Bapu, behn & the Gandhians

Man of the 20th Century is the title of a new unreleased photo biography of Mahatma Gandhi The book was to be released in October 2019 as mentioned in the printerrsquos creditline However around 500 hotoffthepress copies of the hardbound tome lie in the office of the Gandhi Films Foundation GFF which is situated in the famed Mani Bhavan precinct in MumbaiMani Bhavan the Gandhi memorial museum attracts hundreds of Gandhi admirersvisitors every day The GFF is a known trust preserving films and allied material that captures the Gandhi legacy Despite the backing of two formidable wellcredentialed bodies representing Gandhian thought why should the Man of the 20th Century have suffered such a fateOn the night of January 12 1924 state prisoner Gandhi was operated upon in the Sassoon Hospital PuneOne wonders if there is a dearth of Gandhi admirers in Mumbaimdasha city which formed the nucleus of Bapursquos freedom strugglemdashwho cannot spare less than R5 lakh to cover the initial cost of production and set the book sale in motion The 200page book containing 205 photosmdash50 of which are truly raremdashis reasonably priced at R800 and can be a great addition to the literature of Gandhian studiesThe making of the book has an interesting back story as told to this columnist by the bookrsquos editor Subhash Jaykar He travels back to 1969 when he working for the Films Division was put on deputation duty to assist Vithalbhai Jhaveri photographeractivistMahatma Gandhi aide who documented the Dandi March and who had salvaged a huge body of celluloid and photographic content on Gandhiji Jaykar started by assisting in the making of the documentary titled Mahatma which marked Bapursquos 100th birth centenary year The docu was screened in parts at cinema halls preceding the main feature films in those times It was much appreciated and till date remains a watershed moment in historic documentation However the archival material collected for Mahatma and in general needed protection due to which Jaykar was permanently relocated from the Films Division to the GFF as a Film OfficerLying with a mudpoultice on his abdomen was part of Gandhirsquos permanent treatment for blood pressure prescribed by himselfJaykar was 38 when he decided to come to Mani Bhavan every day for the upkeep and management of precious photosfilms of an iconic Indian leader Today at 85 he continues the daily commute from his Vasai home to Mani Bhavan As the founder member and secretary of GFF he has written the preface to Man of the 20th Century ldquoI am not a trained archivist nor have I received any formal training in film editing It was just my good fortune to get a sense of purpose in showcasing and curating Gandhijirsquos photos for the upcoming generationsrdquoJaykar is assisted by a twomember teammdashBhagwan Loke and Rashmi Janglemdashwho double up as film editors archivists office helps and tea makers He has provided the contextual commentary at the beginning of 11 chapters and text for the iconic Gandhi frames in the book While the historical value of the book is undisputed it could have fared better with tighter editing and proofreading Hopefully the second editionmdashafter the first is releasedmdashwill get the support of copy editors who share Jaykarrsquos dedication but also excel in presentationDr Supriya PathakAnother almostready Gandhi Jayanti book emerges from Wardha While 15odd writers contributed their essays to the Hindi anthology around two years ago the COVID19 lockdown protocol could not allow timely publication The book Sahitya Sanskriti Aivam Darshan Mein Gandhi Ki Upasthiti is expected any time at this point it promises a deepdive analysis of the reflection of Gandhirsquos personality and ideology in the arts popular culture and philosophy For instance there are distinct chapters on American journalist Louis Fischerrsquos writings on the Mahatma as well as Gandhian impact on celebrated Hindi novelist Premchand ldquoThe mapping of all works of arts and their impact on the popular mind adds weight to the anthology It is a readyreckoner for any one studying Gandhi or even the casual reader who is merely fascinated by individual worksrdquo says Dr Satish Pawade 59 one of the contributors and also a professor of theatre arts in the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya WardhaDr Satish Pawade at Gandhirsquos Sevagram Ashram in WardhaDr Pawade says he is lucky to be living in Wardha the city chosen by Gandhiji as residence In fact his university is situated on the Gandhi Hills in Pipri a few minutes away from the Mahatmarsquos iconic Sevagram Ashram Dr Pawade has written extensivelyresearched academic papers on popular plays Gandhi Viruddha Gandhi films and series delineating Gandhiji His paper on the Lage Raho Munnabhai Gandhi mystic was muchappreciated He has referenced all works of art as late as the 2018 Asghar Wajahatrsquos play GodseGandhicom in the upcoming anthologyThe third Gandhi book awaiting publication is written through a feminist lens by another Wardhabased academic and head of the womenrsquos studies department in the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya Dr Supriya Pathakrsquos book focuses on Mirabehnrsquos transformative life journey as a British followersupporter of Mahatma Gandhi Dr Pathak 41 delves into the mind and heart of Mirabehn formerly Madeleine Slade who embraced the hardships of ashram life because of her undying steadfast belief in Gandhijirsquos leadershipThe author giving due credit to the Mahatma who attracted men and women across the globe throws light on the ldquoforever subservient supportiverdquo role played by Mirabehn in the shadow of the towering MahatmaPiecing together available content on Mirabehn Bapursquos Letters To Mira The Spiritrsquos Pilgrimage Dr Pathak invites the reader to imagine a British woman having lived in London and Paris who had a brain of her own but who was denied by herself and others the power of assertion If she had the time and opportunities she could have possibly done much more in the field of environment Even politically speaking Mirabehn could have contributed from the frontline However she was reduced to the whiteskinned British female presence especially on the Mahatmarsquos key foreign visits For instance she was projected as a mere assistant in the Round Table Conference suggests Dr Pathak Also the author points at the unfair way in which Mirabehn was not allowed to join the Dandi March ldquoI feel her inner psychological makeup her tensions her struggle hasnrsquot been documented by academicsrdquoFresh light on Mirabehn and in turn on a magnetic world leader is welcomemdashof course sooner than laterSumedha RaikarMhatre is a culture columnist in search of the subtext You can reach her at sumedharaikarmiddaycom