Bapu's relevance in the 21st century
Looking back at the Mahatma
Welcome again!!
Here is a question for my Indian readers. Today is the 142nd birth anniversary of which Indian great?
Yes, you are right. It is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi and affectionately known as Bapu. For those who don't know, today, the 2nd of October is the birth anniversary of India's Father of the Nation, M. K. Gandhi. Born in 1869, Mahatma Gandhi was a man of lofty ideals, and it was mostly because of him that India gained independence or 'swaraj' from the British rulers in 1947.
The Mahatma didn't believe in violence. He loathed the very concept of harming your enemy. Instead, he was a champion of non-violence. All his protests against the British rulers were non-violent. He encouraged his supporters not to partake in violence. According to him, non-violence required greater courage and mental strength. He and his followers willingly courted arrest and filled up the jails of the country. He undertook numerous hunger strikes in order to make the British sit up and listen. He was a model for truth and simple living. His famous quote is, "There is enough for everyone's need but not for anyone's greed."
The question is whether his ideals of truth and more importantly, non-violence hold any importance in today's world. The answer is a resounding "YES". In a world where people are agitated at the drop of a hat, terrorists keep terrorizing everyone, the values of truth and non-violence hold a lot of water. Gandhi says that we should not be greedy but should use only as much resources as required. If this was the case, a lot of the environmental problems the world is facing today would be present to a much lesser extent. A modern-day example that non-violent protests can bring results is that of Anna Hazare. The way he made the Indian Government sit up and take notice is ample proof that non-violence stands the test of time.
Here is a short YouTube video on the Mahatma.
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Satyameva Jayate!!