The Second Crucifixion - Essay

 

The Second Crucifixion

-         Larry Collins

       The essay “The second crucifixion” is written by Larry Collins. It deals with the death of Mahatma Gandhi. This essay compares the death of  Mahat Gandi to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Gandhiji was assassinated on 30^th January 1948 on his arrival to Birla Bhawan. Lord Mountbatten, the first Governor General of India, reached the spot on hearing the news. The official announcement of the death news was delayed to find out whether the assassin was Hindu or Moslem. If the assassin turned out to be a Moslem, India would face a most ghastly massacre. In All India Radio, it was announced that the assassin was Naturam Godse, a Hindu. Thus, the slaughter was averted.

The two great leaders Nehru and Patel were sitting overwhelmed with sorrow near by the dead body of Gandhi when Mountbatten arrived. Already Gandhiji had told Mountbatten about the disagreement between Nehru and Patel and asked him to bring them together. He informed the leaders about Gandhiji’s last wish and advised them to work together. Moved by his words the two leaders reconciled.

Mountbatten suggested that Gandhiji‘s body should be taken in a special train throughout the country, giving millions of people a chance for the last darshan of their great leader. But Gandhiji‘s secretary said that Gandhi had expressed his wish that his body would be cremated within twenty-four hours as per Hindu custom. Nehru and Patel unwillingly consented to the idea.

Mountbatten asked Nehru to address the mourning nation. In his radio address, Nehru said “The light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere”.  Further, he said “The light that illumined this country for these many years will illumine this country for many more years.”

Many world leaders sent condolence messages from England, France, South Africa, the Vatican, the US and Pakistan. People from the nearby states reached Delhi to have a last glimpse of their leader. Gandhiji‘s body was placed on the balcony of the Birla House for public view. Millions of people paid their last respect to their beloved leader.

The next day Hindustan Standard printed a single paragraph as editorial which can be considered as the best tribute to Mahatma. It read,

“Gandhiji has been killed by his own people for whose redemption he lived. This second crucifixion in the history of the world has been enacted on Friday – the same day Jesus was done to death one thousand nine hundred and fifteen years ago. Father forgive us.”

Larry Collins concludes the essay saying that Gandhiji‘s death is a great loss to the whole world. However, he will remain at the hearts of people as Mahatma forever.

 

 

 

All the World’s Is a Stage- Essay

 

All the World’s Is a Stage 

       

“All the World’s Is a Stage” is an extract from Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It. Jacques, a character in the play, compares human life to a drama. He compares this world to a stage and the human beings as just actors who come and go. He divides the human life into seven stages and attributes specific traits to each stage.

The first stage is that of an infant, crying and puking in the nurse’s arms. In the second stage, the school boy unwillingly goes to school. He looks bright in the morning. With his satchel, he creeps like a snail. In the third stage, the school boy grows into a young lover, who sighs like a furnace. He writes poems to his mistress, expressing his love:

                       “      . . . And then the lover,                                                                                                                                                Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad                                                                                     Made to his mistress’ eyebrow.”

         In the fourth stage, the young man is a courageous soldier. He is quick in quarrel and seeks temporary fame in the battlefield. He does not realize that human life is transitory in nature. Reputation is like a bubble which disappears quickly.

        The fifth stage is that of a person who wants all the rules to be followed strictly. He is a learned man and his judgements are full of wise sayings and modern examples.

         In the sixth stage, the old man looks like a pantaloon. He is very lean and week. He wears spectacles on his nose, with pouch on his side. His leg shrinks and so the dress becomes too large for him now. His manly voice becomes a childish treble.

           In the last stage, man experiences his second childhood. He loses his teeth, vision, taste, and also his memory. He is like a baby who is always under the care of a nurse. He is in a state of total oblivion without the ability to know what is happening around him.

          Thus, Shakespeare divides human life into seven ages. Birth is the entrance and death the exit.