Mahatma and non-violence

Maulana Abdur Rahman *

Manipur pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on National Cleanliness Day on October 02 2016

In the name of God, Most Gracious and Most Merciful.

M.K. Gandhi's Important Events:

1. Date of birth: The 2nd October 1869
2. Born to Karamchand and Putlibai Gandhi, of Bania caste, Youngest of seven.
3. Place of birth: Porbandar in Gujarat.
4. Age at the time of marriage : 12/13 years (1881)
5. Age when he left England for higher studies : 18 years
6. Age at the time of arrival to India after studies : 21 years.
7. Age of qualification for the bar in England : 23 years(1891)
8. Age when he left India for South Africa for practicing law : 25years(1893)
9. No. of years he stayed in South Africa : about 21 years.
10. Year of coming back to India : 1914/1915 (at the age of 45years)
11. Name of struggles for Indian Independence: Satayagraha Campaign 1917, Non-cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement including Dandi March 6th April 1930, Quit India Movement 1942.
12. Swaraj/Independence: 15th August 1947
13. Date of Martyr: 30th January 1948
14. No of years he survived:79 Years.
15. Children : sons – Harilal Gandhi (1888-1948) Manilal Gandhi (1892-1956), Ramdas Gandhi (1897-1969) and Devdas Gandhi.

"Generation to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such one as ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth" Albert Einstein.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India. He became one of the most respected spiritual and political leaders of the Twentieth Century. Gandhi helped free the Indian people from British rule through nonviolent resistance, and is honoured by his people as the father of the Indian Nation.

Today, the 2nd October 2007 is 149th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Democratic Republic of India, and is observed as the National Cleanliness Day throughout India.

Cleanliness in today's parlance should be religiously a massage of cleaning ones inner-self, the invisibility in human being, and the environment that is visible all around us. One may agree with the fact that unclean mind and the filthy environment are the sources of all the evils both from the point of view of health, hygiene and social order. Today the society urgently requires for cleansing them and the mother earth by and large. Charity begins at home.

So let us start from the mind and body of the self then to members of the family and to our own houses before we embark on the neighbourhood, the society and so on. Today let us do this homework if we really mean National Cleanliness Day. Cleanliness is an important day-to-day affair and not annual. We can read its emphasis in the context of the observance of National Cleanliness as it has become writing on the wall. The true meaning therefore does not lie in the observance as a show and pretence on this particular day only and forget for the rest of the year.

Today is also the International Day of None -Violence as it was enacted by the UNO on the 2nd October 2007. This shows that none-violence today is relevant nationally and internationally.

Gandhiji's message of peace and non-violence:

Non-violence tempered with complete peace is the personal practice of being harmless to self and others under every condition. It comes from the belief that hurting people, animals or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and refers to a general philosophy practised by M.K. Gandhi. This philosophy was correctly translated into actions wherein the actioners were the general mass in the Indian subcontinent.

In his plan of actions for achieving the Swaraj or independence the immediate requirement was only involvement of the people by and large. He left no stone unturned to achieve it. The whole population thus rallied after him to cooperate with Gandhi's scheme of non cooperation movements at different times and places against the British Raj. Thus in that scheme of things India achieved Swaraj in 1947 and there was no major causalities on both sides-the general mass as well as the occupiers, the Britishers. On this august celebration let us pledge ourselves to cede crimes like mob-violence and mob lynching that are spreading like wild-fire in India on lame or unconvincing excuses.

Antonio Guterres, the UN Chief, emphasised that M.K. Gandhi's message of peace and non-violence has carried far beyond India, which is why in 2007 , the UN General Assembly designated October 2 as International Day of Non-violence. Thus 2nd October is not only a national celebration but also an International Day of Nonviolence involving the whole world.

Gandhi on communal harmony and tolerance

M.K. Gandhi mobilised the whole people of the vast Indian Subcontinent irrespective of caste, creed, ethnicity or religious affiliations towards the common objective of achieving the Swaraj. This could have been an uphill task had there been no communal harmony and tolerance among the people. Towards this end he studied all the major religious books and handpicked those lessons that could made him master of communal harmony and tolerance.

Antonio Guiterres, the UN Chief who is visiting India on 2nd October says "In Today's turbulent world, Gandhi's message of communal harmony and tolerance remains as ever. I believe it is crucial that Gandhi's legacy is preserved and that nations around the world continue to cherish and celebrate their ethnic and religious diversity".

Gandhi on nonviolence by the students

M.K.Gandhi was very much concerned with the students' unrest that turns to violent scenes on many occasions. In fact he called upon the youths and students:

1. I ask you to go to villages and bury yourselves there, not as their masters or benefactors, but as their humble servants. Let them know what to do and how to change their modes of living from your daily conduct and way of living. Only feeling will be of no use, just like steam which by itself is of no account unless it is kept under proper control, when it becomes a mighty force'.
2. Innocent student or youth is a priceless possession not to be squandered away for the sake of a momentary excitement, miscalled pleasure.
3. Students cannot afford to have party politics. They may hear all parties, as they read all sorts of books, but their business is to assimilate the truth of all and reject the balance. That is the only worthy attitude that they can take.
4. Students must not take part in party politics. They are students, searchers, not politicians".
5. I am an autumnal leave on the tree that might fall of any moment, the teachers are the young sprouts that would last longer, but fall off at their proper time; but you, the students, are the branches that would put forth new leaves to replace the old ones.
6. I hold it to be quite wrong on the part of the students and pupils to take part in political demonstrations and party politics. Such ferment interferes with serious study and unfits students for solid works as future citizens.

M.K. Gandhi's Quotes for children:

1. If we wish to create a lasting peace we must begin with the children.
2. If we are to teach a real peace in the world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.
3. The law of love could be best understood and learned through little children.

At last, on this august day, the author earnestly appeals to the Manipur University stake holders to solve the ongoing imbroglio or impasse in the best interest of the student community.


This article was prepared in haste by burning the midnight oil and is not directed against anybody.