What's the Relevance of Teachings and Philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi in the Age of AI? Mahatma Gandhi's Most Meaningful Sayings which Enlighten Us!!

Abstract:

International Day of Non-Violence:  The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

The name of Mahatma Gandhi transcends the bounds of race, religion and nation-states, and has emerged as the prophetic voice of the twenty-first century. The world remembers Gandhi not just for his passionate adherence to the practice of non-violence and supreme humanism, but as the benchmark against which we test men and women in public life, political ideas and government policies, and the hopes and wishes of our shared planet.

Keywords: Mahatma Gandhi, Philosophies, Teachings, Non Violence, Satyagraha, Swaraj, Trusteeship.

Introduction 

Mahatma Gandhi was a personality of exceptional quality in all regards. He was a man of peace but never compromised to fight for truth and right cause. He was a philosopher and thinker but first of all a man of action. He was a great political leader who shunned conventional politics but held no office. He was extraordinarily pragmatic and adapted himself to changing situations without compromising his basic values and believes. He was a deeply religious but his religion was drew from every faith and was all – inclusive.

2nd October every year is a great day for India as well as for the world. On this day India celebrates the birth anniversary of the father of the nation Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi and International day for non-violence is observed to pay respect and acceptance to the true spirit of non- violence promoted by Gandhiji throughout his life.

Gandhian Philosophy 

Gandhian philosophy starts with the famous line – ‘ Simple living and high thinking’ and its objective is to transform the individual and society. 

Therefore, in the turbulent times where the world is grappled with so many problems, it is imperative to strive to inculcate Gandhian philosophy in various facets of life and governance.

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest figures of history who changed historical discourse by his actions. He was an inventor of a unique way of protest, of struggle for freedom, rights, justice and equality, of emancipation and of empowerment. 

But at the same time he never thought of waging war and violence but in making peace. His weaponry was not arms and ammunition but “truth force”, “satyagraha” as he called it. The moral universe was his field of action.

Major Gandhian Ideologies

Truth and Non-violence: 

There are three main categories of non-violence action:

1. protest and persuasion, including marches and vigils;

2. non-cooperation; and

3. non-violent intervention, such as blockades and occupations. 

Gandhi ji was an apostle of peace. For him the process of change was very important which must be ethical and democratic giving rights to all minorities. He was completely against violence. Because Violence cannot bring about peace. Violence only begets violence. He has given a clarion call for nonviolent resistance against racial discrimination, oppression and injustice. He described Satyagraha as a force born of truth and the love of nonviolence, a moral equivalent of war. In his own words “non-violence is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction, devised by the ingenuity of man”.

They are the twin cardinal principles of Gandhian thoughts.

1. For Gandhi ji, truth is the relative truth of truthfulness in word and deed, and the absolute truth - the ultimate reality. This ultimate truth is God (as God is also Truth) and morality - the moral laws and code - its basis.

2. Nonviolence, far from meaning mere peacefulness or the absence of overt violence, is understood by Mahatma Gandhi to denote active love - the pole opposite of violence, in every sense.

Satyagraha: 

Gandhi ji called his overall method of nonviolent action Satyagraha. It means the exercise of the purest soul-force against all injustice, oppression and exploitation.

It is a method of securing rights by personal suffering and not inflicting injury on others.

Sarvodaya: Sarvodaya is a term meaning 'Universal Uplift' or 'Progress of All'. The term was first coined by Gandhi ji as the title of his translation of John Ruskin's tract on political economy, "Unto This Last".

Swaraj: 

Although the word swaraj means self-rule, Gandhi ji gave it the content of an integral revolution that encompasses all spheres of life. For Gandhi ji, swaraj of people meant the sum total of the swaraj (self-rule) of individuals and so he clarified that for him swaraj meant freedom for the meanest of his countrymen. And in its fullest sense, swaraj is much more than freedom from all restraints, it is self-rule, self-restraint and could be equated with moksha or salvation.

Mahatma Gandhi has given us a clear message not to compromise with injustice, inequality, discrimination, subjugation, and exploitation happening anywhere and to stand always with truth and right cause. Mahatma Gandhi has gone but still he is alive among us and hopefully will be ever as in recent we have seen how teachings of Gandhi is relevant and alive today.

Trusteeship:

Trusteeship is a socio-economic philosophy that was propounded by Gandhi ji.

It provides a means by which the wealthy people would be the trustees of trusts that looked after the welfare of the people in general.

The doctrine of trusteeship is very remarkable and significant doctrine of Gandhi ji. This idea talks about social responsibility of business. In the era where environmental challenges have affected the life of human beings and animals and where private ownership of business is on its continuous rise, the social responsibility of business has globally become one of leading issues at world economic forums. 

This doctrine says business does not only have financial accountability but also has social and environmental responsibility.

Swadeshi: 

The word swadeshi derives from Sanskrit and is a conjunction of two Sanskrit words. ‘Swa’ means self or own and ‘desh’ means country. So swadesh means one's own country. Swadeshi, the adjectival form, means of one’s own country, but can be loosely translated in most contexts as self-sufficiency.

