Mahatma Gandhi: A man synonymous with India. Nobody deserved Nobel Peace Prize more than Mahatma Gandhi. Nobody deserved more respect and love than Gandhi. But, nobody gets more criticism than Gandhi( especially by Indians). So isn’t it quite surprising for many of you to see Gandhi topping the list of people I admire.
Gandhi was no emperor, not a military general, not a president nor a prime minister. He was neither pacifist nor a cult guru. Who was Gandhi ? If anything, Mohandas K. Gandhi was a constant experimenter. Mahatma gave us the freedom by revolutionary concept of non-violence, non-cooperation and satyagraha. He was the best communicator known to us. He won the hearts of people even in a new nation like South Africa.
During my Gandhi sessions, I reiterate that he was the best example of servant leadership. He was equally terrific example of authentic and situational leadership. Beyond his politics and philosophy, he was a linguist and health expert. I am glad that Gujaratilexicon has played a small part in digitising his dictionary. His ideas on women empowerment, village economy, self-reliance, untouchability and health are timeless.
Majority of Indians have not understood Gandhi and we label him as a bygone phenomenon. But I feel he is more relevant today than ever before.
Gandhi is in us. Let’s rediscover him.
Will we?
I get hope from T S Eliot’s lines:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Image: My favourite anecdote of Gandhi’s visit to Lancashire mills….