Opinion

Relevance of the Gandhian Ideology for Building a Cultured World

Excellent public leader, recipient of Kaisar-i-Hind, father of the nation and better known to all as Mahatma Gandhi is still alive in his visions and philosophies which relevance even at the present time is beyond discussion.  Gandhian thoughts prove its need of adoption all over the world. Though he carried out the impact of many contemporary thinkers and writers. The impact of Leo Tolstoy, John Ruskin, Rabindra Nath Tagore etc. can easily be observed over his versatile personality.

The 2nd October is observed and commemorated across the world as the birth anniversary of this great and divine soul Mahatma Gandhi Ji.   He is the harbinger of India's sublime socio-cultural heritage and a testament to tolerance, generosity and brilliance. Both a saint seeking truth and also a true social scientist of eternal truth. Wonderful thinkers of politics, literature, culture, religion, philosophy, science and art and also the ideal standards of humanistic national building. A symbol of the right path of progress and also the ultimate announcer of Indian culture. His name is remembered in reverence for his struggle in the fight for Indian Independence from British Colonial Rule. He used the weapons which he collected from the essence of Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads, Buddha and Mahavir.

Most of the sharp weapons of Babu Ji were truth and non-violence. The concept of truth, non-violence, celibacy, selflessness, non-possessiveness, physical labor, taste, fearlessness, equality of all religions, and building an indigenous and inclusive society has been his ideals. Gandhi's ideal ideas were not confined to his personal and social life. He applied those ideas in various aspects of life, starting from the freedom struggle. Then people said that truth and non-violence would not work toward the goal of independence. But Gandhi showed that freedom can also be achieved by following the path of truth and non-violence. During the freedom movement, Gandhi gave three mantras to the people to struggle in life: satyagraha, non-cooperation and sacrifice. He himself put it to the test of time. Satyagraha was described as an insistence on truth. A Satyagrahi is a person who should stick to what he sees as truth with full strength and devotion. Do not support evil, injustice and atrocities under any circumstances. Giving up one's life for truth and justice is called sacrifice. His thoughts about non-violence are an echo of Sanatan Indian culture. The teachings of Geeta had a wide impact on Gandhi. He used to say that in a fight full of violence and cowardice, I would prefer violence rather than cowardice. I cannot teach the lesson of non-violence to a coward, just as I cannot teach a blind person the lesson of non-violence. What strategies he made for the freedom of India and the upliftment of social evils to ensure the economic and social security of the people of India are really commendable today. His life is an inspiration for all who attempted to know him.

Mahatma Gandhi Ji has imparted an unbeatable solution to conquer any suppressive forces.   It seems, non–non-violence is characteristic of a coward, but it is the pinnacle of bravery. Coward cannot hold this weapon. Giving a clear explanation of non-violence, he said that non-violence means bearing suffering knowingly. It does not mean succumbing to the will of the unjust. Its meaning is to use all the strength of one's soul against the will of the oppressor. Through non-violence, Gandhi also gave the message to the world that by adopting this rule of life, even a single man with a good soul can challenge the entire powerful empire to protect his honor, religion and soul. Great personalities of the world said that they were influenced by these thoughts of Gandhi. Even today his thoughts are inspiring the world. People are trying their non-violent weapons like non-violence and civil disobedience. At a time when violence is prevalent all over the world, nations are at loggerheads with each other, humanity is in danger, poverty, hunger and malnutrition are taking their toll, Gandhi's ideas become extremely relevant. Now the world has also started realizing that only by following the path shown by Gandhi, the world can be saved from despair, hatred and violence. Gandhi's thoughts are also relevant to the world because he himself proved those thoughts by adopting them in his own conduct. Those ideas were tested on the criteria of truth and non-violence.

