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)Celebrating an Ever-Inspiring Legacy

Indians gained freedom under the leadership of Gandhiji and this year, 2019 we
are celebrating his 150th birth anniversary. While so many years have passed, and
the world has changed, his thoughts remain ever inspiring and his legacy continues
to transform our life and inspiring people across ages in personal and professional
spheres.

Togetherness
India has been a land of many religions, languages, culture and varied geographies
with many small and big states spread over a vast area prior to the independence.
One of Gandhiji’s greatest contributions was to unite people in this diversity,
rising above their differences for a common purpose to fight for our freedom from
the British rule. He triggered a mass movement and making everyone including
villagers feel involved in the fight for country’s freedom. This was done in absence
of advance communication, infrastructure, transport technologies and poor
educational standards of masses. In today’s time where technology has raised
feasibility to spread Gandhiji’s thoughts, its potential to resolve differences and
further unite people is significantly higher than it was during his time. So many
international leaders from different countries on studying Gandhiji’s thoughts have
implanted his philosophies in their community. Hence, let us pledge that we shall
rise above our differences and come together for non-violence, making our
surroundings clean, believe in sustainable use of resources like water, fuel,
electricity and not waste food cultivated by farmers. Even God has made our
fingers of different size, translating into strength and skills, when together. So,
differences are bound to occur, but communities need to find togetherness in
diversity.

Not being Indifferent (concerned, interested )

Since his days in South Africa, Gandhi ji was actively involved in resisting unfair
practices imposed by their government on migrants. He was not indifferent to
things around him and took a lead in expressing disagreement and resistance to
discrimination and unfairness. Gandhiji got an opportunity to express his views and
ideas on several matters of public importance. On one of the occasions, which
actually laid the foundation of the Banaras Hindu University by the Viceroy, he
drew the attention of his listeners to the fact that the entrance to the main
temple of the Lord of Universe, Vishwanath, was through narrow and filthy lanes.
The people had got so used to it that they were indifferent to cleanliness. He also
asked people to pledge 'na main gandagi karoonga, na main gandagi karne doonga'
(I shall not litter and won't allow anyone to do so). Gandhiji further extended his
concern about cleanliness - ‘sanitation is more important than independence’. So
it’s probably the absence of Gandhiji’s philosophies in Governance, and culture
that even to this day the lanes of Varanasi remain dirty. This applies to most part
of India, as we seem to be are indifferent to cleanliness and the Swatch Bharat
mission core theme is change the mindset of people by Not being indifferent to
cleanliness. This indifferent behavior, (insensitive, detached, dispassionate) can
be further extended to many professions like teachers, doctors, police, manager
and many others. Such a professional, in education can become hindrance for a
student full potential, an insensitive doctor will not be able to understand the
patient’s problem rightly and dispassionate employee will not be able to deliver
with excellence. There are many successful people who have given credit to their
teachers for being concerned and taking interest in them and guiding them at right
time.

Doing things differently (leads to innovation )

While around the world there was mostly violence to seek freedom or opposition,
Gandhiji exclusively in his flight for freedom followed the path of non-violence.
This was the first time someone decided to fight with no arms and hurting the
opponent. Gandhiji emphasized that, non-violence is not of the weak. Implying
persuasion for the autocratic to stop his wrong doing by changing his attitude
making life time infectious positive impact. Fighting opponent using arms and
violence requires skill, and massive resources which the common man cannot be
equipped with. The different path of fight chosen by Gandhi ji engaged every
person and the fight did not require huge resources. Successful people think
differently, act differently and ultimately distinguish themselves from
unsuccessful people by taking a distinctive path toward their goals. For example,
in the name of ‘Smart Ciities’, a huge budget is being spent ineffectively on
improving the existing infrastructure. In the line of Gandhiji’s approach of ‘doing
things differently’ Smart City initiatives could consider shifting majority of
outlived government buildings like offices, courts, government residence, main
hospitals, large colleges, etc 10 kms outside the city well connected via ring roads.
The money is generated through selling existing outlived infrastructure. Why not
do things differently for increasing productivity – for example make courts and
dedicated under trial jail together and achieve many advantages. Why not
teachers in early school students reward not only answering but also reward asking
good questions which is a life-skills most students probably lack.

Self Esteem

In mid-1893 Gandhi ji, then a young lawyer inspite of having valid passenger ticket
was thrown out of the train’s first-class compartment. The self esteem and
national pride was hurt and this bitter incident played a major role in Gandhi’s
decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination being faced
by Indians there. While In 1894 at the age of around 25, Gandhi ji was scheduled
to return from South Africa to India and during his farewell party he got to know
that a bill was about to be introduced in the local legislature disenfranchising all
Indians in Natal (a coastal South African province ). Gandhiji’s instincts for fairness
and justice were immediately aroused. He then suggested that outrageous bill
should be strenuously resisted and farewell party was converted into a working
committee. This moment was the foundation and sowed the seed of the fight for
national self respect. Throughout his life he enlightened masses for self respect
through making people aware of their self esteem and national pride. This legacy
of protecting and raising self-esteem is relevant even today and can impact
people’s life. A teacher’s main role in school is to lift the self esteem of students,
employers and managers at workplace to raise the self esteem of employees they
interact with. It is in the interest of the organizations to regularly increase the self
esteem of its stakeholders including supplier, customers, employees and partners.
People need to be cautious about their behavior which could dent the self esteem
of any of the stakeholder and hurt the organizations’ endurance.

