People look forward to October 2 every year in the hope that it falls next to a weekend. For, there is nothing better than a long weekend getaway. With each passing year, the day is recognised only for the pleasure it gives as a holiday, rather than as a day marked to observe the life and values of a man whom the world still reveres. As the nation wakes up to this day, mostly reserved for a cleanliness drive, we look at how Gandhi and his principles hold true in a society that is both bogged down by growing intolerance and struggling to live in accordance with the plush new values of capitalism.
Anoop John
While the millennials seems to be silently falling out with some of the ideologies shaped by Mahatma Gandhi, there are those who strive hard to adhere to them. Siddharth Mohan Nair is one such person. Siddharth, who founded the clothing line named DesiTude, is known as the man who reinvented khadi for young India.
Clad in simple dhoti and shirt, Siddharth is also known for strongly sticking to the principles of the Swadeshi Movement. One of the most frequent question that is thrown at him is ‘How are you a Gandhian at such a young age?’ “I don’t think being a Gandhian has got anything to do with age. The minute I say I am a Gandhian, the first response is that of shock and people ask whether my grandparents were part of the freedom struggle. What they don’t understand is that Gandhism is not a complicated concept,” he says.
Muhsin Parari
Siddharth then explains, “First and foremost, I think if a person strongly adheres to speaking only the truth, that itself covers a huge section of Gandhism. Speaking the truth and adhering to the Swadeshi principle are the two things that I follow without fail. But otherwise, I do not think today’s generation can copy all that was exactly followed back then.” Siddharth was influenced mostly by the aspect of speaking the truth when he first started reading up about Gandhi and his ideologies.
“When we look at it from a practical living point of view, the concept of Ahimsa might be a bit philosophical, but speaking the truth and Swadeshi moment are the two things that we can put into practicality in this age. When it comes to the economic aspect of Swadeshi, as a nation we can gain from it,” he explains.
Siddharth Mohan Nair
Anoop John, Founder & CTO, Zyxware Technologies who had conducted a state-wide ‘Freedom Walk’ few years ago says “ The first question is ‘What is Gandhian ideology?’ Is it self governance or is it about being a self dependent community or is it the Swadeshi movement? I adhere strongly to a lot of Gandhian ideologies. I align with the idea of buying locally and consuming locally, supporting the local market and vegetarianism.” He adds “ More than any of this, it is about the underlying values. Why did Gandhi say all this? In my reading, his positions are based on his concern for people and his concern for values.”
Anoop feels it’s not right to give Gandhi a religious shade.
“Sometimes I feel a bit sad to see what is happening in our society now. People are trying to appropriate Gandhiji without trying to truly understand his positions. I strongly believe that we should continue to pursue the values and his concern for humanity. Gandhi’s principles are derived from the thought that ‘I am willing to do something significantly sacrificial so as to help my fellow human beings’.” When it comes to making Gandhism a part of everyday life he says “ Some of these are hard positions and it comes with a cost. I run a company and I insist on people being honest inside the company but that is not necessarily the easiest way for people when they face challenges. Trying to ‘be the change you wish to see’ is not easy, but it is definitely doable as an individual. I try and follow this as best as I can.”
Filmmaker Muhsin Parari has a slightly different take on the concept. “We belong to the millennial generation, growing up in the 90’s. Most of us grew up seeing and living with products that came from outside. We are a generation that is stuck within the global economy as well. We are defining ourselves as global citizens. Then there are MNCs and corporates, even governments are under corporates. When we look at it, even the ‘nation’ is an abstract idea. What I have felt is that the movements like Swadeshi are just romantic ideas for this abstract idea called nation.”
As Gandhi’s principles stand on shaky grounds, today, more than ever, there is a collective need to channelise his vision for the betterment of our country.
