By Urmila Das
October 2, 2018 marks the 150th Jayanti of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. On this memorable day let us reflect on the changes which he brought, not only to India, but to the world in the 19thcentury. The British Delegate at the UN Security Meeting said, “Gandhi was the friend of the poorest, the loneliest, and the lost” and also his “greatest achievements are still to come.” Those of us, who were born prior to 30th January 1948, can say that we lived on the same earth where Gandhiji walked and also breathed the same air. As Albert Einstein said, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one, as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”
Gandhiji’s simple attire of loincloth, wooden sandals, a bowl and a walking stick were the bare possessions of this politician cum saint. He practiced the yogic principle of Aparigraha as co-defied in Sage Patanjali Astang Yogic teachings. This principle of non-possession of material wealth inspired Gandhiji immensely. Gandhiji said that “Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and voluntary reduction of wants. This alone promotes real happiness and contentment, and increases the capacity for service.” Thus he kindled a re-awakening of the deeply rooted thoughts and ideas found in the wisdom of the ancient Indian system in order to awaken the minds of the people.
By his actions one cannot deny the fact that he was a Karma Yogi. Spinning cloth – khadi – at home not only clothed people, but it also was employment for entire villages, especially the poor. He saw this as a political and economic empowerment of the people. He wanted people to be self-sufficient and to take pride in recreating the industry that was once a cottage industry. “Before the British advent, India spun and wove in millions of homes, but this industry was ruined by industrialization.” He was not against machinery, but against the use of machinery at the expense of millions of people. As we all know, industrialization is wealth concentrated in the hands of a few at the expense of many. Beside the political and economic power, the wearing of khadi, according to Gandhiji, had a “transformative power” and that “through wearing it people could actually become more worthy” of themselves. We may ask ourselves how can this be applicable to today’s society? Most things today are done by mass production and by advanced technology. We live in the age of very sophisticated technology. Of course, this is good. But what has happened to us? We have lost certain skills and, instead, allowed technology to take charge of our lives. Societies are enhanced when we take pride of our achievements.
Superstitious beliefs: Gandhiji was a very practical person and deeply religious, and there was no place for superstitious beliefs. At the end of a day his feet were full of scratches, because people would grab his feet as he walked. For them it was not only to pay respects to him but saw him also as a manifestation of God. Gandhiji said, “I have expressed my horror and strongest disapproval of this type of idolatry.” The illiterate behaved like this because they saw in Gandhiji the strength that will sustain them even in their poverty. Instead, he wanted people to walk in his footsteps, rather than kiss his feet. One example humourously illustrated was when he was in South Africa. There is one instance when a lawyer traveling in the same train with Gandhiji fell out, head first. When he was picked up he was unhurt, and said that because he was in the train with Gandhiji he did not get hurt. Laughingly Gandhiji said, “Then you shouldn’t have fallen out at all.” For Gandhiji there was no place for superstitious beliefs. Our contribution to Gandhiji is to reject superstitious beliefs and look at the practicality of life. This will certainly enrich our lives.
We have seen the strength of the frail Gandhiji in many different ways. Just to mention a few – the Salt March and Champara village. After the Jallianwalla Bagh incident in Panjab and the deposing of the Turkish Sultan (Khilafat Movement), he returned the medals which he had received in South Africa, to the British Viceroy and said: “I can retain neither respect nor affection for a government which has been moving from wrong to wrong in order to defend its immortality.”
Fasting for Gandhiji was his way of going inward for solutions to solve the Indian problems. How many of our leaders today would respond in this way to violence. Instead, we meet in the battlefield to settle our differences. Of course, he was accused of using fasting as a political blackmail. But for him he saw it as introspection to problem solving and gaining spiritual strength.
The life of Mahatma Gandhi serves as a beacon of light to guide humanity to a better world. He taught a lesson to political leaders on how to bring about great social and political changes for the betterment of humanity in every walk of life. He said, “An India awakened and free has a message of peace and goodwill to give to a groaning world.” We can see his greatness expressed in his own words: “I have known no distinction between relatives and strangers, countrymen and foreigners, white and coloured, Hindus and Indians of other faiths, whether Musalmans, Parsis, Christians or Jews. I may say that my heart has been incapable of making any such distinctions.”
In conclusion, this “half naked fakir” according to Sir Winston Churchill was fearless. When he met the King who commented on the clothes he was wearing, he had the audacity to remind His Majesty, the King, that he had enough on for both of them.
Urmila Das is a Surrey-based writer. She can be reached at [email protected]
