This week following Gandhi Jayanti, I would like to pay a tribute to Bapuji by sharing a few words on his values and how it has become more than relevant in today’s modern society. Over half a century has passed since his demise, and he is still alive in our minds, maybe, in a subconscious way. In this case, I am not only referring to the urban ‘haves’ but also to ‘have-nots’ who reside in slums and rural areas where I have travelled extensively. The tribal and ethnic population in the interior areas may not recollect his name, but they follow his values to the hilt. The corporate world is equally conscious, and we now have Bill Gates, the a tycoon of the information technology world, who has donated his entire earnings towards charity and sustainable development. In India, we have companies which are intensely involved in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities and acting as trustees of the society in some way. let’s have a look at the Gandhian values and how they have become necessary for a successful life.
Trusteeship: Gandhiji had said corporates should feel they are trustees of the society who earn for their good look after their employees and public. Of course, the modern coporates and those built during the post-Independence era cannot be called as trustees, but they have imbibed the values, and that is a reason why there has not been a single strike in Tata Steel till date. All coporates are getting convinced that they have to give back to the society and especially the neighbours if they have to survive. We cannot have plateaus of rich and poor living side by side without sharing and helping each other. Wherever local people feel that the initiative is not up to their benefit, they have been able to stall projects. The modern day corporates are highly sensitised towards giving back to the society. They may not mention Gandhiji’s name, but they are working on his ideals.
Charity among individuals: While the Western world is shifting from a consumerist society to a holistic one with people oriented towards self-realisation and related values, we are going in the opposite direction. Among the middle and upper-middle classes, we are going towards a Westernised society with consumerism as its ideal. With that comes the fallout of such a change. There are deep crevices in faith and family life. People are looking outwards and get fulfilment from charity and doing selfless service. The acceptance of charity has become a mark of a good person. like in Sweden where people prefer to adopt children from poorer countries rather than give birth, our urban populace is now preferring adoption of a second child so as to save a life and contribute to the society. In the slums and rural areas where people don’t have much, in spite of which they still believe in giving for needy people and stray animals. I feel amazed when I see people in the slums adopting a stray dog or a cat. Definitely, we are following Gandhiji’s ideals which are deeply embedded in the Indian culture.
Sharing: Sharing is an offshoot of charity, and this is more prevalent among the poorer sections. We feel they don’t have money nor access to the basic amenities of life, but in many ways they have a much better community life. They share their problems and are there for each other during good and bad times. If someone has a health problem, the neighbours provide food and help. They also share their tensions and problems whereas among the better-offs sharing a problem or tension is not taken in a good way. Due to the polarisation of society, people are now joining various groups so that they can vent out their problems and share. Gandhiji had opined, maybe not in so many words, that we are all interdependent and need to reduce the barriers and share resources and emotions.
Nonviolence: Bapuji preached nonviolence in everything, especially in people’s movements. At various levels including political parties and between nations, people are realising that violence is not the answer. The movement has to have content and direction in order to succeed. Personally, I am not very much in favour of fasting with the purpose of achieving something, but even recent history has shown that it has worked in many cases. The Satyagraha method was ideal for Bapuji’s period and has proved to be equally sound now.
let’s look forward to an India based on Bapuji’s values and achieve his dream.