Mr. NATARAJAN’S GANDHI

 Yet another Gandhi Jayanti is here. Like every year, this year too, VVIPs will be flocking Rajghat, the final resting place of the Mahatma, and paying their mandatory floral tributes. But no one remembers the scores of men and women who worked along with Gandhi, during the freedom struggle.

Meeting with Mr.Natarajan: 

Many years ago,sometime in the late 90’s, we used to live in Central Delhi.Apparently, no one seemed to occupy the apartment opposite ours; it wasalways found locked.But then one evening, when I reached home after the day’s work, to my surprise, I found the doors of the opposite apartment wide open. Out of curiosity I peeped in and found an old gentleman bending over and arranging something. He suddenly looked up, and then smiled at me. After exchanging a few pleasantries, I invited him to our home for a cup of tea.

The neighbor introduced himself as Natarajan. He said that the accommodation was allotted to his son, a doctor by profession. His son preferred to live near the hospital, but retained the quarters to store some of his belongings.

I learned that Mr. Natarajan was a professional photographer, and was associated with our freedom struggle. He took photographs of important events that were promptly published by the national and international media, at that time. He proudly stated that one of his photos of Gandhi adorned the walls of the Indian parliament.

In the Shadow of the Mahatma:

Mr. Natarajan also told me that he used to follow Gandhi wherever he went, like a shadow. The most memorable was accompanying Gandhi while he was touring the district of Noakhali in the Chittagong Division of Bengal (now in Bangladesh) in October–November 1946, a year before India's independence. When Gandhi was informed about the massacre of Hindus by Muslims and the counter attacks by Hindus, he camped in Noakhali for four months and toured the district, in a mission to restore peace and communal harmony.

According to Mr. Natarajan, Gandhi used to walk briskly through the lanes and by-lanes of Noakhali, meeting people of both communities and appealing for peace, disregarding his own personal safety. He tirelessly campaigned throughout the day. Mr Natarajan was looking for a moment when he would sit still, for taking a photograph of Gandhi. To his relief, Gandhi finally sat under a tree and closed his eyes. That was the moment which was immortalized by Mr. Natarajan by his famous photograph, which was widely published in the media.

It was not possible for Mr. Natarajan to judge what kind of thoughts were fleeting through the mind of Gandhi at that precise moment- an extreme sadness at the turn of events or the despair in controlling the riotous mobs, or else, the premonition of his own end coming.

Mr. Natarajan’s description of the Mahatma in Noakhali, unafraid of the violence around him, consoling, admonishing, commanding and pleading with the mobs touched a chord in my heart. Gandhi became Mahatma on account of his saintly power over people.

 

Mr Natarajan soon came out of his memories and bid me good-bye. However, before leaving he presented me with a black and white photo of Gandhi reposing under a tree in Noakhali, mounted on a plastic frame. That was the last time I saw Mr. Natarajan.

Gandhi’s Photo:

Mr. Natarajan’s photo of Gandhi occupied the pride of place in by office chamber, and admired by all visitors (as a poet put it “whoever had eyes would stare at thee”). But to me, however, the photo without a quote from the Mahatma appeared incomplete. After spending some time on it, I came across the “Seven Blunders” listed by Gandhi. I promptly got them mounted on a good frame and hung it below the photo. They both still remain with me in my office at home. But for Mr. Natarajan’s photo of Gandhi, I would not have searched for that Gandhi quote.

The Seven Blunders according to Gandhi

• Wealth without Work
• Pleasure without Conscience
• Knowledge without Character
• Commerce without Morality
• Science without Humanity
• Worship without Sacrifice
• Politics without Principles

Don’t you think today they appear relevant and contemporary? Strangely, many now think that the one who penned them is obsolete and is no longer relevant!

A Tribute

A simple photograph of Gandhi by Mr. Natarajan had captured the mind and the spirit of the Mahatma, and it continues to inspire people like me, whonever met him. Mr. Natarajan was a simple and unassuming person who was deeply involved in the nation’s freedom struggle, in his own way, not concerned about acquiring wealth, power or personal glory. There were thousands of others like him.

 On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti our tributes are not only for the Mahatma, but also for those like Mr. Natarajan, who at considerable personal risk, portrayed leaders like Gandhi with care and sensitivity, and, truthfully documented many important events of those trying times, for us.

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