Gandhi Journal Article-III ( July 2016 ) - Gandhiji's basic education : A medium of value education

Gandhi Journal Article-III ( July 2016 )

Gandhiji's Basic Education: A Medium of Value Education

The function of education is to create ideal citizens. Ideal means an individual is overwhelming with virtues and is always well behaved. Idol citizens are the pre-requisite for coherent and comprehensive development. The education to produce the best citizens means the education of the hearts of people. This expects education to changes the hearts of individuals.

Explaining the meaning of genuine education Mahatma Gandhiji says, “Genuine education does not consist of cramming a lot of information and numbers in mind. Nor it lies in passing the examination by reading a number of books, but it lies in developing character. It is a real education which inculcates internal virtues (values) in human beings. If you can develop such virtues, it will be the best education”.

“Education is a process of comprehensive development of the best things (point, parts) lying in the mind and soul of children or men and bringing them out”1 Gandhiji has shown the royal path to us and to the world to observe and implement the lofty virtues and daily life practice by setting an example of himself by putting in to practice those ideals in his daily life activities. Value education means the education that teaches to put the virtues and values in to practices.

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E-book tablet to be launched to popularise Mahatma's books

E-book tablet to be launched to popularise Mahatma's books

 

To popularise books on Mahatma Gandhi and cater to the ever-changing reading habits, Navajivan trust, Ahmedabad has decided to come up with their own tablet, lending people the facility to read Gujarati and Hindi e-books published by them on the Mahatma Gandhi.

Kindle-like e-book tablet, which the Navajivan Trust is planning to bring, will have 170 books mostly on Mahatma Gandhi allowing people to read those in Hindi and Gujarati.

This announcement was made by the managing trustee of Navjivan Trust Vivek Desai while launching 10 different editions, including 4 e-book versions, of "Hind Swaraj", a book written by Gandhiji in 1909.

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Gandhi Journal Article-I (May 2016) - Mahatma Gandhi : The Japanese Connection

Gandhi Journal Article-I (May 2016) 

Mahatma Gandhi : The Japanese Connection

By Thomas Weber and Akira Hayashi 

At Gandhi's Sevagram Ashram prayers still commence with the Japanese Nichiren Buddhist mantra of "Nammyo ho renge kyo." This raises questions about the connection between Gandhi and the Japanese. Gandhi admired Japanese self-respect, unity and patriotism which were demonstrated with Japan's defeat of Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5. Later he became concerned by Japanese imperialism in China, the swamping of India with cheap Japanese cloth, and the prospect of a Japanese invasion of India during the Second World War. His open letter to the Japanese complaining of their brutal imperialism was quoted very selectively in Japanese papers so as to provide justification for the policies that he had condemned. Other Japanese writings about him played down his political activism making him useful for propaganda purposes rather than as a model for political activism. However, Gandhi's most important connection with Japan came through the various Japanese visitors to his ashrams, especially the Nichiren monks who stayed with him and left a lasting impression. The legacy of these monks continued in fostering understanding between the two countries in the early decades after Indian independence.

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How Mahatma Gandhi Changed Lives of 10,000 Prisoners in Mumbai Central Jail in the Last 12 Years

How Mahatma Gandhi Changed Lives of 10,000 Prisoners

in Mumbai Central Jail in the Last 12 Years

 

'Hate the sin, love the sinner,’ said Mahatma Gandhi. It is in line with this belief that one organization in Maharashtra is trying to reform jail inmates by conducting Gandhi Peace Exams based on Gandhian philosophy.

Laxman Gole, a resident of Mumbai, was convicted for a number of crimes in 2005 and sent to the Mumbai Central Prison for four years. He had studied till Class 7 before getting involved with a gang of nine operating in different areas of Mumbai - mostly extorting money from people. One day, after spending some time in prison, he decided to write a letter to the judge presiding over his case and confessed to all his crimes - accepting his mistakes and promising not to repeat them in the future. His behaviour was so good and his confession so sincere that his sentence was reduced to two and a half years.

