 |
| Gandhi spinning the charkha. Sabarmati Ashram 1925 |
-Brian Mendonca
Today we remember Gandhiji and the day he was shot.
I visited Sabarmati ashram long back and still remember the vital, if poignant, energy there.
Gandhi was a simple man with lofty ideals. He achieved what he wanted through non-violence.
In his last words he committed himself to the Lord. He had done his work here on earth.
He said 'My life is my message.' (Title) He was committed to his ideals. He lived by them. He died by them. Where is that kind of conviction today?
We commemorate his birth on 2nd October and his death on 30 January, but are we moving towards a society which upholds the values he stood for? Of equality, equity, self-reliance and faith in oneself?
 |
| Gandhi walks on the beach. Bombay, 1938. |
The language factor
Gandhi (1869-1948) is apprehended mostly on the internet through writings in English and Hindi. There are several GoI sites to provide glimpses into his life. Gandhi's Hind Swaraj is also much discussed.
But what happens when it comes to Konkani?
There is very little material in Devanagri Konkani on the Mahatma. There is a Wikipedia entry in Romi Konkani though.
 |
| Gandhi cleans the toilet at Tolstoy Farm. S.Africa, 1930 |
Konkani assignment
Working on a school assignment in Devanagari Konkani on Gandhi, I first composed a few sentences in English:
Gandhiji was a simple
man. He loved the people of India. He felt sad that there were so many poor
people in India. He started wearing only dhoti and chaddar to be more like
them.
He wanted Indians to spin their own cloth. He spun khadi on his spinning wheel
(charkha). He worked for India to be free. He did not believe in violence. Gandhiji travelled to many places in India.
He talked to people and tried to understand their difficulties. He kept his
place clean. He said one should be ready to do any work – even to clean toilets.
I then reached out to Tanvi Bambolkar to help with the translation. She gladly provided it as follows. She also provided e-resources which appear after the translation.
गांधी एक सादे मनीस आसले. ते भारतीयांचेर खुप मोग करताले. भारतांत जायते गरीब
लोक आसात म्हण तांकां दुख जाताले. तांचे भशेन जावपा खातीर ते फकत धोतर आनी वालो
पांगुरताले.भरातीयांनी आपलें कापड स्वता तयार करचें अशें तांकां दिसतालें. तांच्या
चरख्याचेर ते खादी वीणताले. ते भारत स्वतंत्र जावपाक वावुरले. ते अशांतीचे
विरोधांत आसले. गांधी भारतांत कितल्याश्याच सुवातांनी भोवले. ताणी लोकांकडेन उलोवन
तांच्यो अडचणी जाणून घेतल्यो. ते आपली सुवात नितळ दवरताले. मनश्यान कसलेंय काम
करपाक तयार आसपाक जाय, शौचालय नितळ करपाच्या लेगीत अशे ते म्हण्टाले.
Dictionary: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shabdkosh.android&hl=en&gl=IN
Material that can be used in school assignments- articles, proverbs, thoughts etc. https://dhyaskonkani.com/
Playlist with videos related to high school curriculum created by Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Goa.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5yK1mHIhBNKnUbYjHWwGBKJs9lEWgrMY
-------------------------------------
Pic courtesy (top) gandhi.gov.in; (middle) AFP; (bottom) counterview.org
Romi Konkani: https://gom.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_GandhiUpdated 6 Feb 2022.
Comments