Following is a report on a play published in the Surrey Leader
(www.surreyleader.com and click to the "community" link) on May 14.


Caste aside


Writer Ajmer Rode's new play Rebirth of Gandhi will come to the Surrey Arts
Centre on May 23 as part of Asian Heritage Month celebrations.

By Sheila Reynolds
Staff Reporter

New life is being breathed into the saying 'be careful what you wish for' in
an upcoming original play entitled the Rebirth of Gandhi heading to the
Surrey stage for its premiere next week.
Written and directed by Burnaby-based author Ajmer Rode, the satirical drama
shows Mahatma Gandhi's next life, when the gods grant him his desire to be
reborn into the lowest social class in Indian society so that he may feel
their pain.
While he attempts to convince those in his new life he is indeed Gandhi and
knows all about the peaceful political leader, nobody wants anything to do
with him because he's a dalit (the contemporary, politically correct term
for untouchable).
"The tension in the play is that he says that he's Gandhi and tries to
convince people who he is so he can reform and do things he couldn't do in
his previous life," explains Rode. "People just think he's crazy ... and he
realizes it's no joke. Who would want to follow a dalit?"
There are four levels in the Hindu caste system: Brahmin, Kshatriya,
Vaishya, and Shurdra. However, there is also a fifth, lower level, called
Atishudra - otherwise known as untouchable.
While Gandhi, who was murdered in 1948, believed in the caste system, he was
dedicated to eradicating its unjust social and economic aspects. In the
play, the new Gandhi - after experiencing life in the lowest echelons of
society first-hand - wants to eliminate the caste system altogether.
Although the play doesn't vilify Gandhi, the director knows his portrayal
might miff some people.
"There'll be people who are Gandhi devotees and they're not going to like
all the parts. Some of them may be offended ... and that's alright," Rode
says.
Rode chose Gandhi's statement about being reborn (in italics, above) to
illustrate that only an oppressed person can genuinely understand what it's
like to be born into such a position.
In his new life, the play's Gandhi character is forced to face experiences
even worse than he had imagined. He relates, for example, a memory from his
childhood when his father was told to dispose of a dead animal and had to
drag it through the village. For payment, he was offered the animal's skin.
"The caste system is the worst form of racism," says Rode, who's penned
eight books of non-fiction and poetry in Punjabi and English, and won
numerous awards.
"In the eyes of the law, they (the untouchable) are equal. But socially,
they're at the bottom."
The play, which takes place May 23, 7 p.m. at the Surrey Arts Centre (13750
88 Ave.) coincides with the Asian Heritage Month Festival, an event
celebrated across Canada annually. Presented by the Chetna (Creating Healthy
Environments Through Networks and Associations) Association of Canada and
the Asian Heritage Month Society, it's hoped the Rebirth of Gandhi will
stimulate discussion about the caste system, which still has a strong hold
in Indian culture.
"If you want to counter something, you have to totally understand what it
is," said Jai Birdi, a Surrey resident and Chetna president. "It (the play)
will force people to face it."
"Half of the Lower Mainland is Asian, and I think it's important to share
our experiences," added Imtiaz Popat, artistic program coordinator the Asian
Heritage Month Festival.
Other events taking place locally to celebrate Asian heritage month include:
n Trading Words - Several Asian authors will gather at Guildford Library,
15105 105 Ave., on May 15, 1 p.m.
n Kankana Banerjee Indian Classical and Vocal Concert - Indian singer comes
to the Surrey Arts Centre, 13750 88 Ave., on May 28, 7 p.m., accompanied by
Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla.
n Tickets for Rebirth of Gandhi are $10, available by calling 604-501-5566.

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Orginally posted by Ottawa_Nerd

AS for the charge ... well dont you see an eerie similarity between what Jackson said in the interview and what Gandhi actually did quite some time ago ? If you want to analyze a person then you should analyze him completely and not selectively.. But again thats a matter of perception

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Thank you all for your comments. the variety of opinions on Gandhi genuinely surprised me and has provided me with an interesting cross-section of opinions to understand the Gandhi phenonomen and the place he occupies in modern India. thanks again.

After going through Gandhi’s life and times a understand Sri Arabando and what he describes as the “supramental man” in his works” Life Devine

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Jai Hind .....

I guess we are trying to escape our responsibilities by blaming great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi. Like every one he had his good & bad points but he stood up to his ideals like no one else has done after him. He had the courage to give away all his money unlike other leaders who have made so much money thro' unfair means that it is difficult for themselves to know how much they have.

He was a major factor in getting independence for the country & for that alone we should be grateful to him. He himself would definitely agree that he alone would not have been able to get independence for India.

So let's stop blaming Gandhiji for all ills in India & accept some responsibility ourselves. Even after coming to Canada, I have found that there is violence, corruption & so many problems in Canada too.

You can visit the website http://www.mahatma.org.in" rel="nofollow">LINK It contains lots of books about Gandhiji & his speeches, bhajans, etc.

Thanks.

Rajan.

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Let's make India a better place !

we are constantly looking for someone to admire and many indians always go for the foreign stuff. thats not good. why cant we accept that we have a home grown hero (in a way, many (misled souls) admire hitler for his leadership - which acc to me is crazy; so why not admire gandhi for his leadership at least, though the two shouldnt even be mentioned in the same sentence)

Insted of going after nelson mandelas (to take an example and not to belittle his contribution inany way coz I respect him and gandhi too) and other heros who many dont know enough details about why not recognize gandhi along with sardar patel and others who made a herioic contribution

When someone in your family does something wrong do you go and publicize it in the neighborhood to every detail. No you dont you see his behavior in a good and bad way and deal with it.

It is simplistic to say all probs are due to gandhi. that is a separate discussion.

Indians who put down their own, in parties try to act as if they know somethign the world doesnt know about gandhi so be it. But you can never get poplularity by pulling someone down and so I would say leave that kind of discussion to a political debate or a book or treatise or something like that where there is ananlysis of facts and there are people who geninely want to know.

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smile ...

--deleted-- another thread on MKG .