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Gandhi Journal Article-III (May2016) - Gandhi on and in cinema

Gandhi Journal Article-III ( May 2016 ) 

Gandhi on and in cinema

By Akul Tripathi 

Today, 68 years after his death, what are the visuals that hit our mind when we hear the name Gandhi? How is it that we picture him? That very familiar figure with round spectacles and a smiling face at peace with himself and the world, clad in a loin cloth and a furious gait with the lathi (stick), trying hard to keep pace is an image well known through photographs, chromolithographs, his statues and the face on the bank note. Yet, in our moving world of colour, the picture of him and his mannerisms that most people would associate him with or picture him to be is that which one has seen on screen - in movies, in cinema. My personal mirage of Gandhi is undoubtedly that of the monumental 1982 biopic - Gandhi - where Ben Kingsley plays the role of a life time in a multiple Oscar winning movie directed by Richard Attenborough, that is perhaps the most comprehensive depiction of Gandhi's role in the Indian freedom movement.

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Bapu's granddaughter Tara Gandhi gets French honour

Bapu's granddaughter Tara Gandhi gets French honour

Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee has been decorated with one of France's top honour The Order of Arts and Letters for her contribution in promoting peace, solidarity, culture, education, and development.

On behalf of the French President Bhattacharjee, 82, was conferred the Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) honour here late last evening by French Ambassador Francois Richier.

Accepting the award Bhattacharjee said there was need "to learn the fearlessness of Gandhi."
 

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What Mahatma Gandhi did to save Bhagat Singh

What Mahatma Gandhi did to save Bhagat Singh

Gandhi's failure to secure commutation of Bhagat Singh's execution has provided his critics a convenient weapon to attack him. He has been accused of making half-hearted effort and even deception - for the alleged discrepancy between his actual role and his public statements. This paper attempts to establish that while following a consistent approach towards revolutionary violence, Gandhi tried his best to save the lives of Bhagat Singh and his colleagues till the last moment. The paper also discusses Gandhi's strategy to focus on suspension rather than commutation of the death sentence.

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Also Read Gandhi's letter to the Viceroy regarding the sentence of death to Bhagat Singh

        

4 death sentenced inmates and 10 inmates of Anda cell with other 75 jail inmates of Arthur Road Jail appeared for Gandhi Peace Exam

Arthur Road Jail inmate's 'Experiments with Truth'

4 death sentenced inmates and 10 inmates of Anda cell with other 75 jail inmates of Arthur Road Jail appeared for Gandhi Peace Exam

Two Anda cell prisoners are exam toppers amongst prisoners with 79 out of 80 marks

Gandhiji said, ‘Hate the sin, not the sinner.’ It is mostly the violent act that puts one behind bars but repentance can dilute it and it seems true for the 89 inmates of Arthur Road Jail who appeared for Gandhi Peace exam today. Among them, 4 death sentenced inmates and 10 Anda cell (egged-shaped high security cell) inmates appeared for the exam. One Jail official also appeared for the exam. Two of the Anda cell prisoners are toppers in the exam with 79 out of 80 marks.
"I came to know true value of truth and ahimsa. I realized the mistakes made by me and took a vow not to go astray in life," one of the Anda cell prisoner expressed his view in feedback after the exam. He wrote a letter to Sarvodaya Mandal last year, expressing his interest in reading Gandhi Books and appear for Gandhi exam and Mandal also send Gandhi’s autobiography to him.