Swadeshi is the focus on acting within and from one's own community, both politically and economically.

It is the interdependence of community and self-sufficiency.

Application of Various Facets of Gandhian Ideology

Truthful Civil Services : 

Truth lies at the core of Gandhian philosophy as he himself has tried to remain truthful throughout his life. Gandhian view of truth was irreversible in different contexts irrespective of the urgency of the situation.

This was why Gandhiji cancelled the Non-Cooperation movement after the satyagrahis deviated from the path of truth and a violent incident of Chaurichaura took place.

This principle of truthfulness to self and to the public is essential for civil servants in the current context to rampant corruption.

Peace And Stability in the World: 

Non-Violence is a key component of Gandhianism, which was the great weapon used by Gandhiji during the freedom movement of India against British Raj.

Gandhiji believed non-violence and tolerance require a great level of courage and patience.

In a world that is moving through the phases of war marred by violence and terrorism, there is a significant requirement of Gandhian idea of Non- violence more and more today than the past days.

Secularism: 

Gandhian philosophy was tolerant towards all religions and the world today needs more and more religiously and faith wise tolerant people in societies where violence is committed in the name of religion.

Tolerance in the society will help in neutralizing the ethnocentric bias in the globe that is taking place day by day on the basis of religion, caste, ethnicity and region etc.

Creation of Casteless Society: Gandhiji was against the caste system and coined the term Harijan to pay respect to the lower caste people.

As the Caste system is still prevalent in the Indian society, the Gandhian philosophy is useful to create a casteless society where everyone is treated equally irrespective of their caste.

Gandhian Socialism: 

Gandhian view of socialism is not political but more social in its approach, as gandhiji thought of a society with no poverty, no hunger, no unemployment and education and health for all.

Relevance of Gandhism current perspectives 

Although it is widely believed that Gandhism is a challenge to pursue in the 21st century; that is not the case. 

Gandhi’s principles can be applied in the following ways in today's contexts:

In Concept of Congenial Society: 

The contemporary society is a complex whole which is neither value-oriented nor purely speculative. Tradition and authority which were once revered are now utterly disregarded. The whole of humanity is steered by jealousy, distrust, suspicion and hatred. Violence, poverty and intolerance are on the rise. The outer homogeneity brought by science and civilization doesn’t emanate with the inner unity of our souls. So, there is a dire need to reform our minds. He says that adherence to truthfulness should be our only purpose of existence. The ultimate end of the individual is the realization of truth and justice through consistent endeavours, not only for ourselves but for the entire humanity.

Economy: 

While it is generally recognized that socialism can’t be established without the use of force, Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of socialism involves the use of non-violence. He didn’t believe in extremes and neither appreciated complete liberty, as in a capitalist democracy, nor regimentation as in communist dictatorships. His idea was that power is to be as decentralized as possible. Globalization means integration of world economies through cross-country exchange of goods, ideas, information, and many services. Dominant economies with the aid of Multinational Companies and International Organizations are serving their interests to the extent that often the interest of the poor countries is compromised.

Education: 

Mahatma Gandhi thought that humanization of knowledge can lead us to immunization of ideas against communal distrust. He was critical of traditional education and said that being literate doesn’t mean being educated.

Swaraj: 

Swaraj meant to be free from external influences and foreign control. Now the country is independent and free from any external control. In today’s competitive and fast-paced world, there must be control over our inner conscience. Self-empowerment is the need of the hour. Every person should search for their own identity, and shouldn’t try to fit themselves in the moulds created by society.

Technology: 

The Gandhian principles are still relevant and technology can be used to enhance their effectiveness. The main tenet that he propagated was Satya.

Decentralization of power:

Gandhian idea of decentralization of power can be implemented in democracies through empowered local self governments at grass root level. Indian government, for instance, has implemented local self government by adopting the Panchayati Raj and Municipality system in rural and urban areas respectively.

Cleanliness: Gandhiji laid great emphasis upon cleanliness or Swacchta, as he used to say- ‘Swacchta Hin Seva’.

The recent Swacchta Bharat Abhiyaan, the biggest cleanliness drive of India, is to fulfill the dream of Bapu by making India clean.

However, this cleanliness drive is more than physical cleanliness and the need to lay more emphasis upon the internal cleanliness of the individual.

Thus, along with clean roads, toilets for a clean India we require a corruption free society with greater levels of transparency and accountability too.

Sustainable Environment for quality life: Gandhiji held that “Earth has enough for Human needs, But not for Human greed’s”. These lines of Mahatma Gandhi reflect upon how human behaviour destroys nature and how a sustainable way of living is the need of the hour. The world is whirling under the burden of global warming, climate change and resource crunch and all environmental conservation treaties and sustainable development efforts must implement this Gandhian philosophy.

Ethical Importance and respect to all considering equal to all: 

On the ethical and behavioural part Gandhianism has much significance today because society is witnessing the degradation of values.

Societal values have degraded to such an extent that people don’t hesitate to kill someone for the gratification of their own needs.

