Written by: Ushasi Dey
Edited by: Yashi Shah
GANDHI AND HIS IDEALOGY
Mahatma Gandhi played a pivotal role in the Indian freedom struggle. His non-violent ways and peaceful methods were the frameworks for gaining independence from the British. His contribution to the Indian freedom movement cannot be measured in words. He, along with other freedom fighters, compelled the British to leave India. His policies and agendas were nonviolent and his words were the source of inspiration for millions. Gandhiji's idea of education is a novel one. His idea of vocational education was so unique that even today it is promoted by the government of India. He advocated for free and compulsory education for every child between 7 and 14 years.
The principles of Truth (Satya), non-violence (ahimsa), the welfare of all (Sarvodaya), and peaceful protest (satyagraha) can hold people together and hence form the backbone of dharma, which means “to hold together". Satya means oneness in your thoughts, speech, and actions. Gandhi believed that “there is no religion higher than truth”. Ahimsa teaches us the path of non-violence. It should be practiced not only in actions but also in thoughts and speech. Ahimsa also forms the basis of Jainism and Hinduism as a religion. The third principle is Sarvodaya or welfare for all. The basic fundamental teaching of Vedic science is also based on Sarvodaya. Gandhi found it as a composite concept of social welfare and economic justice. Satyagraha is a protest based on Satya and nonviolence and includes peaceful demonstrations, prolonged fasts, etc. It is based on the law of persistence.
As the world enters the twenty-first century, the assumption that technology can provide easy solutions to all problems that face humankind, including environmental ones, is coming under scrutiny. Technology is not value-free. It creates its own imperatives. The Gandhian view of the present world system needs to be seriously considered, as it is the only ideology that addresses both political and economic issues, and the question of the level of technology desirable. It is true that the economic and demographic situation has altered considerably since Gandhi's lifetime and that some of the solutions which he put forth and which might have been possible then, may no longer be feasible today.
Respect for women is one of the major ideas of Gandhian philosophy and the world today is witnessing an increase in the level of violence in society. Gandhian dream of a safe country demands safety for women and that will come from the virtue of self-control. Adding more to this list of moral qualities of Gandhiji are punctuality, duty boundness, honesty, etc and all these have to be the essence of administration for good governance and perfect service delivery to the last person standing in the queue as proposed by the antodaya philosophy of Gandhiji. Gandhiji’s political contributions offered us Independence but his ideologies enlighten India as well as the world even today after so many years. Perhaps this was known to Nobel prize winner Rabindranath Tagore in those days and he had rightly called Gandhiji as Mahatma. Every individual, thus, should follow the key Gandhian ideologies in their day to day life for a happy, prosperous, healthy, harmonious, and sustainable future.
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