Abu Dhabi, Oct 02nd, 2009 (WAM)M As the world celebrates the Jayanthi (Birthday) of Mahatma Gandhi, the man whose weapon was peace and non violence, a local news paper shed light on a few paradoxes in the expressions of these celebrations.
Khaleej Times exposed the antithesis in one of such commercialized tributes by drawing attention to the decision by German luxury penmaker Montblanc to release a limited edition of $30,000 Gandhi pens as a homage to the man of utmost simplicity who wrote the thesis of freedom with a wooden piece. The paper wrote: 'The pen may be mightier than the sword. But the price of the pen does not make the cause more forceful. Rather, it is the content or what is written that matters. No person would endorse this view more vehemently than Mahatma Gandhi. 'When Montblanc decides to bring out a limited edition of its fabled pens in homage to the hero of Indias Independence movement and champion of non-violence, there seems to be a dichotomy of interests. 'Gandhis independence struggle celebrated utter simplicity and honesty as he urged the Indians to embrace desi or indigenous and reject bidesi or foreign to protest against the British colonial rule. He spawned a revolution by spinning his own clothes and those of others. 'And a nation followed in his footsteps banishing everything foreign and ostentatious! Besides, Gandhi led a shockingly simple life, spending most of his life in his dhoti, the humble piece of khadi or homespun cloth. This simplicity was both his virtue and USP. 'This is why its rather odd that Montblanc, the ultimate symbol of luxury and high life, should launch a pen commemorating the Mahatma, the ultimate symbol of simplicity and modesty. The pen being endorsed by the Mahatmas grandson Tushar Gandhi is priced at Rs 1.4m or $30,000. 'The pen, inspired by Gandhis legendary Dandi march in 1930 against the British salt tax, is limited series as just 241 pieces will be made available marking the 241-mile march. 'A gold wire entwined by hand around the middle of each pen, suggests the roughly wound yarn on the spindle which Gandhi spun everyday. The nib made of handcrafted rhodium plated 18-carat gold has an inscription of Gandhi holding his lathi, or the heavy stick. Ironically though, this golden tribute to the great man who lived like the poorest among the poor can be owned only by the rich few and creme de la creme. He would rather have a pen that is affordable to one and all. Free distribution would be more like it. An image of him on the nib or the cap would have meant little to the man who gave the world the weapon of non-violence. But achieving literacy and education for all would have been closer to his dream. Khaleej Times concluded its editorial with a suggestion as an exit from this irony by saying: 'Montblanc could help realise that dream by gifting the sales proceeds to such a cause'.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2009.
