October 2, 2015
(On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti)
'Honorific Leader', 'The Ever Eternal', 'The Man Who Brought Swaraj', 'Father of the Nation'...are all very apt titles for this article. Well, maybe the simplicity of the title reveals much about the innate quality that the world associates with the 'Mahatma'; indelible a figure in the heart of Indians. Why don't we spend a few moments in just pondering about why a man so international is still fondly known by everyone as 'Bapu'...
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is well known for his ideas that conflate modern views with a touch of Indian tradition. Most of us may have read numerous texts on Gandhian Principles of Truth and Non-Violence. And in most cases we may not have understood their complexity. Perhaps we didn't find the need to give a heed to them. Not a problem though, I will discuss them in short, in a layman language.
• Gandhiji's viewpoints solely revolved around the idea of 'SATYAGRAHA'. This term is divided into two moieties; 'Satya' means truth and 'Agraha' means holding firmly. This principle demands honesty in all respects; in thought and deed. And since only an honest man can spread goodwill and love, a satyagrahi also inculcates an intrinsic attitude of non-violence.
• Here comes the second Gandhian principle of 'AHIMSA'. This supports the strict discipline of no violence whatsoever i.e. even if the satyagrahi has a conflicting stance with the views of some people, he must not impose rather express his ideas peacefully. Surely violence cannot be the means of attaining peace. This even extends to a situation of conflicting religious beliefs and hence the next principle follows.
• The principle of 'RELIGIOUS PLURALISM'. The whole concept of Religion is centralised on the belief of uniting with the 'Paramatma'. Every religion insists on love in order to attain this unity. But the deity whom they consider 'Paramatma' may be different. Hence the destination is the same, just the roads are different. According to me religion is a way of living with principles. It shouldn't be confused with the idea of God and beliefs. What I mean to say is, “Jesus was not a Christian, Allah was not a Muslim, Buddha was not a Buddhist. They were all teachers who taught men to live a life of love and simplicity”.
• So the next Gandhian principle is of 'SIMPLICITY'. Gandhi explicitly shows this through his lifestyle and dress code. He insists on self-sufficiency. He adopted the 'Khadi' to help induce a sense of equality with the poor. Thus he wanted to alleviate poverty and social discrimination.
These were some principles that I wanted my dear readers to take note of.
You will find that all these principles are concatenated with each other. Each of them coalesces into the idea of 'Unity'. And only through unity one can obtain 'Freedom', because unity is strength. Hence, Gandhi Ji first united the Indians through his beautiful principles and through this unity he freed a nation from the handicap of a Western rule. Gandhi was thus victorious, or was he??
Well, this was late back in the forties. Since then Gandhian Principles are gradually losing their intensity and importance. It's a pity that time has washed off the transient imprints of these Principles today.
• Lately, we've seen a furore against corrupt politicians and people in power. These are the ones who are dishonest and untruthful. How can we expect a nation to follow satyagraha when her leaders are themselves so called 'anti-satyagrahis'. I don't fancy to stereotype and I don't deny that there are some really courageous politicians who subdue corruption and imbue honesty.
• Secondly, we've seen bouts of clashes and intense friction between religious groups. All this against the principle of Ahimsa and Religious Pluralism. Well people, isn't it sometimes better not to believe in God and live in peace than to kill ourselves in the name of God? Doesn't the concept of religion wholly rest on the principle of brotherhood and love?
• Discrimination and inequality still persists in India. We all want costly dresses and expensive watches, don't we? Though I'm not against this, my intention here is to just remind you of the poor and helpless whenever you go out for an extravagant shopping. All of us can do a little of charity, isn't it?
So the question still remains, Is Gandhi Victorious in his efforts? Is it really Gandhi Jayanti? Should Bapu be kept eternal only on the Indian currency note or should we keep him alive in our heart by reviving his principles?
Well, I find it more appropriate to ponder on these, on this Gandhi Jayanti and perhaps rekindle the sanctity of the 'Mahatma' in my very own way.
Wishing you a meaningful Gandhi Jayanti. Jai Hind!
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