bhat.log() > web

It’s simple, just a days work, it works

Is Mahatma Gandhi still relevant?

with 3 comments

Look around you, what do you feel is the most common emotion in people?

Fear.

Fear is one of the prevalent feeling around us.

Fear of failure.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of being left behind.

Name it, and every action of modern people does have a sense of fear behind it.

A great lesson to be yet learned by people of India.
Un-fortunate, but people of India seem to have either dietified him (Mahatma, 8th avatar of Vishnu, etc …)
or deride him and his non-violence movement as a weak man’s reaction to oppression.

Just y’day a relation of mine said he did not support Gandhiji’s values on non-violence as that was a weak persons reaction. Strength has to be answered with strength.

A 55 year old man still does not understand that non-violence is a position of strength! I was appalled.
What did Gandhiji teach? What lessons did he leave behind? I needed a reason to read his autobiography (Story on experiments with truth) and looks like I have it now ( I should read it at least within this year :) ).

A thought comes to ones mind, isn’t overcoming authority by non-violence a position of strength?
Doesn’t overcoming our fear and replacing it with resolve to overcome our obstacles a position of strength?
Being honest to self whatever be the situation, isn’t that one of most difficult things to achieve?
Shaking a stick menacingly at someone, but hands shivering with fear on the outcome, or ruling with fear, when
does these become a position of fear?

Come may any storm, I will face it. Come may any fear, I will face it. What I feel is right, I will do it.
That’s what I feel are the teachings from the great teacher. Overcome your fear and let a steely resolve overcome you to do good.
That’s what he thought.

  • Being fearless.
  • Being honest.
  • Fight in-justice.

If all three are not present then they haven’t imbibed Gandhiji’s lessons.
You need all these three attributes in equal measure to say it follows “Non-violence”/Gandhiji’s movement.

Written by Satish Bhat

April 5th, 2005 at 5:39 pm

Posted in General

3 Responses to 'Is Mahatma Gandhi still relevant?'

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'Is Mahatma Gandhi still relevant?'.

  1. Wow. Read it. Probably the best 40 bucks I ever spent. I actually went to the Gandhi Bhavan(yes Bangalore has one) to buy his “story of Satyagraha” -an earlier work. Also an excellent read.

    P.S. who’s the relative? Years ago – as a teenage jerk – I picked the book up in Sankesa and Subbapa mama saw that. He wanted to discuss the book but I squashed all that by replying it looked boring! I actually was f–ked up enough to think that Gandhi had a crappy writing style!! I guess the teacher comes only when the student is ready.

    girish

    4 Jul 06 at 11:34 am

  2. Good thought. Read it today, and liked it a lot.
    you are right, people do Gandhi bashing or Gandhi worship. It is not easy

    Being fearless.
    Being honest.
    Fight in-justice.

    and yet people boast they are not weaklings.
    Good to know that there are people who think this way, most people i see now-a-days dont have the time for these things… they probably do not remember Gandhiji even on the Gandhi Jayanti. He is just another holiday.

    swapnita

    7 Sep 06 at 11:36 am

  3. bhat bhai ban gaya munna bhai
    good bhati carry on the good work..

    shanu

    22 Jul 07 at 10:30 pm

Leave a Reply