“Gandhi” Mahatma or a Common Man
‘Gandhi’- I believe is one word which almost every one of us have heard right from our childhood. Often defined as a great charismatic personality, leader of the then thirty three crore Indians and most importantly “Father of the Nation”; the Nation which happens to be the largest democracy of the world.
Lets see bit closely how far things hold true and if they; how it all happened?
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was a below average student. He was so shy that immediately after the school bell rang, he straight way ran back to home so as to avoid communication with his colleagues. As a professional, he can possibly be not called successful. After first round table conference, Lord Irwin told press people that if “I was not told in advance that the man sitting before me was ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ I would have never believed that the meek man wearing loin cloth moved thirty three crore population”. As a speaker he never used voice fluctuations and other tone changes which good speakers have. Thus this indicates that he was neither a great scholar as a student, nor a successful professional as a lawyer, nor a voracious speaker as leader and neither his physique was charismatic.
‘Gandhi’- I believe is one word which almost every one of us have heard right from our childhood. Often defined as a great charismatic personality, leader of the then thirty three crore Indians and most importantly “Father of the Nation”; the Nation which happens to be the largest democracy of the world.
Lets see bit closely how far things hold true and if they; how it all happened?
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was a below average student. He was so shy that immediately after the school bell rang, he straight way ran back to home so as to avoid communication with his colleagues. As a professional, he can possibly be not called successful. After first round table conference, Lord Irwin told press people that if “I was not told in advance that the man sitting before me was ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ I would have never believed that the meek man wearing loin cloth moved thirty three crore population”. As a speaker he never used voice fluctuations and other tone changes which good speakers have. Thus this indicates that he was neither a great scholar as a student, nor a successful professional as a lawyer, nor a voracious speaker as leader and neither his physique was charismatic.
Surprising isn’t it? Some obvious questions appear in our mind
Were thirty three crore people at that time fool, who had virtually assumed him as their leader?
How presence of noble patriotic people like SubashChandra, Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhra Tilak, C.R. Das etc couldn’t downsize his stature?
How and why did youths ( so-called Hot Blood ) followed his non-violence path when they had several ideal and renowned leaders in the path of violent means of gaining freedom?
Questions bit puzzling but worth pondering because answers to these questions have hidden meaning specially for us- IRMAN’s.
I searched for the answer in almost every accessible and reliable literature most important being twenty two volumes of “Works of Mahatma Gandhi” and could conclude that –
In the entire history of human civilization probably first time GOD or ISHWAR or ALLAH made a man who was neither ‘Maryada Puroshottam- Ram’ nor ‘Messenger of God – Paigambar’ nor ‘Son of God- Jesus’ neither attained ‘Nirvana – Budhdha’.
but was a “A man coming from the same very common mass which most Indians belonged that time, spoke the way in which common mass spoke, wore what common mass that time could afford to wear, lived like common mass away from luxurious boarding, traveled in third class which common mass used…, - In short a Common Man”.
It was his commonness which appealed the mass.
First time in history people belonging to remotest and backward places of India, belonging to most weaker sections of the society got a person to lead them who was common like them and claimed to give them ‘Swaraj ’ without using any big army and arm equipments which they didn’t had.
First time someone used the so-presumed weakness of Indians “Sab chalta hai” i.e. passivity in a constructive sense ‘We will not retaliate the violence of Britishers’.
First time someone showed how we can defeat our enemy without hurting him.
First time someone showed that mightiest superpower of the world can be challenged by an ordinary villager living in the remotest corner of the country who is neither literate, nor rich, neither has arms to fight by using just ‘Asahyog’ i.e. Non-Cooperation.
Gandhi never claimed SUPERHUMANSHIP ‘The Mahatma tag he disliked most’. He used the conventional noble tools which we Indians had right from the beginning of our civilization – “Truth and Non-Violence”.
What differentiated him from all the leaders that time was his ground rooted ness among the masses. We often tend to ignore his philosophies under the pretext of the fact that ‘He was Mahatma so he could do it, but we aren’t’. This ground rooted ness has similarity with us ‘The Barefoot Mangers’
Purpose of discussing about Gandhi is to reiterate:-
It doesn’t need a charismatic person to do something worthwhile, it just needs willingness and perseverance to fight and change. What Dr. Kurien did and what possibly he and Professors here at IRMA expect from us “Potential Rural Managers” [This is how Prof. Raju often address us !!] to do for facilitating the unprivileged mass to achieve best out of their potential. Although Gandhi never had a privilege to study in IRMA and learn so systematically the ways of doing development, we are probably more lucky as Participants of the Institute which is Best in Asia for Rural Development cum Management Program. Now how we do it depends upon us. I don’t intend to force upon [after all who am I to do so !] everyone to join development sector or become a ‘Mahatma’. But I just want every one of us to do which a ‘Common Gandhi’ within us can do for the society.
Let me give an example. A newspaper article read ‘Son of a labor died in government hospital because of malaria’. I was astonished reading this. On further enquiry I got to know that doctor’s and nurses there had sold the medicines given by government and that labor couldn’t afford to purchase medicines from the market. How pathetic isn’t it?
· There is widespread corruption, we can’t help it.
· There is so much poverty , we can’t help it
· Politicians, bureaucrats and government officials are inefficient, we can’t help it.
· There is problem everywhere in the system, we can’t help it
Yes we can’t after all who we are? We are not Prime Minister of India and even he is unable to do it !!! . But there remains a lot which we can do.
I presume everyone of us will be getting a salary of 20-25k after passing out from IRMA . What we can do is
· Visit any government hospital say in a month, we are sure to find a person like the labor mentioned above, it just needs Rs.200-250 medicine to avoid such bad incidents. This will first of all save space of every newspaper because one less negative news will be written. So a first step towards removing the common feeling “Jamana Bigad Raha Hai” will be taken. Secondly the person who got help from you will in future always be grateful and willing to help other needy persons. A small Chain reaction will start .Isn’t it?
· Give some of your valuable time to an orphanage, teach kids over there, play with them. This will make few moments of their life sing a beautiful song. A small help but a big support isn’t it?
· Visit an Old-age home, physically challenged home and all such places where comparatively less privileged masses live and lend them a small help.
· Contribute with an open hand in case of natural calamities.
· And Finally best would be as believed in mission of IRMA, would be joining the development sector and contributing fully. Best Step isn’t it? !!!!!!
Decision is all ours. Need of the hour is not so-presumed Mahatma Gandhi but a Common Gandhi which every one of us [at least we grass rooted IRMAN’s] have in heart. Let’s bring out the Common Gandhi or a modern day ‘Barefoot Manager’. And as in IRMA we proudly say
If we won’t? … Who will?
PS- No offence meant to any religion or religious leaders; in the comparison which I used in the article.
