“Truth and non-violence are as old as hills.” – Mahatma Gandhi
A man who never broke his principles; was spiritually committed to the independence of India; thought about the downtrodden. A man who loved villages; who threw off his barrister’s attire and adopted khadi; a man who lived like a common man. Mahatma Gandhi was a true patriot and a practical leader of India’s freedom struggle.
Gandhiji’s various thoughts were inclusive and have universal importance. In this era of chaos and development, we need to ponder on his thoughts and apply them in our daily lives, for the sake of humankind.
What Can We Achieve Through The Application Of Gandhiji’s Thoughts?
First and foremost, we need to inculcate the principles of truth and non-violence into our lives. Violence is not only physical but emotional and verbal as well. While there is a lot of debate on the physical aspects of violence, we need to consider other aspects and remove them from our lives. We never know when our words and behaviours can become violent, in terms of mental abuse, or how they discourage others.
Secondly, his ideas on the environment can help to tackle the numerous challenges of climate change. He always talked about limiting consumption and being less materialistic. Thus, in order to create more balance in the environment, we should consume resources more responsibly.
Gandhi’s spiritual linkage with politics, for example, ‘Satyagraha’ (a policy of passive resistance), expressed the utmost will to attain something extraordinary; it was a simple act of including spirituality in the fight for freedom from oppression.
On the 150th anniversary of Gandhiji, let us all join hands to rediscover his ethos in ourselves, and society, to make this world a better place to live in. Gandhi is in my memories always!