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| Montblanc's $25,000 Gandhi Pens |
Sujatha Vijayaraghavan
10/15/2009
Is it irony or an insult to commemorate one who chose to live like the poorest of the poor, by issuing a gold pen at the cost of Rs14 lakhs, to be picked up as a bauble by the richest among the rich?
The sales pitch of the pen company Mont Blanc “ boasting†of its Limited Edition Gandhi Pens ranging from Rs1.5 lakhs to Rs14 lakhs each, should be viewed in the context of Verse 8 of Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita , which defines the yogi as one to whom a clod, a stone and a piece of gold are the same. Gandhiji revered the Gita, wrote a commentary on it and referred to it for guidance on a day to day basis.
Those who have traded and continue to trade in the name of Gandhi are legion. It is time that we proclaim “Thou shall not take the name of Gandhi in vain.â€
If Mont Blanc intends to pay homage to a great soul, it would do well to contribute the sale proceeds of these vanity items, towards providing roads, drinking water, electricity, sanitation and schools to 241 villages in India. And if the company wants to spread the message of Gandhiji, it might consider bringing out an inexpensive, unlimited edition of pens with his face and message and offer it free to every child all the world over.
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