Gandhiji's Thoughts & Philosophy- Their Relevance Today (Bhavan's Lecture Series- A Tribute to Mahatama Gandhi')

I was 13, living in Vadodara when Gandhiji was assassinated on 30 January, 1948. The whole nation was in deep grief and shock, but also extremely nervous. Everyone was asking: who killed him? When the identity of the assassin was disclosed, the country heaved a collective sigh of relief: Thank God it is not a Muslim. At a time when we were struggling to cope with the horrors of partition and the country was at war with Pakistan's aggression on Kashmir, there would have been unimaginably horrendous consequences if a Muslim was responsible for this abominable act.

If Gandhiji had survived the assassination attempt, what would have been his attitude towards his would-have-been assassin? Given his definition of non-violence which called for 'no hatred' against one's enemy, in all probability he would have pardoned him; at the least, he would have opposed Godse's execution and might have even undertaken a fast, blaming himself for having failed to remove hatred from the likes of Godse who hated Gandhiji for having fought for India giving Rs. 55 crores to Pakistan which Pakistan was entitled to. He might even have pardoned the likes of those who call Godse a patriot.

Along with independence for India, there were two other causes just as dear to Gandhiji: removal of untouchability and Hindu-Muslim amity. It was a big disappointment for him that both these tasks for him remained unfulfilled in his life time. This disappointment was as big for him as the disappointment over the partition of the country. The fate of the Dalits remains as depressed today as it was 75 years ago. As for communal harmony, the less said, the better. Gandhiji would have been a very sad man today. But then, being the leader he was and obstinate as he was, he would have in all probability undertaken several fasts in protest against the treatment of both these groups today.

We in India miss Gandhiji today. Or, perhaps we do not miss him. Yes, we do celebrate his birthday every year by recalling his words and works, without making the slighted effort to emulate him or implement his unaccomplished objectives. As has been said by some, we pick and choose from his multi-faceted 'life message' that which does not call for too much effort and which was politically safe and acceptable. Gandhiji was hugely concerned about cleanliness. More than 100 years ago, he berated the dirt and filth in and around the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and it was absolutely right to launch a campaign for Swachcha Bharat. If the campaign makes even 2o% difference, it is a worthwhile project. At the same time, however, the other campaigns launched by Gandhiji, which for him were no doubt much more important, have not only not progressed but have even regressed. This would have made Gandhiji extremely sad. We need Gandhiji more than the rest of the world and not pursue the ambition of acting as Vishwaguru. During my travels in West Asia as India's Special Envoy, my interlocutors expressed great admiration for our country, not for its nuclear weapons nor for our booming economy (at that time); they were impressed at the way such a vast, multicultural, multilingual and diverse society could live in peace and harmony.

In the rest of the world, Gandhiji was known and celebrated for his concept of non-violence as a tool to fight colonialism and injustice. He acknowledged the inspiration he got for the method of non-violence from the writings of an American philosopher Henry David Thoreau. Gandhiji in turn influenced the American black leader Martin Luther King Jr who adapted non-violence for his own fight against injustice and oppression of the blacks in America. Nelson Mandela in apartheid South Africa espoused non violence in his struggle against the apartheid regime and state-sponsored discrimination against the black community, but ultimately advocated armed campaign to end the discrimination. Non-violence and civil disobedience were also the guiding principles followed by Lech Walesa in Poland and Vaclav Havel in Czechoslovakia for freeing their countries from Soviet yoke.

Historians have wondered if Gandhiji's non-violent method would have worked against a colonial power such as Nazi Germany. His advice to the Jews was highly controversial, because his prescription called for not only non use of violence but also absence of hatred towards the oppressor. This is what he insisted on in India also, as for example at the time of Dandi march. On the other hand, it is more than likely that if the Palestinians had opted for a genuine non-violent struggle against the Zionist state of Israel, they would have had infinitely better chance of success.

Gandhiji's love for truth led him at times to take a position on a subject contrary to what he might have said earlier. His explanation was that his previous view was based on the information he had at that time; he had since come in possession of data that called for a different approach. Most of us are extremely reluctant to modify our views even though we know that things have changed, because we are afraid of being called revisionists or opportunists. It is these small but important things that one can try to learn and implement from his message.

There was hardly a field of human endeavour that Gandhiji did not have a view on and solution for. Eminent, learned scholars have dealt with those aspects of Gandhiji's life's work in the pages that follow. However, Gandhiji did not favour his statues being erected. Don't treat me like god, he used to say, because then we would simply say 'we cannot emulate him because he is God'.

