GANDHI AT 156! – by Major General Rajiv Edwards, VSM(Retd)

GANDHI AT 156!

 

Albert Einstein had never met Mahatma Gandhi, but on the latter’s 70^th birthday in 1939, he had remarked, ‘generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth’. History is essentially a political tool, and when complemented with ‘creeping determinism’ or hindsight bias, people of any given era may look back in time and wonder how their predecessors could have been so dimwitted.  Whatever be the reason, past events and personalities have over the years increasingly and almost persistently found space in collective memory and inter group relations. Gandhiji’s legacy for one seems to be stuck in no man’s land.

It is a paradox that the Father of the Nation, the title bestowed on him by Subhash Chandra Bose, is most called into question in his own nation; a truism which is perhaps reflective of an ideological divide and the tendency to judge his actions and teachings through the lens of contemporary values and sensibilities. Gandhi was as much an ‘Indian public personage’ as he was a ‘global luminary’, which makes him a subject of intense scrutiny. Even so, perhaps in his case, it could be argued that there seems to be a ‘magnification and minimization’ distortion…..the exaggeration of some not so key facets, while down playing more deeply significant contributions.  The fact is that no serious historian refutes Gandhi’s leadership of Indian independence movement, his enduring legacy of non violent resistance and his foundational work on economic and social justice. There are many other stalwarts of the freedom struggle, who merit tribute. However, there is no denying the fact that Gandhi’s transformational leadership and in particular his novel and unrelenting non violent tactics, were clearly unnerving to the British, in what may be otherwise considered the most violent century in history.

Every human being has his frailties and in the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi ‘was much too human’. As a matter of fact, he was hesitant to accept the title of Mahatma (‘great soul’) bestowed on him by Rabindranath Tagore, and had  made known that, ‘he was not a saint trying to be a politician’, but, it was the other way round. And, it is not without significance that Gandhi chose to title his autobiography, ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’. It was not meant to be a narrative of his political life or personal accomplishments. Rather, he clearly affirmed that ‘my life consists of nothing but experiments, and I want to tell the story of my experiments with truth’…. including his mistakes and moral failures, which he viewed as learning opportunities and a crucial part of his journey towards self realization. Even if one accepts that, his ‘compulsive self test’ methods did not meet public endorsement, however, he could not be faulted for his intentions. Not only that, his honest public confessions about some unsavoury experimentations in his life, make him a man of distinctive moral integrity.

India has the largest young working age population in the world, which is expected to see us through at least for the next 25 years. To leverage the full potential of this segment of population, it needs to be productively shaped. At any rate, a high quality population is not only characterized by enhanced literacy rates, good health and relevant skills, but importantly by good values and virtues, attitudes and behavior.  Without the right basics, a large young population could well become an encumbrance rather than a dividend, undermining the entire society.  Today, most of our societal ills are the direct result of this lamentable deficit. Not a surprise therefore,  that the best intentioned schemes of the government like Swachh Bharat, in which Gandhi is the inspiration and icon, just don’t seem to fulfill their purpose. So, while the country is likely to economically reach the target level in 2047, however, building up collective character may well take many more amrit kaal’s…..till then, India may have made it to the destination, but will continue to fall short of the goal!

A role model could be a beacon with a shadow. Pablo Picasso had stated  that, ‘good artists copy; great artists steal’, implying true creativity involves taking inspiration and transforming it into something new and unique, not just copying.   In consequence, it would be imprudent to discard the ‘Bapu’ along with the bathwater, succumbing to the social media’s disapproving narrative through misinterpretation and cherry picking  of facts.  Worst still the ad hominem attacks which seek to undermine his nonpareil contributions….a vice which regretfully is actively trending in the body politic. The problem is that when we don’t read and reflect on our own, we tend to make judgment based on the information that is being fed to us. It is this perhaps,  that differentiates a ‘blinkered’ from a ‘constructive patriot’! Somewhere in attempts to destroy brand Gandhi, we may well be damaging brand India! It would do the youth a world of good if they could imbibe at least the ‘big five’ core values of the Mahatma, truthfulness, non violence, compassion, self discipline and selflessness. That would be the biggest homage to Gandhi on his 156^th birthday and an invaluable contribution to Viksit Bharat @2047.

There are three aspects of any event or action on which perception is made – what, when and why. The life of Gandhi taught to us, answers the first two, but doesn’t do justice to the third. This is critical to internalize his lessons for self improvement and apply his principles to contemporary challenges, making his enduring legacy relevant for ushering positive societal change. In the existing atmospherics of ‘TACO’ (Trump Always Chickens Out), a tongue-in-cheek reference to the volatility caused by abrupt tariff policy changes, self reliance speaks for itself. Perhaps, the youth too would be better off following in the ‘ahimsak’ footsteps of a home grown lodestar like Gandhi….vocal for local!

In the turbulent and complex geopolitical landscape of today, Gandhi remains relevant not as a source of dogmatic solutions, but as a powerful counter narrative…the  adaption of  his core principles to modern contexts, rather than a rigid adaptation of his every teaching.

There is a reason why Gandhi’s is mentioned as the ‘missing laureate’ on the website of the Nobel Peace Prize, there is a reason why his statue is installed in more than 100 cities globally, there is a reason why he is the most filmed historical figure, there is a reason why over 150 countries have printed stamps featuring him, there is a reason why his picture is printed on every note of Indian currency, there is a reason why he is known as the Father of our Nation….an unparalleled gesture of respect, demonstrating the global impact and inspiration from his life and teachings.  Sometimes hindsight bias can become a decision trap, leading to a flawed assessment of the past. In the Mahatma’s case, it prevents one from seeing his strengths, ultimately limiting one’s own development and perspective. As Jesus Christ said, ‘a prophet is not without honour, except in his hometown and in his  own household’. Hey Ram!

(Major General Rajiv Edwards, VSM** (retd) is a historical researcher and commentator on societal issues.  He is apolitical. Views expressed are personal)