QUES . Critically explain that Gandhiji’s ideas and philosophy are relevant and practicable in the 21st century. UPSC IES/ISS EXAM 2019. General Studies. 200 Words. 5 Marks

Today, world problems are not limited to internal conflicts and matters. Issues like border management, environmental problems, nuclear issues, or the deepening moral crisis of humanity, etc are on the rise.

We are living in a world that is divided increasingly day by day by global unrest, fear, anger, hatred, discontent, despair, immorality, etc., and the number and intensity of ethnic and religious conflicts seem to grow, gaining higher and higher intensity all around the world.

Past examples have proved that war and violent ways to resolve such conflicts are not always a good idea. It will lead to bloodshed and a loss of human life and resources and slow down the process of our development. In this context remembrance of Gandhi and his ideas seems pertinent.

Gandhi, who helped India achieve freedom, served as an inspiration for nonviolent civil rights and social reform organisations around the globe. Gandhi is known for his ideas, which sparked global campaigns for civil rights and independence.

Gandhi’s ideas and philosophy can be used to address today’s global concerns, including those connected to human rights, sustainable development, climate change, sociopolitical instability, war and peace, terrorism, political and administrative corruption.

Gandhian concepts and their relevance in todays world

Sarvodya

Sarvodya means the development of all the section of the society irrespective of caste, creed, colour, sex and religion.

The concept of Sarvodya can be very useful in the present day society, especially in the Indian society where people are discriminated on the basis of case, creed, religion, gender and color. So, in such a situation the concept of Sarvodya can be very influential. This concept can help in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.

Sustainable lifestyle

Gandhi constantly advocated for minimising demands since human greed is destroying environment and a sustainable lifestyle is necessary in our day and age. According to him, “there is enough on earth for human needs but not enough for human greed.” Global warming, climate change, and resource depletion are the three main issues faced by the world today. Thus, Gandhi’s thought must be incorporated into all environmental agreements and sustainable development initiatives.

Nonviolence

As the world struggles with terrorism and other forms of violence, Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolence philosophy is extremely important. It has become a trend/fashion of the world to treat evil with more evil. Using forces to discipline a wrong doer has been adopted normally by all the nations.

But, history is witness to the fact that violent leads to more violence. We can dominate our enemies by arm forces and power but can we neutralize hatred? The only answer to this question is to promote a culture of non-violence.

If non-violence is practiced as the highest human value and way of life by all the nations then our world is going to be a paradise. If all the nations and their citizens adopt non-violence in their attitude there will be progress at all levels of human existence. Nations will have no need to produce arm forces; they will not devote time, energy, money in the development of sophisticated arms. People will not be killed; they will not loss their lives as a result of violent incidents.

Mahatma Gandhi’s five pillars of nonviolence: respect, understanding, acceptance, appreciation, and compassion are basic to our existence.

Swadeshi

Even today, as the government works to make India self-sufficient, Gandhi’s concept of swadeshi is still widely held.

Trusteeship

According to Gandhi people who are rich and well off should understand that they are trustee of that wealth and should do something for marginalised people which is very much relevant in today’s world. Corporate Social Responsiblility emerged from this concept of Gandhi.

Means and end concept

In the current time where political parties are running to win elections with whatever means, Gandhi’s means and end philosophy is very much relevant. It states that if your means are correct you should not be concerned about the ends it will ultimately lead to good ends.

Swaraj or self rule

At the individual level swaraj is vitally connected with the capacity for dispassionate self-assessment and self reliance. This principle is very much need of the hour as authorities in power now hold so much power to control individual actions be it cyber surveillance in the name of security or be it Pegasus the spyware for targeted surveillance state can monitor individual and can misuse data for its benefits.

Satyagraha

Satyagraha is a relentless search for truth and determination to reach truth not by inflicting of suffering on the opponent, by on one’s self. It literally means holding on to truth.

The present day society is infected with fear, selfishness, dishonesty, lies, exploitation and corruption. That’s why the theory of Satyagraha is most relevant in the modern day society to resolve these problems.

In today’s world, where misinformation and fake news proliferate, Gandhi’s emphasis on truth is more relevant than ever.

Basic education

Basic education is generally interpreted as education through craft. Holistic development of the child is one of the goals of basic education. The world population is growing higher and the rate of unemployment is growing similarly.

Gandhiji’s education is needed to overcome this unemployment. Because students will earn their education expenses with the help of their own handicrafts and they will get some relief from unemployment. Alongside it will promote the local industries and crafts.

Communal harmony

Gandhi consistently worked to promote inter communal unity that is urgently needed.

Decentralisation

The 73rd and 74th amendments, which gave local self-governments more power, helped India execute the Gandhian principle of decentralisation which is very much needed in a big and diverse country like India.

Honour persons from lower castes

To honour persons from lower castes and in opposition to the caste system, Gandhiji used the term “harijan.”

After decades of independence the exploitation of low-caste laborers is still going on and the rigid assignment of demeaning occupations on the basis of caste, keep lower-caste populations in a position of economic and physical vulnerability. Thus Gandhian philosophy to honour persons of lower castes is very much needed.

Cleanliness

Gandhi was a strong supporter of “Swachhata” and paid close attention to cleanliness. His vision of a clean India has been realised by “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.”

Women empowerment

Gandhi played a significant role in bringing women out of their domestic work and make them self reliant which is still relevant today.

A society free from hunger, unemployment and poverty

Gandhi envisioned a society where there was no hunger, no unemployment, no poverty, a healthy environment, and everyone had access to education and good health. These Gandhian philosophies will keep influencing Indian policymakers. As we can see, his ideas have had an impact on everything from poverty alleviation to “Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan” to “Ayushman Bharat” to “Skill India.”

Even after so many years, Gandhiji’s beliefs continue to enlighten both India and the rest of the globe. Thus, in order to live a happy, prosperous, healthy, peaceful, and sustainable existence, there is a need to adhere to the core Gandhian ideologies.

Must read: Constructive Program of Mahatma Gandhi

External link: https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2302179.pdf