Editorial TOI December 1 2012

Einstein, Yaser Arafat

& Bal Thackeray

Fame and undead

If you are famous in your life there is a good chance that

your fame will not be interred with your bones. Your fame will linger as a topic of discussion, evaluation and re-evaluation.

You will stay undead

Abraham Lincoln

Died 150 years back his life and work are under ceaseless evaluation and

interpretation

To preserve unity of the country he waged and won a war against the

southern state of US at the cost of at least 650000 lives

John wiles Booth hated Lincoln to shoot him dead

Strategist

During his life people on the hill gave him enough much discomfort but he coaxed

and cajoled a majority of them into passing a constitutional amendment to abolish

slavery from American soil.

His complex many sided personality comes out

in Steven Spielberg brilliant new film Linclon.

Face of Lincoln

What emerges is the character of greatness and warts

Crafted politician

Lincoln ensured that his goals are achieved

Like Gandhiji he knew when to wink and when to nod while defending his principle.

Revisiting dead on their real aspects

Revisionism in search of ‘true portrait’ of the dead is rampant. People want to re-examine aspects of

the real thing.

Einstein and Arafat

Albert Einstein brain has been preserved for posterity

Brain is examined by scientist for clues for genius.

Yaser Arafat has been dug up to check whether the Israelis

poisoned him.

Bal Thackeray

Economist magazine, which deals with the weighty matters of the

world every week thought so since they carried a lengthy obituary on

Bal Thackeray.

ThackerayHe was an enigma

Not a Hitler though he admired the Fuehrer

He renamed Mumbai for Authenticity

Thackeray – Fame n undead

In his Marathi – First exclusivity he had wanted to keep out in various phases, all south Indians, Musilms,

north Indian Bhaiyyas and other non Maharashrians from Bombay

Yet he fanned hatred in his life and saw himself above the law

Thank You

Courtsey:Views of Gautam Adhikari