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A Peaceful Fighter for Human Dignity

 

The Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi – A Peaceful Fighter for Human Dignity

Nowadays, when world peace seems extremely fragile and short-lived, we remember Mahatma Gandhi – the 'Great Soul of India' – with gratitude. Named the 'Father of the Indian Nation', he was a peaceful fighter for freedom and human dignity. He inspired movements for civil rights across the globe, for he believed all humans are equal, no matter their gender, race, spiritual and religious beliefs, nationality, ethnicity, social background, or occupation. A man, who lived simply and promoted living in harmony with nature, still lives with us in his tremendous legacy that spans over decades.

From the day of his departure – 30 January 1948 – till recent days, Gandhi's ideals remain vivid and inspire countless individuals to work towards interfaith dialogue, for moral politics, and help to create non-violent social changes. His views on living a simple and close-to-nature lifestyle are gaining importance in the efforts for environmental justice and positive climate change.

Sri Mahaprabhuji visited Gandhi

The message of Mahatma Gandhi – "Be the change you want to see in the world" – is deeply interwoven with the principles of Yoga in Daily Life. Its founder, Vishwaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda (Vishwaguruji), has established the Sri Swami Madhavananda World Peace Council, embodying the message of Sri Swami Madhavananda and Mahatma Gandhi. This initiative promotes global peace, interfaith dialogue, human and animal rights, environmental conservation, ethical education, and a healthy lifestyle.

During a visit to Gandhi’s ashram, Vishwaguruji shared Gandhi’s teachings: “Gandhiji said, 'Renounce! We have too many things. Lead a simple life: simple living and higher thinking.' Gandhiji also said, 'Mother Earth has enough for our needs, but not for our greed.' We must give up greed, protect nature, plant more trees, keep our rivers and lakes clean, and adopt a natural, simple, lifestyle."

Vishwaguruji's spiritual teacher, Paramhans Swami Madhavananda, mentioned Gandhiji in his book, Lila Amrit, where he described the meeting between his Guru, Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji, and Gandhiji: 'Once, when Mahaprabhuji and some disciples were in Mount Abu, they decided to go to Sabarmati, the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi came to the door of the ashram to welcome Mahaprabhuji and indeed, it was a great moment when these two outstanding personalities met.'

This was just one of many meetings these two great personalities had. Once they met in Pushkar and the last one was in Delhi for the declaration of India's Independence Day.

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Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji

Mother – his shining example

Though Gandhi led a very simple life in his later years, his beginnings were not so humble. Born on 2 October 1869, in Porbandar, a coastal city of Gujarat, in then British India, he was named Mohandas. His father, Karamchand, served as the Chief Minister, and Putlibai, his mother, came from a wealthy background.

Gandhi loved his mother dearly, her shining example had determined his destiny. She introduced him to religious rituals early on in life. A remarkably pious woman who would compassionately nurse everyone. Indifferent to glamorous jewellery, she often prayed and took long fasts. She read the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran and the Bible, and frequently enjoyed the company of the holy men of all religions as visitors in their house.

After Gandhi married Kasturbai, he continued his schooling. In 1888, his family sent him to England, where he took classes in English literature and studied law. Before he left India, he promised his mother he would not touch meat, alcohol, tobacco or women. He got his mother's blessing, but he was excommunicated from his caste, whose elders believed that the West would make him compromise his religion.

The first taste of injustice

Gandhi graduated and became a barrister. However, soon after he returned home, he embarked on another journey. In 1893 he left for South Africa (then part of the British Empire), for he was hired by an Indian merchant from Johannesburg. While there, he experienced discrimination due to his skin colour and ethnic background – thus his views began to change and his life took a drastic turn.

As a man of colour, he was not allowed to sit with the first-class white passengers in the stagecoach; instead, he should sit on the floor, by the driver. He didn't obey, so he was beaten. He walked on the public footpaths and was consequently kicked by a police officer. When he refused to leave the train's First Class section, he was thrown off the train.

He then sat on the station, shivering all night, pondering his response to such injustice. Though he was inhumanely humiliated, he chose a path of peaceful protest. While he employed non-violent civil disobedience, he began the civil rights campaign for the Indian community’s struggle in South Africa.

Live simply!

Mahatma Gandhi embodied one of his often-cited quotes, "Live simply so that others may simply live." As he became more involved in public struggles, his way of life became very simple. He cut down his expenses by washing and ironing his clothes. A white barber refused to cut his hair, so he cut it himself. His diet consisted of raw food. He ate fresh fruits and nuts, for he believed that helped to strengthen his spirit. He undertook fasts, believing that increased his willpower.

Hermann Kallenbach, a white farmer, was so impressed by his way of life, that he offered him a farm near Johannesburg. There Gandhi created a community, where people of different nationalities, religions and colours, worked and lived together as one family. And Gandhi worked with others.

Peaceful protests in India

Soon after returning to India in 1915, he led farmers and labourers in peaceful protests against discrimination. He conducted nationwide campaigns to ease poverty, expand women's rights, build religious and ethnic amity, and end untouchability (untouchability means discrimination against members of the 'untouchable' caste).

In a village near Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, he established a self-sufficient residential community – the Sabarmati Ashram. He believed that true freedom might only be acquired by a simple lifestyle in a self-sufficient community.

Symbol of freedom

During one of his visits to the villages, he noticed that ladies did not cover the upper part of their body. Upon enquiry about such strange behaviour, his wife told him that they are so poor that they have only so much cloth to cover themselves either top or bottom. From that moment Gandhi swore never to wear clothes while the poorest were not able to wear them, and then he started wearing a dhoti (the short piece of cloth, arranged around the waist). He weaved the cloth for his dhoti by himself on a charkha – a spinning wheel. From that time onwards the charkha became a symbol of freedom and led to the current design of the Indian national flag.

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Mahatma Gandhiji

Coexistence of different faiths

Gandhi wrote that he did not make any distinction between temple, mosque, and church. He added, "Though my reason and heart long ago realised the highest attribute and name of God as Truth, I recognise Truth by the name of Rama."

India's freedom, based on religious pluralism, was Gandhi's bold vision. When at age 78, he led an interfaith prayer meeting in New Delhi, on 30 January 1948, three bullets ended his life. The meekest man's life was taken, because he believed in the coexistence of different faiths. His ideals of religious pluralism in India were unacceptable to those who could not understand him. Gandhi fell to the ground and whispered. "Hey, Ram! (Oh, God!)"

Gandhiji’s unwavering commitment to non-violence (ahimsa), truth (satya), simplicity, and the coexistence of faiths, remains a guiding light for humanity. His teachings call us to live with purpose, compassion, and reverence for all life – a timeless legacy for a better world.

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