Gandhi Ji’ 's non-violence should not be taken as a mark of weakness. I asked for the expulsion of thoughts leading to any violence. He emphasizes the purity of means to obtain the goal and no cast, should be ditched. It can be understood when the non-cooperation movement of 1920 was in full swing, a mob in Chauri Chaura burnt down a police station in anger. 22 soldiers were burnt alive in this violent incident. Gandhi Ji was moved. He immediately suspended the movement. He was criticized a lot but he did not wave intentionally.  They were not ready to tolerate violence even for a moment. His tenacity was amazing. When he realized that the British government was hesitant to give independence to India as per its promise, he called for Indians to go to jail instead of paying taxes. Started a movement to boycott foreign goods. To protest against the imposition of tax on salt by the British government, he marched to Dandi and made salt on the beach. Seeing his tenacity, Arnold J. Toynbee called him a prophet in his article on his death. Thus, Mahatma Gandhi is not a name instead it is the name of ideology, specific work culture, revolution and specific philosophy which never permits anyone to underrate.

This statement of the famous scientist Einstein is in the mind of the people that in the future people will not easily believe that there was such a strange living being of flesh and blood who used non-violence as his weapon. In a global environment full of violence, the acceptance of Gandhi's ideas is increasing. The British, who waved the Union Jack in all four parts of the world and challenged Gandhi's non-violence in India, are today also talking about adopting Gandhi's non-violent conduct. America, which is called the policeman of the world and terrorizes the world community with its bullying tactics, has now started feeling that peace can be established in the world only by following the path of Gandhi's ideology. The United Nations has announced the birth date of Gandhi Ji 02nd of October as an international non-violence day which is celebrated all over the world calling for the need to hold this sublime Gandhian ideology of non-violence. Only Non-violence can lead people to a peaceful life otherwise turbulence and destruction can be felt everywhere.

The truth is that the relevance of Gandhi's eternal values ​​has increased. Gandhi is not only a symbol of non-violence but also a standard that efforts are being made to implement in life. Just last year, former US President Barack Obama, while addressing the young leaders of 50 countries of the African continent at the White House, had said that in today's changing environment, the youth need to take inspiration from Gandhi ji. Last year, America's prestigious Time magazine included the Salt Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi among the ten most influential movements in the world. It may be remembered that just a few years ago, a seminar on Parliamentary Democracy was organized by the Lok Sabha Secretariat of Zambia at Vigyan Bhawan in which Lok Sabha Speakers and Presiding Officers from Commonwealth countries participated. The Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia also praised Gandhi's principles openly during this conference and said that along with India, we are also partners in the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. He said that Gandhi ji's teachings about non-violence greatly influenced the Zambian independence movement. The truth is that now even Gandhi's ideological opponents have started feeling that their concept of Gandhi was narrow. He comes to believe that Gandhi's moral principles are more relevant and effective than ever before and that they should be followed. Along with political freedom, Gandhi ji was also concerned about socio-economic freedom. He had his own independent thinking on how to give a strong foundation to the structure of an inclusive society.

He said that as long as there is inequality in society, there will be violence. To end violence, it is necessary to eliminate inequality. Due to inequality, the rich will die in their prosperity and the poor in their poverty. Therefore, such Swaraj will have to be achieved in which there is no gap between the rich and the poor. His views were clear regarding education also. He has said that I am not against Western culture. I like to keep the windows and doors of my house open so that clean outside air can come. But such a storm of foreign languages ​​should not come that I fall face down.

Gandhi Ji was a strong advocate of women's empowerment. He said that a country or society which does not respect women cannot be marked civilized. He admitted that women should be equipped with all skills and efficiency in imparting knowledge. Her position is always higher than men in society. If women start to see themselves as equal to men ignoring their sublime virtue they would uplift to that height where men never can reach.  So, they need to identify their requirement and proceed to train themselves. His thoughts never fade and lose their relevance. Gandhi Ji speculated all aspects of Indian and Endianness and his ideologies should be speculated from time to time. No one can clear debt for his contribution to making India free from the clutches of the British government. His contribution cannot be forgotten.

In today's era, not only India but also the world community has to understand that a prosperous, powerful, egalitarian and cultured world can be created only by following the path suggested by him. Even our youth should come forward to grasp the Gandhian ideologies which will place them in a stronger position in future and pave the way for contentment and success in life.


Images (c) istock.com

30-Sep-2023

More by :  Dr. Punam Pandey


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