 |
| Nivedita Roy |
Our beloved Bapu has left behind a legacy for us Indians to
be proud of. He campaigned for the rights of Indians in South Africa.
The iconic leaders Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr accepted
him as an inspiration in their continued struggle towards apartheid and
discrimination.
Upon returning to India, Gandhi’s involvement in the Indian
freedom movement catapulted him to be addressed as the Father of the Nation.
The ironic part is this Noble saint whose popularity and
principles are quoted as reference on
many Peace oriented events and write ups, was never bestowed with the Nobel
peace prize. Yet, he is the best personification of peace.
Albert Einstein said, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked
the earth in flesh and blood.”
Woefully, we are witnessing a scenario where the scientist’s
prophesy rings true.
The moral values and brotherhood are reaching a nadir in the
society. The violent ridden new articles, propaganda, entertainment content
distastefully flavoured with unnecessary violence and barbaric acts as it
appeals to the audience and subscribers.
Bapu’s ideals have turned archaic or dismissed as it does not
suit the ambitions of a segment of society. But are we ready to acknowledge
that the tenets, teachings, and his humble efforts towards humanity are
tremendously relevant NOW!
"Truth is by
nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that
surround it, it shines clear."
This Mahatma (a
great soul) clad in a loin cloth, wooden slippers, and Satyagraha (holding on
to truth) as his line of action, led our country towards independence from the
British rule. Bapu’s approach to social change was unique, as
he believed and preached nonviolent resistance, civil disobedience, and the
power of love and compassion. His philosophy of Satyagraha or truth as an
armour, was based on the idea that individuals could achieve social and
political change through nonviolent means, even in the face of violence and
oppression.
The power in nonviolence movement was visible when his Salt
March began from Sabarmati Ashram in March 1930 with a handful and ended in
tens of thousands joining him towards the end of the march at Dandi near the
Arabian Sea.
We are witnessing residues of atrocities towards minorities
as a sequel to the 200-year long slavery. We are muted once again while
witnessing the divide and rule policy filtering through the tattered fabric of
our society.
"Man becomes
great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow
men."(Bapu)
I wonder how Bapu would have used his social media presence
to appeal for nonviolent means to attain at least a hearing from the government
if not a solution. I assume he would have sat next to farmers in Delhi or
fasted to support the Indian women wrestlers while they demanded justice.
His struggle towards freedom was for us Indians, the results
are documented in history. His teachings, his life struggles, the pursuit to
follow truth are for all times.
Denial and defiance to his utmost sacrifice for the nation is
an act of disrespect and ungratefulness.
"I object to
violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary. The
evil it does is permanent."
Today we need to practice nonviolence to avoid a burning
broken Manipur, we need Satyagraha as truth is being shielded, and we need to
raise our voices for the minorities and discriminated sections of society.
This fragile frame with his iron will, had the forbearance to
bear jail terms and yet continued his steps towards gaining independence for
our country which was dealing with socio economic divides, fractured unity and
few incidents of rebellion that were curbed immediately by the British.
The python of similar kind has risen again in our society and
if we still doubt the relevance of Gandhian principles, we shall tumble further
downwards.
Quoting him
"Non-violence is
the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the
mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."
The time to imbibe
Gandhian principle is now, the time to revive faith in humanity is now, so our
country may arise from the broken remnants and loss of faith in the
constitution.
"Power is of two
kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love.
Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the
one derived from fear of punishment."
No comments :
Post a Comment
We welcome your comments related to the article and the topic being discussed. We expect the comments to be courteous, and respectful of the author and other commenters. Setu reserves the right to moderate, remove or reject comments that contain foul language, insult, hatred, personal information or indicate bad intention. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the commenter, not the official views of the Setu editorial board. рдк्рд░рдХाрд╢िрдд рд░рдЪрдиा рд╕े рд╕рдо्рдмंрдзिрдд рд╢ाрд▓ीрди рд╕рдо्рд╡ाрдж рдХा рд╕्рд╡ाрдЧрдд рд╣ै।