How do Cookies and MK Gandhi relate? Weird, Isn’t it? But these are two primary things I did during my weekend:
1. My experiments with Cookies on Vinodh
2. My experiments with Truth by MK Gandhi
Not so funny. It’s alright
Cookies, A word which brings delight to everyone. Not for me.
Gandhi, Another word which commands for respect. May be for me too..
The rainy and filthy Friday in October 2003 is still fresh in my memory. Delighted at seeing Cookies on my card, I began addressing a group of 600 plus students about Internet Cookies. On the sound of a bell, I should switch my topic to biscuits from Internet Cookies. “What can I speak about biscuits?” Before I could start, a huge sound from the male audience to push me out of the podium. Heights of Male Chauvinism. Why would they support the other 4 male competitors though they stammered at a few places?
If you read MK Gandhi’s autobiography, you would realize Male Chauvinism existed even in Kasturba Gandhi’s life. This could have been the strongest reason for not having a liking towards MK Gandhi if I had known at 15. Another scenario at school when my friend said “I hate Gandhi. He started the reservation system in schools and colleges”. My Anti Gandhi Ideas was sown without putting further thought to it. I had these ideas only for the sake of being different from everyone else.
My Anti-Gandhi Ideas took for a beating once I started reading his autobiography. A very good narration. I’m not through with his book yet. His principles about truth has inspired me. But not much impact on me about vegetarianism. I guess the transformation from an ordinary man to Mahatma should have taken its roots in South Africa. The two stories On the Way to Pretoria and More Hardships left a deep impact on me.
Talking about truth, Once I was punished in school for being truthful and another person praised for a lie. It was one of the biggest injustice done to me in my early teens. It was after reading this book, I realized Truth should always be followed by discipline and integrity. If not, the essence of truth is lost. Every chapter I read makes me do a self introspection.
Here is another introspection about my weekend experiments. Experiment 1 turned out too sweet and Experiment 2 was bitter. And I learnt more out of the bitter experiment than the sweeter one. Next time my cookies will also be bitter.
