had within himself. "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." An old and frail Hashmat stood up against a young and strong Zuber with the power of his will. Later on, he even admitted in front of Dr. Banerjee that he felt an unusual power, a strength within him that made him so courageous.
Gandhiji believed in the righteousness of the means to attain a cause. Hashmat trusted his righteousness and even admitted that 'andar se ek aawaz aayi hai' when he was being questioned upon his decision. He was hell bent on listening to the voice that urged him to carry on with the work that he was supposed to complete.
Standing up, even if there is no support:
"It's easy to stand in the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone", said Gandhiji. He put forth his idea that in the path of righteousness, support would be less, but even then, one needs to stand up for themselves, their values, thoughts, ideas, beliefs and morals. Being with people and standing up alone are two completely different things and Hashmat felt that. His friends revered him and were always there for him but when he went against the committee, they did not even call him once to check on him. He was left all alone to fight this mighty battle of morals and duties. He cried at the thought when his wife asked him about it. Being alone in a crowd and still owning up to his belief was difficult but Hashmat presented his thoughts to the committee and made his way out of the angry crowd, all alone. He tried to get support of his friends, who were fearful as discussed and thus helped him only secretly.
Love:
"What barrier is there that love cannot break?" asked Gandhiji, and Hashmat replied, "Pyaar se sab kuch mumkin hain." Hashmat repeated this on multiple instances. He was faithful in power of love and knew that love can move mountains. When Dr. Banerjee expressed his concerns over the proposal of letting the procession to confluence pass from the Muslim Street, Hashmat confidently said that everything is possible with love.
Gandhiji believed in love and the strength that it inherently gave people. He preached love and universal brotherhood. For Gandhiji, all the people were brothers and no one was different. Everyone was entitled to give and receive love. He believed that love can eliminate differences. Hashmat, thinking on similar lines, went to Mr. Kasuri's place to urge him about closing up the shops, once again, but this time for the love of the man who got us freedom, to shower his last journey with respect and let him go peacefully this time (Hashmat had felt that Gandhiji had not died peacefully when he actually died because his pictures made Hashmat feel that he had a certain restlessness even after death).
These were only a few examples of how the film reflected upon Gandhian thoughts and principles. There were certain other instances as well which covered Gandhiji's beliefs. The introduction of Hashmat's neighbourhood involved a scene where the camera panned on a poster put up for Diwali and then straightaway took the audience into the hustle bustle of the busy Muslim Street. This indicates how people of India live together, despite differences.
For Gandhiji, Cleanliness was next to Godliness and every time the procession passed any street, there were scenes of the lanes being swept. The little boy who sells tea washed a spit stain with water and mopped the place after refusing to work that day showing the cleanliness aspect.
Gandhiji strongly condemned use of intoxicating substances and Dr. Banerjee instructed a patient to take medicines with water and not liquor, subconsciously highlighting the ideal. Gandhiji's Sarva Dharma Samantva and Sarva Dharma Sambhava were highlighted throughout the films on multiple occasions however the one instance that struck me was when the urn of his ashes was kept for public homage, people from different backgrounds came to offer their respects and the songs that were played at the Circuit House affirmed the same. Beginning with 'Raghupati Raghav...' they showed scenes of 'Labb pe aati hai tamanna...' and 'Qudrat ke sab Bande' being sung at intervals. Gandhiji's favourite bhajan, 'Vaishnava jan toh tene ...' was played whilst the procession was moving through the streets of Allahabad. Notably, the procession began from a Church, went in streets, to mosques, to gurudwaras and to temples, ending their journey at the Sangam, symbolising Unity in Diversity.
There were plenty of symbols when Mr. Kasuri and other members joined the procession supporting Hashmat finally. Shops were closed, passage was cleaned, homage was paid and the flags that are often hung in Muslim streets were moved adequately to let the lorry pass properly. Hashmatullah and Mr. Kasuri pushed the lorry together.
The end credits roll and a reporter is seen questioning us regarding the relevance and the actuality of Gandhian principles in today's times and leaves us with burning questions regarding how we have conveniently drifted apart from the ideas that the so-called Father of Our Nation believed in, how we are disrespectful towards the man and his doctrines when we spew hatred against one another and violate the very ideas of the man who was so pivotal in the history of our nation.
One of the most striking part of the film, for me, was the fact that it opens and closes with the same quote. When second time the quote flashes on screen, since we've seen the film, we realise the message behind the quote and how Mahatma's thoughts, beliefs, values, morals and principles live beyond his death.
"If my faith burns bright as I hope it will even if I stand alone, I shall be alive in the grave and what more speaking from it."
References: -
• Basic Principles Of Gandhism | Gandhi - His Relevance For Our Times. (n.d.). Basic Principles of Gandhism. Gandhi - His Relevance for Our Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.mkgandhi.org/g_relevance/chap26.htm
• TOI, T. (2016, October 2). Remembering Gandhi: Top 10 quotes by the Mahatma. Times of India Blog. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/the-photo-blog/remembering-gandhi-top-10-quotes-by-the-mahatma/
• The Mahatma’s Road To Sangam. (2009, August 11). Hindustan Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/the-mahatma-s-road-to-sangam/story-krw7JqXDnQZqdbLn8vk7gJ.html
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