A Pinch of Salt

by N. S. Murty



I was watching 'Gandhi' Of Sir Richard Attenborough on TV. That was Dandi march. I wondered at the command Gandhi got over his fellow citizens In directing all their attention To make a pinch of salt on the sea shore. For once it seemed to me, a trivial gimmick And I thought he was fighting His war with nine-pins. The other day I was traveling From Raipur to Nagpur by a deluxe night express. Sitting by the window, beside me, was A Youngman in full bloom of his youth. Rather casually I asked him: What are you? In came the reply like a bolt: 'I am the Regional Manager of an MNC Which produces medicines for heart troubles.' There was a touch of arrogance As he spelt out the name of the MNC. I enquired him what their prime product was. He went into a lecture of sorts Telling me, in essence, that they had many. He was euphoric about their efficacy, The network of his organization, and its net worth In billions of dollars, The companies they had acquired in India, And the green revolution brought about By them in the villages they adopted. He conveyed in unequivocal terms That he was not he And inviting MNCs into all spheres Is the panacea for all evils that plague this country. As night progressed, he expanded in his seat And true to the spirit of his company, Started slowly encroaching upon mine Leaning heavily and disturbing my sleep. My civilized waking-him-ups Met with 'sorry's first, Irritation next, And nonchalance ultimately. Less than halving myself in my seat And waking up through the night I brooded over What might be going on In that youth's mind. Fatly paid, no doubt, He had his loyalties bought by his company And slowly it became clear Why salt has become synonymous with loyalty. Now I understood What Gandhi tried at Dandi Was only to break this bond--- By producing a pinch of salt on the beach. Mr. Gandhi! I am sorry. You had won the battle but lost the war. Decades after your Dandi There are more loyalists than ever Who prostrate before anything that smacks foreign.

17-Apr-2005

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Comments on this Poem

Good poem with subtle ,yet timely message.regards.

T.S.Chandra Mouli
27-Mar-2014 22:07 PM

Great piece in deed. The ideals for which Gandhi fought all his life lay in tatters. Even our drinking water, not only the salt, has been encroached upon by the MNCs!!

karimulla ghantasala
01-Oct-2012 23:58 PM