It is a pity that if you ask ten persons about Mahatma Gandhi, eight would tell you that he made us free from the shackles of British Empire. It would be a Himalayan understatement. Bapu strived and struggled all his life to uplift the character and awaken the Chetana of the people of India making them true human beings. Winning the freedom was just a means.

There is not one aspect of human life - from diet to Moksha - that Bapu did not meditate upon and present us with the results of his remarkably original thinking and hard practice which he called his experiments with the truth. To him, Truth was God. He never taught us anything without first practising it. That is why millions followed him and even 71 years after his departure he remains a powerful moral force for the entire human race.

Systematic efforts are being made by forces of hatred and violence to throw his legacy into the dustbin of history by means, both cunning and cruel. But the frail old man refuses to go away, so much so that even his detractors dare not come out openly against him and have to resort to subtle tricks, taking circuitous routes even while paying routine and customary tributes and garlanding his portraits and statues.

Bapu has always amazed me by his fearlessness. Fearlessness is not mere courage. Courage can be momentary and transient, audacious and heroic. Fearlessness is calm and composed, enduring and indestructible. It is an everlasting state of mind which comes from enlightened consciousness. Willingly and smilingly one suffers pain and torture and even welcomes death for the sake of a cause which he or she is convinced is based on the truth and therefore, is just and righteous. Readiness to sacrifice one's everything including life fighting for the Truth.

And why should any one inflict upon himself pain and suffering fully knowing that he could very well avoid it ? Because of love and compassion. Consideration for others. And wanting to do something about it. Protesting against injustice being done to others and standing up to fight it. Vinobaji said that the essence of Gandhiji's life and teachings were Satya, Prema and Karuna. Faith in God never is complete without first weaving these virtues into your life. So if you have this beautiful complete faith, which was the foundation of Bapu's very existence, then only you can become fearless.

Focus your mind's eyes on Bapu travelling in the 3rd class of a train, cleaning stinking toilet with his hands, freely mingling with the crowd at a station or during a pad-yatra.

When he was in his thirties carrying out his heroic struggle against injustice in South Africa, Bapu, in a letter to his brother dated May 27, 1906 writes: " I do not know what fear is." Who amongst us can say so with such natural ease ?

While fighting his countless battles fearlessly, Bapu never harboured ill-will dislike for his opponents, not to talk of hatred and vengeance as we see today. "I firmly believe that while fighting against the forces of injustice, we can maintain a feeling of affection for them," he said. And he did it. Only and only Gandhi could do it. That is why he was a true Mahatma. When asked about the recipe of success of a struggle, Bapu said: "Just and rightful objective, capacity to bear immense, limitless pain, determination never to indulge in violence nor harbour any hatred or ill-feelings."

Today we see politicians vomiting poison against their opponents - even the dead ones - trying to degrade and defame them. Bapu too had huge difference with some of his colleagues. But the level of culture and goodwill was so high that the verbal battles were fought with amazing amount of affection, dignity and regard for each other. Study the relationship of Gandhiji with Tagore, Tilak, Malaviyaji and Lala Lajpat Rai and you will understand what I want to convey.

If you look at the world today, you will come to the conclusion that mankind is marching towards its own extinction. We have Nuclear arsenal capable of destroying the earth ten times over. The poison of prejudices, hatred, lies, violence, cunning, arrogance, feeling of 'us' and 'them', rotten extreme selfishness, astounding insensitivity etc. etc. have torn the moral fabric of man, turning him over into the hands of satan. We are destroying the nature ruthlessly, fully knowing that it is pushing the mother-earth to its death. Free market economy has taken consumerism to new heights on one hand and poverty and deprivation to new depths on the other.

My heartfelt conratulations to the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Delhi Kendra for having responded magnificently to the Central Bhavan's appeal to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's 15oth Birth Anniversary in various creative and effective ways, one of which was the lecture series on Bapu, which is now being brought out in the form of a book. I applaud Shri Ashok Pradhan's choice of subjects and the learned speakers.

Tens of thousands of books on Gandhiji in hundreds of languages around the world have been published. New volumes written from hundred of different angles keep coming to us. This book will be one more rivulet flowing into the ocean. But it does matter. The squirrel which gave its own humble contribution to helping Lord Rama build the bridge across the sea was specially blessed by Sri Rama. So the squirrel-contribution too counts.

Sitting on heap of nuclear weapons, staring helplessly at the gradual destruction of the environment, facing an unprecedented economic meltdown, making the walls built in the name of caste, creed, community, religion, ideologies and nationalism taller and taller, the human race stands at the cross roads. It has only one choice. Either it continues its journey to self destruction or it turns around and comes on the road paved for us by Mahatma Gandhi. There is no third alternative.

**Contents and Sample Pages**