Yesterday was Gandhi Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest leades of the last century. I received 7 sms conveying best wishes for the day. This is roughly 7 more than what I received last year. Is there a resurgence of Gandhi 58 years after he was silenced by 3 bullets? Or is this short lived euphoria over the success of a comic film? Whatever it is... lage raho!!According to historian Michael H Hart, there are three ways to judge the success of a person:
(i) The smallness of means;
(ii) The greatness of purpose; and
(iii) The results achieved.
MEANS...
If we look at Gandhi through these lenses we find that he was a frail short man (5 ft 3") with no political godfather, no family business to fall back on, no support.. infact nothing as apparent means. What he did have was greatness of purpose and his tools of Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (Truth) and Simplicity.PURPOSE...
His purpose was great - to take on the entire British empire - perhaps more daring than someone taking on the USA today for seeking freedom for a fifth of the world's population and ... that's the catch... WITHOUT ANY VIOLENCE. These surely make the plan great... I mean greatly difficult to achieve. I daresay none of us would even have the courage to take up such a task!
But Ah! ... he had COURAGE, in capital bold letters, font 220 ... and that arose because of his clear conscience and adherence to Truth and non-violence. How many of us would have the courage when we are to meet the King of the British Empire (as Gandhi was invited to in 1913), to go there in our dhoti and shawl and on being asked if we weren't under-dressed for the occasion, coolly reply, "His Highness was wearing enough for both of us!"True... one man with courage makes a majority!!
RESULTS...
And the results - they speak for themselves - freedom achieved without violence, an exemplary ascetic life, the respect of seniors and the love of children, a storehouse of writings (atleast 50,000 pages, as published by the Government of India) and the spiritual father to non-violence adherents such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi among others.
SO...
Einstein said of Mahatma Gandhi (and no, he had never met him, only corresponded with him) - "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked the earth"
We, as heirs of the Gandhi legacy, have a right, nay a duty, to create India's identity with Gandhi's ideals - showing to the world that we deserve and respect Gandhi's heritage, of providing alternate solutions to the conflict and problems in the world today. As Gandhi said, "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?"
Let our remembrance not be short-lived. Let us adopt his ideals in our life..
Let us remember this picture in all that we do from now on:
In all our actions, in all our speech, in all our thoughts, let us think WWGD - 'What Would Gandhi Do In This Situation'.. and then act accordingly.
