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To Follow or Not to Follow Gandhiji?

Years ago, a powerful short was aired regularly on Doordarshan. It showed a hand painting a silhouette of Gandhiji with the voice-over – “The greatness of this man lay in his simplicity. Let us try and discover the Gandhi in us.”

In light of his 60th death anniversary, we have, over the past few days, heard and read a lot about Gandhiji’s current relevance. Media (including this website) have questioned the validity of his principles in today’s world. At some levels, it has become fashionable to debunk the Man and his ideas.

What we overlook is that Gandhiji offered the complete package for us to follow. Though convenient, it is unfair on our part to find some aspects morally appealing and satisfying, but to consider other ideals of his (especially those that don’t suit us) as outdated.

What is not debatable is that the ends of his economic and social principles were honorable – to fight India’s poverty and social inequity. Whether the means he advocated for achieving the same were something that would have benefited India or not is open to unending argument.

His ideals of economic self-sufficiency, trusteeship, communal living, and shunning of materialism cannot be seen in isolation. They have to be considered in conjunction with his other beliefs – equality of all religions, social reform, the evils of the caste system and alcoholism, the supremacy of truth and non-violence.

The cornerstone of his philosophy was the eschewing of material attractions and moving forward together – as a people, as a society. Are we up to the task?

Maybe not.

The singular first-person pronoun has become more important than the ‘we’. Especially in today’s cutthroat world. How we appear to others (cars, houses, designations, bank balances) holds more weightage for us than what we are able to do for others. We don’t bat an eyelid before investing in the latest iPod or spending exorbitant amounts on lavish meals in fancy restaurants. Yet we think a million times before giving away something to charity. And there also what ultimately propels us is the question of whether it will bring us any tax benefits or not.

It would be unreasonable to label Gandhiji’s ideals of simplicity and humility as outdated. But yes, there is no doubting that they are incongruous – because they represent something we cannot, but should, strive for. That, ultimately, is not a flaw in his philosophy. On the contrary it represents shortcomings in the very nature of extant human thinking. Which is why it is convenient for us to consider his beliefs as ‘irrelevant’.

Gandhiji summed up his philosophy when he said “I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj (i.e. self-rule) for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.”

He showed us a way to better ourselves. It is not easy for us to follow it.

That is our fault not his.

drawing by the author – with due apologies to Renoir and Picasso

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