His teachings transcend barriers of time & cultures

Hargunbeer Singh

Updated At : 11:01 AM Oct 01, 2024 IST

Gandhi, a man whose impact extended beyond a single community to the entire world, needs no introduction. He had the potential to become the most brilliant lawyer or politician, yet he chose to pursue freedom through non-violence. The pursuit of this goal not only transformed the lives of Indians, but also impacted everyone born after, as his philosophy of achieving freedom through non-violence will continue to inspire people for millennia, not just centuries.

His teachings hold more importance today as compared to a century ago.

He was rightly called the ‘Mahatma’ as he had the demeanor of one. Only a great (Maha) souls (atma) can go beyond the ego. Who might seem weak on the outside to unintelligent, was unknowingly the strongest from inside. During the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917-18, he heard that a British-Indigo planter wanted to kill him if he was found alone. He went alone to the residence of that planter one early morning and offered himself to be killed. The Englishman had no heart to kill him.

Bapu was not courageous, he was aware. He was aware that violence of any kind will always bow down in front of somebody who does not subscribe to it.

Gandhiji did not simply instruct; he inspired through the power of his own character. In our modern age, the catharsis of emotions through physical outlets has become less common. The minds of friends, brothers and countrymen are the most lethal battlefields known to man. A single man has murdered more in his mind than the cruelest conquerors this world has ever seen.

Bapu’s struggle can only be a success if we embody his teachings in our day to day lives by loving everybody unconditionally even if it requires us to tread the path less trodden.

The writer is a student of Class XII, Yadavindra Public School, Mohali