Understanding Mahatma

"Gandhi was a tough man. He would let every thought flow through him but never let them wreck his own convictions"

I grew up learning Mahatma Gandhi as 'The Father of The Nation'. I remember giving alms to old people and kids dressed up in the dhoti with a glaring silver paint on them almost looking like the ubiquitous statues of Gandhi in India. Yeah, I have seen him on currency notes and heard at least a road named after him in many towns.

As I explored a bit deeper, I was awestruck by the stature of Mahatma world over. The British who must be his prime contenders have constructed his statue in the parliament square. They see him as the symbol of peace and non-violence.

Then I asked myself,
 How much do I know about Mahatma?

Is he relevant to modern India?

Modern India can be comprehended into an English speaking, Market-driven, society laying fast track trains, living in bustling cities sending humans to the outer space on one side, and village dwelling, land-tilling, garbage lifting, unlettered, hunger ridden populace on the other side. (These groups aren't mutually exclusive though). Our society has stark economic and socio-cultural diversity (sometimes inequality and oppression). India is a land to some of the topmost millionaires of the world while India simultaneously grapples with hunger and malnutrition.

India is a land of renunciation and spirituality while it is the same land of sprawling consumerism. Modern-day evils of loneliness, lifestyle diseases have their happy sway in the land of Yoga and Meditation. Hypocrisy and Nepotism are the pen names to our leaders as well as our society. Though the builders of our nation were visionaries, we as a society never really got rid of prejudices. We are known to fight over religion, caste, gender and it is a more recent phenomenon to silence dissenters by eliminating them altogether (killings of journalists). A movie and a cow can make people, rather mobs invade public spaces and destroy everything on their way sometimes people too. Intellectual debates of Upanishadic times are reduced to gimmicks of saffron-clad, rich and powerful magicians
( God we/men).
We are on a loyal mission of turning our forests into concrete jungles. Air quality in our cities is one of the worst in the world. We are successful in turning our rich and vibrant rivers into dark and stinky sewages which no longer are able to serve their biodiversity. We have the knack of turning culturally unique forest dwellers into daily wage laborers and beggars in our 'developed cities'.  Education is just another race of marks and ranks to an average Indian child. With all that development and big GDP numbers, India is facing a 'Jobless Growth'!
We are a society who don't hesitate to spit, pee and throw garbage on the very public spaces we use. It's not that we don't have an option but we just don't mind!
We unhesitantly kill a girl in the mother's womb, after 70 odd years of Independence, why
'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' should still be relevant?
 Not our legislators but the Supreme Court is being the social crusader.
In this context, a simple glance at ideas of Mahatma Gandhi must prove his relevance to the individual, to India, and to the world.
                                 
                                              Thoughts of the Mahatma

• "The future of India lies in its villages"
• "An ounce of practice is worth more than tonnes of preaching"
• "Freedom is not worth having if it does not include freedom to make mistakes"
• "Speak only if it improves upon the silence" 
• "By education I mean an all round drawing of the best in child and man in body, mind and spirit"
• "Anger and intolerance are the enemies to correct understanding"
• "Let us respect each other's religions even as we respect our own. Mere tolerance thereof is not enough" 

• " Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need but not every man's greed"

What is Gandhi?
He is a man of principles and strong willpower. He contemplated with the ideas of truth and non-violence thought his life. He held strong opinions on the freedom and dignity of human beings.

  "A Satyagrahi, whether free or incarcerated, is ever victoious. He is vanquished only when he forsakes truth and nonviolence. If therefore, there is such a thing as a defeat for even a Satyagrahi, he alone is the cause of it".                                                        - Gandhi, selected works 

"The idea of perishing for a cause , for other men ,for a village even, occurs more frequently in his writings as time goes on. He had always held that Satyagraha implied the willingness to accept not only suffering but also death for the sake of a principle" 

He is a man who fears nothing except his own conscience in doing things. He never shewed away from admitting his shortcomings.

 " I felt deeply ashamed and miserable. I ran to my father's room. I saw that if animal passion had not blinded me, he would have died in my arms."
                                                      - My Experiments with Truth

He was a normal human being who thought about things happening around him with keen interest. His surroundings nurtured him to develop a bent for spirituality especially, 'The Geetha'.

" My young mind tried to unify teaching of Gita, The Light of Asia and the Sermon on the Mount."

                                                                    - Gandhi on underlying unity of religions

       
 Gandhi had a shrewd understanding of the British exploitation in India. He embarked on his tested methods of Satyagraha and Ahimsa to stir national movement. For Gandhi, a Personal Transformation is no different from the National Transformation.

 "We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of slavery"

                                                              - Gandhi before launching "Quit India" movement

He was a man adept in gaining acceptance of people by his charisma or by Satyagraha. For a just cause, he believed he can fight on to death. He advocated changing the mind of an enemy by compelling him/her to think. He aimed at transforming peoples mind to gain acceptance.

          " With this, I am shaking the foundations of British Empire"                                                                         - Gandhi, Salt Satyagraha

He learned to treat men and women as equals. He knew the importance of involving women in the national movement. Besides, his inherent devotion to human values makes him a Feminist.
            " Then there are women who can stand shoulder to shoulder with men in this struggle"
                                                                                              - Gandhi, Quit India Movement
  He empowered the masses and women by the Charaka. He knew economic emancipation is the true solace for our struggling masses. Economic empowerment would bring Independence to a nation. Make in India!

  "I would ask you to come in Khadi, for Khadi links you with the fallen and down-trodden"

                                                                                      - Gandhi           

 Finally, Gandhi was a tough man. He will let all thoughts flow through him but never let them wreck his own convictions. This made him a stubborn politician, hailed by many, criticized by some. Whatever be the case, Gandhi was a universal being concerned with self - emancipation and identifying himself with the downtrodden. His peaceful means of agitation helped many great leaders chart their paths after him, his spiritual lessons offer the best ground for a person to learn spirituality. He was a philosopher in disguise contemplating with the nature and end of human life till his end, he is an abode of simplicity which offers solace in the ever greedy modern world. He is a great saint of modern times with many faces!