Failure is not the end

Gandhi ji had a mediocre beginning – nothing extraordinary to suggest the
immortality he would achieve in the future. He had limited professional success as
a lawyer in India. Gandhi ji in his first small court case in Mumbai was a dismal
failure. He stood up to argue the case but he suffered from such a stage fright that
he remained tongue-tied and handed over the brief to a brother lawyer and rushed
home in shame, without even knowing the result of the case. And this man in after
life was able to address meetings of lakhs of people. In the current Indian context,
‘Failure’ is a dreaded concept; to fail is shameful and painful. It’s sad to read in
newspapers that many young students preparing for IIT and NEET are commiting
suicide on their failure in exams. Gandhiji’s legacy gives message to such students
that ‘early failures are not end of life but opening for new opportunities’. May be
far beyond what they would have got getting into premier engineering or medical
colleges. Sometimes [early] failures and adversity are better preparations for long
term success than effortless progress. One can think of failure as being a learning
experience where one learns, or is forced to learn, how to reinterpret harsh life
experiences. Gandhi the man learned from his failures and transformed himself
into the Mahatma.

Fearlessness
Gandhi ji was free from fear and according to him fearlessness was the first
requisite of spirituality. Cowards can never be moral. According to Gandhiji
fearlessness does not mean arrogance or aggressiveness. That is a sign of fear.
Fearlessness presupposes calmness and peace of mind. For that it is necessary to
have a living faith in God. In first 20 years in South Africa and 35 years in India he
was always fearless and courageous in his struggle opposing unfair British rule. His
fearlessness too was extraordinary or of a very high order. It was during the
Champaran Satyagraha in 1917-18 when he heard that a British Indigo planter
wanted to kill him if he was found alone. He went alone to the residence of that
planter one early morning and offered himself to be killed. The Englishman had no
heart to kill this great and brave soul. He was always courageous and he stood up
boldly for what he considered right. In line with Gandhiji’s thoughts we require
intellectual and honest leadership expressing their though fearlessly and not
 holding their views. It is the fearlessness which will promote entrepreneurship,
take risks and people coming out of their comfort zone. Many students have fear
of exams and doubt to secure the expected marks. The focus and quest for
acquiring the knowledge gives the confidence to student’s fearlessness. Many
people at work express arrogance and the basic cause is probably their internal
fear. Gandhiji’s legacy teaches people that once we are selfless service mindset
and believe in GOD we become fearlessness.

Find the purpose, and the means shall follow

Gandhi was great strategist who integrated politics, spirituality and values and
reached out to millions across India. With no communication technology and very
limited transportation he could reach out to millions of people in cities and
villages. His goal was to change society for good of humanity. As he was clear in
his purpose, the means too followed. Today we have great communication and
transport technology. So, if there is a strong purpose the society has all means to
make the much-needed transformation. Even in today’s context thoughts of
Mahatma Gandhi remain relevant as it were during his times and offer solution to
many global challenges like terrorism, extremism and hate faced by people and
leadership across countries. For example in 2015 government wanted to make
women’s lives smoke free, empowered and healthy (purpose), many lakhs of
people opted out of gas subsidy (means) and enabled the government to achieve
this great purpose. Whether it is simply a cleanliness drive of Swatch Bharat or
another strong initiative and will for universal household electrification (purpose)
the necessary steps (mean ) perhaps do follow.

Service to humanity
Service to humanity was integral part of Gandhi ji life . Democracy for him is not a
matter of phrases but of social realities. All his public activities in South Africa and India can
be understood only if we know his love of the common man. He had an incredible
experience with the people, their lives not only in India but across South Africa and
England as well. He believed that the salvation of his life is through serving the nation
and people whom he loved beyond anything else in the world. During the Anglo-Boer
war in Natal, he offered to organize and equip a corps of Indian stretcher-bearers. But
for Gandhi's prompt action, the outbreak of plague in Johannesburg, in 1904, might
have been far more destructive of life than it was. The young barrister found time to
serve in a small hospital. Ascertaining patient compliant, laying the fact before the
doctor, dispensing the prescriptions. As early as 1894, when he was just 25 years old,
he wanted to help his compatriots in South Africa by saving them from blatant and
crushing racial discrimination. This shows Gandhi's consideration of his fellow men
even at that young age. While in jail in Yerwada, Gandhi inquired with the jail
Superintendent Bhandari about Parchure Shastri who was also arrested along with the
others. Bhandari replied, ‘Parchure has leprosy and has been kept in another section
of the jail’. Gandhiji was utterly shocked! Parchure Shastri was a well-read learned
man and very knowledgeable about the Vedas. He wrote a letter to Parchure telling
him not to lose heart and requested him to keep in touch with him through letters and
arranged cotton for cleaning his wounds. Gandhiji at that time had gone on a fast in
jail and when his life was hanging in the balance the government compromised. The
question arose about who was going to give Gandhi his first sip of juice to break his
fast. Gandhi Bapu wanted Parchure to do that who was in jail at that time. The Jail
Superintendent, Bhandari, watching this scene, could not stop his tears. Let us look
around and each one of us can find many opportunities to help the people who are in
need. This help can as small and simple like providing a cup of tea and clean drinking
water to a guard in housing society is serving us for 10 to 12 hours a day. Why can’t
students consider taking summer projects in serving elderly of needy people at home
or in hospitals. This human service can be extended helping poor students in their
studies. When individuals learn to serve voluntarily they will definitely give superior
response to customers and other stakeholders in their professional and more
responsive to relationship in personal life. The service to humanity attitude can
change the mindsets of people and bring harmony in community.