MAHATMA GANDHI: The apostle of

peace & non-violence

Non-violence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an
inseparable part of our being.

--Mahatma Gandhi

"Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this
one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.” These were the words of the
eminent scientist Albert Einstein about the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi.
Indeed, it is utterly fortunate that we belong to a nation where a messiah of truth,
peace & non-violence was born. Throughout his life, he was passionately devoted
to the divine notions of serving the humanity & spreading the message of
harmonious existence.
In 1915, when he returned from South Africa after completing his education, he
was totally distressed to see the pathetic conditions of the people in India. Deeply
moved by the plight of Indians, he took a resolution to free his motherland from
the tyranny of the Britishers. His crusade against the British regime started with the
Satyagraha movement in 1919 as a protest to the proposed Rowlatt Act. Then came
the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921, which offered stiff resistance to the
oppressive British governance. The Civil Disobedience Movement & the famous
Dandi March in 1930 intensely mobilized a vast multitude of people in striking a
huge blow to the officials. And ultimately in 1942, it was the Quit India Movement
which completely crippled the entire system of autocracy and proved to be the final
nail in the coffin. All these mass agitations compelled them to leave the country
and we eventually attained Independence on 15th August, 1947.
One thing which was very common in all of these movements under the leadership
of Gandhiji was the principle of “ahimsa”. Undoubtedly, the freedom of India has
been possible only because of the crucial contributions of some very prominent
leaders like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Bhagat Singh
etc. But, what differentiates Gandhiji from others was his innate nature of
abstaining from violence. It was his firm believe that non- violence is the greatest
weapon available to fight any kind of injustice. This sheer conviction of mind is
what has made this man of simple body into a person of divine soul.
Today, if Gandhiji is remembered, then it is only because of the rich legacy of
indelible greatness which he had left behind him. Not only in India but in the entire
world, the beliefs & ideas of M.K. Gandhi has incessantly inspired & influenced
millions of people. It is in his honour that 2 nd October is celebrated as International
Non-Violence Day. The anti-Apartheid revolutionary and the Nobel Peace Prize
winner in 1993, Nelson Mandela was highly motivated by Gandhiji’s ideologies.
Immediately after becoming the president, he made India his first port of call
showing the reverence for Mahatma Gandhi he had. All this highlights the deep
impression which the thoughts of Gandhiji has imparted upon the collective psyche
of many people all over the world.
If Gandhiji’s birthdate October 02, 1869 was one of the most fortunate day for
India, then it was January 30, 1948, the day of his assassination, which turned out
to be the saddest day in the history of India ever. Although everyone has to accept
death but when legends die, their legacy lives on. Life of Mahatma Gandhi has
shaped the modern India. But despite the fact that India has evolved into a major
country, there are certain ‘defects’ which has the potential to bifurcate our united
society. Escalating levels of religious intolerance has created an ambience of
disharmony & mutual hatred. This is surely not the India which Mahatma Gandhi
had envisioned.
It must be our moral obligation to preserve the peculiar diversity of country.
Inculcating the habit of tolerance & creating the society where people with
different religious faiths can live happily will be a genuine tribute to one of the
finest souls and a crusader of non-violence and peace that ever lived on this planet.