The
legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the values pioneered by him goes well beyond the
words present in the lexicon of mere mortals. The great man who conceived the
very idea of India definitely needs to be understood in a comprehensive manner
and his ideas need to be perceived with clarity by everyone for a holistic
development. It is a pity that people consider the Gandhian Philosophy as
obsolete and outdated in today’s world. The evergreen virtues of non-violence,
tolerance, selflessness, simplicity and compassion, which form the core ethos
of our great nation, are sadly disappearing from our society. The association
of today’s people, especially the youth, with Bapu is restricted to enjoying
the public holiday we get on Gandhi Jayanti. It is hard to comprehend a child
who does not care for his father. Similarly, it is hard to comprehend a nation
which does not care for its “father”.
At
all levels, the cult of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has had a deep impact on our
life. The basic identities of an Indian and a devout Hindu have revolved around
the Gandhian Values. The sense of ethics inculcated in us has a lot of convergence
with the Gandhian way of life. According to me, the relevance of the Gandhian Values becomes much more important in today’s world as success has become more
and more demanding. To strive for excellence, the beat source of inspiration
one can ask for is that of the Mahatma, who redefined the way of excellence by
achieving something as monumental as independence of a nation from colonial
rule which lasted for over a 100 years. We should strive to incorporate the
ideals of Gandhiji in our day-to-day lives and explore their relevance and
validity in today’s world. It should be realized that Gandhian values are
indispensable for a perfect lifestyle in the 21st century.
It
is hard to imagine a leader who could motivate the people of an entire country
to fight for their rights. The noble means used by him to mobilise people from
different walks of life is something astonishing. I believe that a leader
should be one who leads by example. The simplicity of the man along with his
steadfastness inspired generations of Indians to realize their potential. In
the monotonous world we live in, “change” has become a cliché. A true leader is
the one who inspires all the stakeholders to proactively participate in the
process that will lead to change by exemplary activities, just as Gandhiji did.
The proverbial quote of Gandhiji literally sums it up:
“Be the change you want to see.”
RONEET MOHANTY
Editor at STIMULUS INDIA
