Gandhigiri

Hope most of you got a chance to watch Lage Raho Munnabhai. I thouroughly enjoyed watching the movie. This movie was about something that I always believed in for the past 3-4 years. The movie is about Gandhism or so called Gandhigiri, following the long forgotten principles of Mahatma Gandhi.
Well I don't specifically try to follow Gandhi's principles, but I follow my heart. I do things what I feel is right and true. My heart surely knows when I am not true and when I am true. So I guess Gandhigiri is an extension of that. I always wonder why is it so difficult to be truthful. Indians try to be as truthful as possible when they are in other countries, but when they are in our country then all the truthfulness vanishes. Is it so difficult to be truthful?
In U.S I have come across lots of Indians who try to cheat for small things just because the system trusts them. Again those things are not only by Indians but to me it hurts to see Indians cheating. Some of the examples are as follows:
1. In cinema theatres in U.S, we will be checked for the ticket at the entrance itself. Once you cross this section, you can actually get into any theatre hall and watch any movie. The system trusts you to go to the movie which ever you bought the ticket for. I have seen a lot of Indians watch multiple movies using a single ticket just because it is technically possible. Once I had an argument with a person on this, their argument is when the system allows, why not do it? Its a flaw in the system and we are using it. My argument was when the system is trusting us why not be truthful to it.
2. Again in U.S, you have the facility of buying stuff from a store and return it if you dont like the performance of the thing that you bought. I have seen and heard a lot if incidents where Indians buy stuffs which ever they have a one time necessity and return the product after using it saying they are not satisfied. The customers are given this facility to buy a product and have maximum satisfaction. But we are mis-using it. Now due to this, many stores are rethinking this policy.

3. Music, movie and sofware piracy, most of us do this. I too used to do it. But I have realised its wrong. Its equivalent to stealing someones property. If your in software field, imagine if someone in your team tries to portray whatever you did as if he/she did, to your manager. Won't you feel hurt and angry? Trust me, it does, I have been through a situation where a team mate of mine was trying to steal my work by telling the manager that she did it. I am sure its pretty common in all offices and all fields too. When we do piracy or encourage piracy that's exactly how the owner of that music, movie of software feels. Only way to deal piracy is by, each one of us becoming against piracy.
I would like to discuss about another aspect of Gandhigiri. Fight for the truth using non-violence. I am not a vivid follower of the sport, squash, but my blogger friend Karthik is. Through his blog and Niveditha's blog I understand that the Dipika Pallikal is a budding sportswoman for India and is ranked first in the under 15 asian category in squash. Inspite of her scintillating performances in many tournaments, she has been denied a place in the Asian games squad to Doha this year due to some politics in the selection. I feel we can use the powerful medium of blog to protest against this and bring it to notice to the concern officers. Thus atleast in future Dipika and other sportsperson will not be hampered by politics such as this.
To conclude I would say Lage raho munnabhai was a very thought provoking movie interwoven with fun. I just hope people dont leave the message at the movie hall and just take the fun with them when they leave.

Varta...