THE KING IS NAKED
to say loudly that the king is naked one needs courage and character. when mahatma gandhi, the father of the nation boldly asked the british to quit india, he knew he was challenging a goliath head on. non violence was his weapon. so strong was his conviction that india belonged to indians that he did not budge an inch even at the risk of severe punishment from the british masters. he fought and won india freedom is history.
nelson mandela was not that very lucky. he hated the white ruling south africa. native africans were slaves, literally.and they were treated like wild animals. but unlike gandhiji who spent only a few years in jail during the freedom stuggle, mandela spent close to three decades in isolated confinement. but he did not give up till the mantle of power was handed over to his people. sheer courage and character almost impossible to emulate.
martin luther king fought for the rights of blacks in america. he was a political activist and champion of civil rights movement.he won for the blacks right to vote;desegregation was made a law and labour rights for the blacks came into effect. non violent resistence, martin luther king knew was the most potent weapon available to the oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity. mahatma gandhi, he said , embodied in his life certain universal principles that are inherent in the moral structure of the universe and these principles are as inescapable as the laws of gravitation.
mind you, these great men were fighting against the establishment . there are many wanting to fight for justice and human dignity. and want to serve the humanity. but most people back out when they have to face the rigours and cruelty of the establishment. physical and mental tortures of the most inhuman nature are to be encountered. only men of high integrity, honesty and rock solid determination can face such situations. no wonder you donot see men like mahatma gandhi, mandela and martin luther king in everyday life. these people knew for sure that they could be crippled both physically and mentally. the establishment, they knew, would try every trick to destabilse the mass movement. money and power of sorts would be offered, they knew, to calm down their quest for rights of people. the estblishment feared their popularity and power of command. they also knew that it was a losing battle fighting the great many oppressed and hapless multitude under the able leadership of such unassailable personalities.
i come to crux point. to say the king is naked , you have to have guts and conviction. the art of saying "NO" , to me is the same as saying the king is naked. both expressions bring out the man/woman in you.we cannot become a mahatma gandhi or a mandela. but we too must establish ourselves as a force to reckon with. we should not be just faces in the crowd.
in everyday life we come across situations where we can either give up easily to make some people happy. but in doing so you make yourself unhappy. is this situation worth the bother? i do not think so. you must be of service to people around you. you must be interested in their welfare. but that should not be taken as your weakness and you should not be taken for granted. if that happens you are looked upon as a spineless thing; not a man of character. you are there, then, for people to play with. dont become a laughing stock. be polite, but be firm. dont let people around you take the carrot and you settle for the stick. DO NOT,EVEN FOR A SECOND, THINK THAT YOU IMPROVE YOUR IMAGE BY OBLIGING TO PEOPLE FOR EACH AND EVERY THING.
when you think something is wrong call your shots and say an EMPHATIC NO. say the KING IS NAKED. and call a SPADE A SPADE.
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