Musings on Gandhi

I recently read the book “My Experiments with Truth” by M.K. Gandhi. Gandhi is a global phenomenon no doubt about that but how many of us truly know who Gandhi was, what his principles were and why he is so popular? The answer: very few. He is such an iconic figure that we constantly hear rumors about him. Distorted stories of which there can be no possible verification. Phrases like Gandhi “Majboori ka naam Mahatma Gandhi” are heard every day. I heard this phrase first time when I was a little kid. Ever since, I have wondered what it meant. I have received several ludicrous explanations like he had no clothes so he wore just a dhoti but said it was for some higher reasons. The ugliest one explanation being that he slept with a goat on a cold night.
When I had read just a few chapters of “My experiments with truth” two things stood out. One, he was a very simple man. He had no ego. Truth was his motto and he was as truthful about himself as about other things. That he has no qualms describing his mediocrity in law bears proof to this. Second thing that stood out were his high ideals which to me are impractical. He was not realistic which is a good things because at the time breaking free from shackles of hegemony of British was unrealistic, impossible; but he thought it was possible and that too through non-violence. It is tough to imagine what life would have been for us today if Gandhi hadn’t been impractical.
What pains me most is the number of people who spit venom at his name without thought. Till now I had remained quiet whenever people did so. But now that I have gained some knowledge of his life and what his ideals were I am willing to oppose them quite vehemently. A word about these people though. People who immediately spit venom the Gandhi’s name is mentioned are those who do not know anything about him. They do so because he is “supposed” to be a revered icon and saying such sacrilege things makes them appear cool.
Now a word about truth, people who believe in Gandhism often believe that we should not take his actions, words or ideas literally. We should focus on the spirit that drove him. Gandhi stated that he was not yet fully a master of Non-Violence. However, he claimed to be a master of “truth”. That he always spoke truth is not very remarkable when compared to doing what was “right”. Truth is actually translation of word “satya” and as we all know satya doesn’t just stand for truth but also for what is right and just. That is why the slogan “Satyamev Jayate”. We all know what is right. What we ought to do. But how many of us actually do it? How many of us actually have the heart to listen to our inner voice and raise our voice against what we know is wrong? Comparing to Gandhi I had say none. We do not take the right action because we are afraid of the consequence. Here was a man for whom the consequences were same yet he did not falter.
Make no mistake I am not a blind supporter of Gandhi. I barely understand his concept of Ahinsa or his principles which led him to make decisions like not giving his children proper schooling. I do not understand why he chose to risk his own life and more gravely his child’s by obstinately refusing to listen to medical science and relying on home medicine. Though I do understand why he halted Civil-disobedience after Chauri Chaura incident and why he did not try to save Bhagat Singh and his associates, I do not think those decisions were practical. He believed that ends cannot justify means. His suggestion that Jews should have willingly let Hitler take their life, in fact offered their lives to Hitler, is proof of his ridiculous extremism.
What I do admire is a person of no ego. One who always did what he knew was right. I admire a man in whom a whole nation laid faith when they had no means to fight, a man whom everyone forgot as soon as it became convenient so that they could slaughter each other. Now I understand why they say “Majboori ka naam Mahatma Gandhi”, when you can’t fight British Empire use Gandhi’s principle as a last resort, call it Non-Violence. But when they are gone forget Gandhi and butcher each other in name of religion.