Essay on " Top reasons why Mahatma Gandhi should be respected and revered in 21st century "
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Explanation:
Last three decades have witnessed a constant invocation of religion in the arena of politics. From the establishment of a Shiite theocracy in Iran, to George Bush's crusade against terrorism, from Osama bin Laden's Jihad against the US, to rise of Hindutva ideology in Indian politics one constantly gets to hear that politics is to be guided by religion. For many the guidance of politics by religion could lead to terrible tragedies such as the demolition of Babri Masjid or Taliban's destruction of Bamiyan Buddha or the massive violence of February 2002 in Gujrat. Events in Gujarat are unprecedented on two counts. One is the open participation of the state in communalization of common people. Secondly, the level of public participation in the carnage reached unbelievable heights in an economically advanced area. Seen in a larger cultural- historical perspective, the Gujrat carnage was a huge blow to the image of Gandhi’s Gujrat respected for its image of a friendly and peaceful state. While no doubt the phenomenon of what happened here in Gujrat is highly tragic and problematic for all of us as Indians and as friends of India, I think that we need to go back to the essence of Gandhi’s Gujrat as an antidote to all forms of violence that endanger our global civilization. Gujrat was Gandhi’s home state, and Ahmedabad his adopted city. Gandhi established his ashram here, creating and nurturing a large array of civic and political institutions, developing an enormous mass following, and leaving after him a formidable legacy of voluntary social service and communal harmony. Today, the only question that comes to our mind is this: What is left of Gujrat’s Gandhian soul? To understand better Gandhi’s lost civic heritage, we need to go back to relation between the two concepts of religion and politics in his philosophy.
Religion and politics are inextricably blended in Gandhi’s thought. To Gandhi their separation meant the separation of body and soul. This is why Gandhi called politics without religion a dirty game. Gandhi used to say: “Most religious men I've met are politicians in disguise, I however wear the guise of a politician but am at heart a religious man.” However, Gandhi strived all his life to find a balance between religion and politics. For Gandhi, religion was the realization of truth before anything else and politics was a way to live in and for this truth. Gandhi's politics was driven by his faith and morality to the point where it exasperated even his closest comrades. Summarizing the imperative of bringing religious values into politics, Gandhi said: “I could not be leading a religious life unless I identified myself with the whole of mankind and that I could not do unless I took part in politics. The whole gamut of man's activities today constitutes an indivisible whole.”