Editor's Note

War and Peace

Mahatama Gandhi's name has become synonymous with peace and nonviolence. Our cover story looks at a devotee of Gandhi- Jharna Dhara Chowdhury who has made her life a quest towards attaining Gandhi's ideals. At its core, the Mahatma's philosophical orientation was about selflessness, putting oneself last, sacrificing oneself to others and things that matter more, reducing oneself to zero. Getting rid of the ego to achieve a greater sort of good. And yet, Gandhi was nothing if not confrontational. He was a tough politician who knew how to achieve his goals. Ultimately that's why he is talked about with as much admiration that he is.

No matter what our philosophies or ideals are, we all have to deal with the reality we find ourselves in, on a day by day basis. We can stay cool and keep our head above the water, or we can continually have our efforts thwarted, get frustrated and wallow in hate or resentment. Gandhi's genius lay in looking like an idealist while really being a realist. He kept his head above the water, and won the biggest victory one could ask for. The story that follows is an homage to the Gandhi who wanted peace, to stop the violence, which he did. But behind his victory, lay the sharpest of instincts for battle.

Abak Hussain
From the Insight Desk

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