Three things that disturbed Mahatma Gandhi most when he returned to India from South Africa in 1915 were poverty, untouchability and violence. As the nation celebrates yearlong Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary from October 2 today every citizen of India should spread the teachings of the Mahatma in his or her own way to spread his message of Ahimsa (non-violence), Untouchability and alleviation of poverty. It is not necessary that you organize things on big scale. Even a small meeting, going to the people to spread Gandhi’s message in village, taluka, mohalla and in housing societies will be best tribute to Gandhi this day.
Mahatma Gandhi is the greatest individual who was born not only in India but in the world. On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 70th birthday, Albert Einstein had said, “Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.” Einstein’s observation of the Mahatma is forever.
Newspapers published on October 2, 2019 are flooded with articles and write-ups on Mahatma Gandhi. I was aghast to see one item in a newspaper in which a columnist commented that Einstein’s observation on the Mahatma was ”technically incorrect”. To buttress his comment he wrote that in terms of popularity he quoted some survey conducted few years ago on all time great personalities which placed the Mahatma in third position with Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Britain at the top followed by Steve Jobs, founder co-chairman of Apple as second most popular man in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi cannot and ought not be evaluated and adjudged in history in terms of popularity. He was what Albert Einstein said. Gandhi does not need any survey to determine his place in world history.
Now coming to the relevance of Gandhi in today’s world, his thoughts and message are important for the society and for the world at large. What we see today in India is senseless violence in our society. A few weeks ago, a young man killed his father in Bangaluru just because his father objected to the man playing games on mobile. Another man killed his father because his father objected to his excessive drinking. Another man killed his mother demanding more money. In Hyderabad a retired judged of the High Court was caught on camera thrashing his helpless daughter-in-law with his son and wife for dowry. We read every other day women being burnt alive for dowry. A small boy was lynched to death by mob for stealing small thing. Sometime we feel that in this modern era of 21st century we are living in stoneage.
Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings are relevant today to make the society more tolerant and compassionate.
Mahatma Gandhi fought the British with Ahimsa as his main weapon. He took on the might of the British rule with ‘satyagrah’ and peaceful movement. I quote this paragraph from a write up which says, “Gandhi objected to violence not only because an unarmed people had little chance of success in an armed rebellion, but because he considered violence a clumsy weapon which created more problems than it solved, and left a trail of hatred and bitterness in which genuine reconciliation was almost impossible”.
In Mahabharat, Bhagwan Sri Krishna in first place never opted for war despite grave provocations from the Kauravas. When Pandavas completed their 12 year exile in forest and one year incognito Bhim and Arjun wanted to attack Hasthinapur, the seat of power of the Kauravas to avenge the disgrace inflicted on Draupadi by Dushashan, Duryodhan and Karna in the full court of Dhristrashtra. But Bhagwan Krishna counselled that war should be avoided. He pleaded for peace mission to demand the return of Indhraprashta to the Pandavas. But Duryodhan refused to do so when Bhagwan Sri Krishna went as an ambassador of Pandavas. He said what to speak of Indraprashta “ I will not give even an inch of land (sui eko nok ke barbar zameen) to Pandavas”. It was then that the Great War of Mahabharat took place.
That Mahatma Gandhi was against violence was demonstrated by him at the peak of non-cooperation movement which was a big success and the movement had unnerved the British rulers then. Then the violent incident of Chauri Chuara happened in 1922. Gandhi suspended the non-cooperation movement in protest against violence in freedom movement. Such was conviction of the Mahatma.
Helping people in distress is great service to God. The Mahatma always stood for weaker sections of the society. He relentlessly fought against the practice of ‘untouchability’ in the Indian society by the so called upper and elite class of people. Unfortunately, Gandhi’s efforts did not succeed much as we see even today the poor and the weaker sections of the society, the Dalits and the Tribal are being persecuted in many parts of the country. The need of the hour is to reach out to the people belonging to the upper caste to shun the uncivil practice of ‘untouchability’. It is not the work of politicians alone to spread the message of Gandhi to every nook and corner of India but each individual whether they are in service or doing their own business, running enterprise and social work should fan out across the country to spread the message of peace, non-violence and compassion.
(The writer is a Member of Rajya Sabha and is currently on Padyatra in Bihar)