Mahatma Gandhi is no longer with us, but it is impossible to forget his ideals and deeds. About Mahatma Gandhi, an imminent intellectual of the 20th century, Albert Einstein said, “Generations to come will scare believe that such a person in flesh and blood ever walk on this planet.”
A bald-head Mahatma Gandhi dressed with home-spun loin clothes; tire sandals, steel framed glasses, and a bamboo walking staff and simplicity of Gandhi’s personality reflect the embodiment of peace and harmony, and high moral virtues inspiring humanity across the globe in today’s conflict prune world.
Gandhi said that the root of every violence or conflict is untruth and that the only permanent solution of conflict is truth. Consequently, to resolve conflicts, he conceived of a novel technique which he called Satyagraha. Literary, it means Satya (Truth) with Agraha (Firmness) or unwavering search for the truth. Since the only way of getting the truth is by non-violence or love Satyagraha implies an unwavering search for the truth using non-violence, which he emphasizes as the most potent method of ensuring an endurable peace.
In this context, Gandhi further said, “Truth is God; Non-violence is love in action; and peace, the result of enduring conflict resolution, is the fruit of satyagraha.” With nothing but simplicity, truth and honesty, Gandhi developed a powerful weapon – Satyagraha which also means ‘insistence on truth using non-violent non-cooperation and employed it successfully to win freedom, independence, reform and quality of all human beings.
As a reformer, Gandhi stood for the weaker section of the society. He was a casteless crusader of women’s equality, who brought the women out of their homes and made them equal participants in all walks of life – social as well as political. Many of his closest associates were women. He never considered women to be unfit for any position or task.
Gandhi was a role model; his whole life was dedicated to serve the lowliest men and women – the illiterate indentured labourers in South Africa, the untoucahbles in India, the poor labourers in the cities and the poor farmers in the villages spread throughout India.
Gandhi is universally known as the ‘Apostle of Peace and Non-violence’. His Heroic struggle to bring together the people of India in their search for sovereignty is unparalleled. He was an extraordinary leader of peace and human rights. Numerous leaders including Dr Martin Luther King, Jr and Nelson Mandela , employed Gandhi’s tools to accomplish some extraordinary results in their own struggles.
As a tribute to the ideals espoused by Gandhi, the government of India launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary. This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.
We must be proud of our great leaders Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our nation. The need of the hour in Nagaland today is peace among ourselves. Let the people especially, the leaders of our society have the mind of Mahatma Gandhi.
Mrs Sentikumla Longchar
Vice president
Akhil Bharat Rachnatmak Samaj (All India Gandhian Workers’ Society),
Nagaland Branch