Respect for women:

Respect for women is one of the major ideas of Gandhian philosophy and the world is witnessing the increased level of violence, subjugation women face nowadays in society. Thus, Gandhian dream of a safe country necessitates social consciousness and women emancipation.

To sum up, these Gandhian philosophies and ideologies will continue to act as the lighthouse for Indian policy makers.From poverty alleviation to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and universal health care (Ayushman Bharat) to skill India programs everywhere the core inspiration comes from Gandhianism.

Best Messages and Quotes of Mahatma Gandhi

• Poverty is the worst form of violence.
• Non-violence is a weapon of the strong.
• Non-violence and truth are inseparable and presuppose one another.
• We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it.
• You must be the change you want to see in the world."
• An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
• The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
• In a gentle way, you can shake the world.

• The future depends on what we do in the present.

• It’s easy to stand in the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone.

• Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but to change ourselves.

• My life is my message.

• It does not require money to live neat, clean, and dignified.”

• Service without humility is selfishness and egotism.”

• Speak only if it improves upon the silence.

• Hate the sin, love the sinner.”

• Relationships are based on four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and appreciation.”

• Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment.”

• Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
  

• There are two days in the year that we can not do anything, yesterday and tomorrow.
  

• There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.

• Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

• Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.

• Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”

• Man should forget his anger before he goes to sleep.”

• The real ornament of a woman is her character, her purity.

• Look at the sparrows; they do not know what they will do in the next moment. Let us literally live from moment to moment.”

• Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

• In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

• Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”

• Knowledge gained through experience is far superior and many times more useful than bookish knowledge.

• A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.
  

• Your action expresses your priorities.
  

• The future depends on what you do today.
  

• It is the quality of our work which will please God and not the quantity.
  

• Live simply so that others may simply live.
  

• The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
  

• Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening.
  

• Self-respect knows no considerations.
  

• Compassion is a muscle that gets stronger with use.
  

• God has no religion.
  

• Every home is a university and the parents are the teachers.

• There is no ‘way to peace', there is only ‘peace’.
  

• There is no ‘way to peace', there is only ‘peace.
  

• Truth is one, paths are many.
  

• Life is but an endless series of experiments.
  

• When you are right, you have no need to be angry. When you are wrong, you have no right to be angry.
  

• Nobody can hurt me without my permission.
  

• To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.
  

Conclusion

Hence, in conclusion, we may say that

1. Mahatma Gandhi bequeathed to us three guiding principles: Ahimsa (nonviolence), Satyagraha (the force born of truth and nonviolence) and Sarvodaya (upliftment of all). 

2. Non Violence, Satyagraha and Sarvodaya are valuable principles that should be followed by us if we want to deal effectively with today’s challenges.

3. Gandhiji’s political contributions offered us Independence but his ideologies enlightened India as well as the world even today after so many years. 

4. Every individual, thus, should follow the key Gandhian ideologies in their day to day life for a happy, prosperous, healthy, harmonious and sustainable future.

Most Informative Worth Reading References on Mahatma Gandhi.

1. ABP

The Amrit Bazar Patrika.

Asia

Monthly magazine, published from America.

Auto

An Autobiography of The Story of My Experiments with Truth by M. K. Gandhi. Navajivan Press, Ahmedabad. Second Edition, May, 1940.

CB

Congress Bulletin. Published by the All India Congress Committee, Allahabad.

CP

Constructive Programme: Its Meaning and Place by M. K. Gandhi. Navajivan Press, Ahmedabad, 1944 .

C. P. Ministerial Crisis (1937-38) - Bulletin published by the All India Congress Committee, Allahabad.

Ceylon

With Gandhiji in Ceylon by Mahadev Desai. S. Ganesan, Triplicane, Madras, 1928.

Ed.Rec.- Educational Reconstruction. Hindustani Talimi Sangh. Segaon, Wardha, C.P Second Edition, March, 1939.

ER

Ethical Religion by M. K Gandhi. S. Ganesan, Triplicane, Madras S.E. 1930.

EVI

Cent Percent Swadeshi or Economics of Village Industries by M. K. Gandhi. Navajivan Press, Ahmedabad, 1938.

Gandhiji

Gandhiji: His Life and Works. Edited by D. G. Tendulkar, M. Chalapati Rau, Mridula Sarabhai, Vithalbhai K. Jhaveri. Karnataka Publishing House, Bombay, 1944

Ganesh

M.K.Gandhi Speeches and Writings. Ganesh &Co. Madras,1918

GC

Gandhiji's Correspondence with the Government 1942-44. Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad. Second Edition, September.

GH

A Guide to Health by Mahatma Gandhi translated from the Hindi by Rama Iyer. M.A. S. Ganesan Triplicane. Madras,1930.

Gram Udyog Patrika

H

The Harijan 1933 onwards.

HS

The Hindustan Standard.

IC

India's case for Swaraj by Mahatma Gandhi, Edited and Compiled by W. P. Kabadi, Feb.1932.

IHR

Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule by M. K. Gandhi. Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad.

Incidents in Gandhiji's life

Edited by Chandrashankar Shukla, Vora and Co. Bombay, 1949.