Gandhi gets a make-over

Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy holds relevance in the present times

WHILE Mahatma Gandhi continues to be an icon for millions of Indians, for the younger generation he is more of a fading symbol of the Independence movement that was brought alive in some ways through Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi.

In a move to ensure greater appeal for his philosophy and teachings, Delhi University is repackaging a paper called "Understanding Gandhi", which seeks to incorporate tools like plays and films to tell students about the man whom Indians revere as the father of the nation and his life’s mission.

The Delhi University authorities said "Understanding Gandhi", a 100-mark paper in the second year of the BA programme, needs to be made more attractive to the present generation.

"The mindset of students in the 21^st century is not similar to that of those from the pre-Independent era. And if we want to inculcate Gandhian philosophy in them, the approach must change," said Vinod Tyagi, member of Gandhi Bhavan, a part of Delhi University that works for promoting Gandhian studies.

"The old Gandhi is no more popular among the young generation in general and we need to package him innovatively," he added.

"We have suggested that actors and filmmakers like Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher and Richard Attenborough, who have been associated with films and plays on Gandhi, should be invited to give lectures.

"The effort will not only create awareness about Gandhi’s ideology but also help in clearing a lot of their doubts about the father of the nation," said Tyagi.

He said Attenborough’s Oscar-winner Gandhi, Kher’s recent Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara, Kamal Haasan’s Hey Ram and Shah’s play Mahatma vs Gandhi should be made part of the course curricula of the university.

The university has already made efforts to go beyond classroom teaching, and nearly 200 students were taken to several places of Gandhian relevance, including the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where Gandhi spent long years of his life.

While the youngsters in general may find Gandhi a boring subject, students at the university have given an encouraging response to the "Understanding Gandhi" course since its introduction in the 2005-06 session, said Tyagi, who is also a mathematics professor at Shyam Lal College.

Students are given an option to choose one out of a group of four papers, including "Understanding Gandhi", in the second year of their graduation.

"During the last academic session, over 50 per cent of the students opted for the subject. In fact, over 90 per cent of students opted for it at the Shyam Lal College," said Tyagi.

The course covers topics ranging from Satyagraha or the Gandhian way of non-violent resistance to the contemporary relevance of Gandhi.

He said Gandhi Bhavan had called for orientation of those teaching the course.

"A better grounding on history and innovative ways to teach the subject will go a long way in making the young generation understand Gandhi. We hope an orientation course for teachers will be of great help.

"Since our vice-chancellor (Deepak Pental) also holds a diploma in Gandhian studies, we are quite hopeful of his support in implementing these ideas," the professor said.

Gandhi Bhavan, meanwhile, has also started a certificate course on Gandhi, consisting of 60 lectures spread over about three months.

"So far 20 students have participated in the certificate course. This year we are also enrolling foreign students in the course and hope a lot of them will be interested in it," Tyagi said. — IANS

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