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Gandhi Journal Article-I (March 2016): Gandhi Journal Article-I (March 2016) Gandhi and Ambedkar on Human Dignity

Gandhi Journal Article-I (March 2016)

Gandhi and Ambedkar on Human Dignity

By Ravi Ranjan 

There are many ways in which we can understand the contemporary crisis of global India; some are external but majority of the problems are internal, few are legal but many are socio-political, and most of them are ethical and moral. Escalating violent conflicts, oppression, marginalization and exclusion has been producing and reproducing humiliation which dehumanizes the human 'self.' The relation of self to other self, hegemonic self to the oppressed self and individual self with the shared self embarks on the idea of equality and hence tries to eradicate untouchability and ensures dignity. In the Indian context the notion of equality still has to reach its constitutional commitment to be a righteous republic.¹ Therefore, it is required to deliberate on ideas of Gandhi and Ambedkar that are constantly argued for dignified and harmonious human existence.

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Gandhi Journal Article-II (February 2016) : Gandhi, Parchure and Stigma of leprosy

Gandhi Journal Article-II (February 2016)

Gandhi, Parchure and Stigma of leprosy

By Pragji Dosa 
 

During his Satyagraha campaign in South Africa, Gandhiji was addressing a gathering at Natal on the occasion of the founding of the Indian Congress. He noticed a few people standing at a distance under a tree listening to him intently. In spite of his beckoning them to come forward and join the crowd, they did not come. So Gandhi decided to go to them. As he started walking towards them, one of them cried out, “Gandhibhai, do not come near us, we are lepers.” Even after hearing this, Gandhi went to meet them. Some of them had lost their fingers, some their toes, some had no hair left of their heads. Gandhi asked them about the treatment they were receiving for their ailments. Their answer shocked Gandhi. They said, “No doctor was willing to treat us, we treat ourselves with the juice of bitter neem.” When asked if that was helping, they replied in the negative and said they were dying a slow death.

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Gandhi Books worth Rs. 2.5 lakhs sold within a week

Week-long exhibition-cum-sale of Gandhi Books organized by Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal to commemorate 68th Gandhi death anniversary

n the present world, full of modern technologies like i-phones, tabs and e-books, it is difficult to believe that many people still interested in buying Gandhi books. But a week-long exhibition-cum-sale of Gandhi Books proves that Gandhiji's teachings are relevant than ever.

Gandhi-Vinoba-Sarvodaya books (in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati) worth about Rs. 2.5 lakhs were sold within seven days at the books exhibition. It was organized by Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal and Gandhi Book Centre with the financial assistance from ‘Babulnath Mandir Charities’ and ‘Mahalaxmi Mandir Charities’at Hutatma Chowk and Gandhi Book Centre at Nana Chowk from 27th January to 3rd February to commemorate 68th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. 

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Gandhi Journal Article-II (January 2016) : Khadi : A Cloth and Beyond

Gandhi Journal Article-II (January 2016) : Khadi : A Cloth and Beyond

By Ektaa Jain  

Clothes have always been integral to human identity. They have defined not only individuals but are often seen as markers of particular groups, communities, towns, and even countries. A potent sign of resistance and change, clothing can be seen as a power changing mechanism. The idea of meaning associated with what we wear is dominant in our society. It is in this light that the paper tries to explore Gandhi's meaning of the fabric 'khadi' in the freedom struggle. It has been referred to as the 'fabric of Indian independence' and had a key role to play in the freedom struggle. The article attempts to explore this role and the meaning that the cloth conveyed during the struggle and after.

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Gandhi Journal Article-I : November 2015

Gandhi Journal Article-I (November 2015)

Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh : A Clash of Ideology

By Jai Narain Sharma  

Great men of all generations have been anxious about improvement of the lot of human beings. But how to realize it remains a formidable task for every age. Even though the goal is similar, the means to achieve the goal can differ. And this difference in approach can generate a lot of controversy. This is precisely what happened between Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Bhagat Singh, the two great statesmen of modern India. As a result, Bhagat Singh has been ranked as a rival of Mahatma Gandhi. It has been held in some quarters that while Gandhi was the sun of nationalism around which all the planets of the Indian National Congress revolved, Bhagat Singh was a star that pursued an orbit of its own.

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