Gandhi in todays world

Excerpts from a speech I wrote recently -

The name Gandhi inspires myriad images in ones mind. Some may associate his name with the freedom struggle, while some prefer to remember him as a smiling face on a five hundred rupee note. Contexts could be many but the name remains, atleast in our subconcious. He is as much part of our lives today as he was 60 years ago when India, on his behest, attained freedom.

Today, we live in tumultous times. Violence has become order of the day. Everywhere there are people being killed, embassies bombed, children orphaned. India stands testimony to the numerous bomb blasts that have rocked the country in recent past. Hate machinery is at work and hapless people stand a mute spectator of their own sufferings. Personally speaking, when I see the gory images of people lying in a pool of blood right after a bomb blast, I feel a surge of anguish and anxiety. If I had my way, I would have the perpetrators of these crimes sent to gallows. And I am almost sure, I reflect the opinion of many when I say this. In such a time, we often become critical of the ideologies that Mahatma Gandhi spread all his life. Socio-political mores have undergone a sea change since then. Do his teachings hold good in today's world?

Let us prod this a little further. Under what circumstances did Gandhi take up the cause of 'free India' and non violent struggle? He was professionaly a barrister. His income during those days in South Africa touched $15000. Something, still a dream for most Indians. He could well have chosen to lead a luxurious life away from the miseries that British were inflicting on Indians. But that was not to be. After arriving in Durban, Gandhi found himself treated as a member of an inferior race. He was appalled at the widespread denial of civil liberties and political rights to Indians. He was thrown out of a train because he was a black man. There were many other similar untold stories. Even then, people resorted to violence. There were widespread killings and armed struggle. It was their way to seek freedom. But Gandhi had a different way. He appealed to the masses to keep their calm and and practice satyagrah. Satyagrah, in essence means vindication of truth by inflicting sufferings not on your opponents but on your own self. Eventually, it was this doctrine of Gandhi that helped India attain freedom.

Today, freedom is something we take for granted. But we are held hostage to various other slaveries. Colonial ambitions have given way to religious extremism. Apartheid has given way to regional disparities. Forms have changed, but situation remains. Back then, it took the determination of this frail man to sort things out. Today, it requires our collective efforts. Gandhi, for me, is not a name. It is an idea, which is ageless. It transcends all political boundaries and timeframes. Let us all follow his ideals and make this world a better place.