Showing posts with label Relevance of Gandhi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Relevance of Gandhi. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Gandhi- Leader of Millenniums

By Prof. Rina A. Pitale-Puradkar

Mahatma Gandhi represents a figure of unique integrity, consistency and humanity. The point of departure of his life philosophy and the basis of his theory and activity in practice are freedom and welfare of any human being and prosperity of peoples and nations of the whole mankind. Non-violence is the elementary and indispensable condition for the materialization of these noble goals. These principles and values represented a permanent source of inspiration in Gandhi’s guidance in his imaginative undertakings both in the struggle for freedom and independent development of India and the promotion of her role in the international community. As a matter of fact, Gandhi’s firm belief in the creativeness and openness of the people of India and his own active engagement for a peaceful and friendly cooperation among nations on equal footing, without any interference or imposition were inexhaustible sources of his personal wisdom and high credibility both as the father of modern India, as well as one of the major moral, spiritual and political international authorities of our times.


Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Cinema, Satyagraha and Everyday Life

By Pranta Pratik Patnaik


One of the most significant phenomena of our time has been the development of the cinema from a mere art form to a potential subject for study in terms of the issues that it raises and the supposedly influences it has on the spectators. It is now conceived as a versatile art form. Cinema not only provides a site for entertainment, but also a platform to reinforce certain values and ideals. In the same vein, if we trace the history of Indian cinema, we would find that Gandhian values and ideals have made their presence felt, to some degree, in Hindi films. Any movie on the Indian independence theme or any biography on a real life historical character around the independence era is incomplete without the mention of Mahatma Gandhi. This is not to deny the fact that there has always been a shift in the themes of Hindi Cinema which has in turn kept the Gandhian principles out of focus. On the other hand, it should not imply the complete ignorance or disrespect for Gandhian values. The paper looks into one such film - Lage Raho Munna Bhai (LRMB), released in the year 2006, which locates Gandhian values in the contemporary setting. The film revolves around the virtues and values of Mahatma Gandhi, propagated through the narrative, without merely being reduced into didactic preaching. The Gandhian era is believed to have been evoked in the 21st century through this film. 

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Reflections on Gandhi's Economic Ideas

By Naresh Kumar Sharma

Understanding the essence of the phrase - good life is basic to understanding the economic phenomena, economic theory and economic systems. Mahatma Gandhi's economic ideas may be better understood and appreciated in the context of a particular view of what constitutes a good life as well as a particular way of organising economic life (institutions, activities, constitutional provisions etc.,) as it pervades and dominates almost the whole of the world today.

Even though Gandhi has been discussed much more in relation to politics, philosophy, morality, culture, civilisation, etc, economic issues loom large in the totality of the work of Mahatma Gandhi. His most important work, ‘Hind Swaraj' itself is an important testimony to the same. In particular, the chapter on ‘Why was India lost?' presents, basically, an economic argument for enslavement of India and not any conventional political argument. This work also points to his vision for a good economic system.


Friday, May 9, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - III

Self Sufficient Villages in Today's Global Village

By Dr. Moushumi Datta

The relevance of Gandhian economics in today's world seems to be paradoxical. Gandhi believed that India lives in villages and that development of the villages will mean development of India as a whole. If we are to increase the scope on a bigger scale and look at the world as a unified country and countries as villages, the relevance is clear. Today, we live in a global village and, as they say, it has indeed become a small place to live in. With recession affecting the world like never before, it is time to go back to the drawing board. Gandhi saw the problems associated with industrialisation and modernisation. He believed that unless villages are developed and made self sufficient, it will lead to mass migration, overcrowded cities and the vicious circle of poverty and under-development cannot be extinguished. Gandhi's economic ideas were closely linked to the upliftment of weaker and underprivileged sections of the society and overall development of the village economy as a whole. Along with the freedom struggle, vigorous efforts were made by Gandhi for the development of villages by making them financially independent through establishment of small and cottage industries. He believed that political independence without economic independence was hollow. He was sure that the progress of the country lies in the development of majority of its rural villages. Gandhi said that the only way of bringing hope of good living to the rural people was by making the village the central place in the economic programme.


Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - II

'Half Naked Fakir'
The Story of Gandhi's Personal Search for Sartorial Integrity
By Peter Gonsalves


‘Half-naked Fakir' - the story of Gandhi's personal search for sartorial integrity brings together M. K. Gandhi's essential thoughts and anecdotes on his exploration of truth via attire. The reader is invited to grasp the nuances of Gandhi's progressive journey towards personal and sartorial authenticity, from imitating the English in London, to searching for an Indian identity in South Africa, to becoming the dhoti-clad Mahatma of India's millions.


Friday, April 11, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - III

Gandhi in the footsteps of Jesus Christ
If Gandhi were to visit America today...

An article published in the American The Leader 3rd October 1931 is even today, after 83 years, still relevant and worth introspecting. There are countless thinking people of the world who have understood Gandhi in depth and consider his philosophy important. Today his philosophy is even more relevant and coherent. People like Gandhi and Jesus can never be killed. They will rise from the dead and continue their teaching. Let us respectfully accept his eternal message from his soul.

If Gandhi were to visit America today, the first thing he would do is to explain the meaning of their religion to them. This might sound odd to the readers for two reasons.


Friday, April 4, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Gandhi on Religion and Social Harmony
By Malabika Pande 

Abstract
Democracy and democratic norms such as civil rights, adult suffrage, political pluralism and secular politics, were the dominant themes in international politics till the middle of the twentieth century. Religion was not considered a political force potent enough to disturb democratic societies. But recent history has proved all that wrong. In India, the colonial period saw an aggregation of communal tension culminating in partition. The importance of religion and religious mobilization are now widely recognized as significant factors in national and international politics. Gandhi had anticipated this. After his return from South Africa in 1915 he committed himself to the pursuit of a kind of swaraj for India that went beyond mere political freedom and civil rights, and was marked by the inculcation of ideals of peace, brotherhood and social concord.


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - I

Building the Entrepreneurial Attitude: Learning from M. K. Gandhi
Dr Nanduri Aparna Rao

He reminds us of Kipling's classic poem 'If' –

'If you can dream-and not make dreams your master; If you can think and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster; and treat those two impostors just the same...'

He belonged to one of the most business oriented communities in India-the Gujarati 'Baniya' community'. One recalls names like Karsonbhai Patel (Nirma), Dhirubhai Ambani (Poor boy with big ambitions), Gautam Adani (Adani Group), Dilip Shanghvi (Sun Pharmaceuticals), and the list goes on... 
One does not often come across his name in such a list of entrepreneurs. While entrepreneurs, as we know them, create businesses and grow rich, he created business opportunities, social improvement and chose to stay poor... Yes, the one unique feature of this entrepreneur is that he gave away everything he earned, and could have earned, given his huge body of work - be it wealth or position for himself or his family. One would call him a saint and yes, short of beatification, he did everything saints would and many things saints wouldn't. He is known as the Mahatma - he is Mahatma Gandhi.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - III

Role of Mahatma Gandhi in Women's Political Participation

By Dr. Shubhangi Rathi

Mahatma Gandhi has played an important role in the participation of women in political activities in India. Gandhi becomes uncompromising in the matter of women's rights. According to him woman is companion of man and gifted with equal rights of freedom and liberty. Woman is the better half of humanity, not the weaker sex. Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was the first man to encourage participation of women in politics. The Constitution of India guarantees equal rights to men and women as voters and citizens. Presently there are very few women Parliamentarians in India. It shows that Gandhi's ideas about women and their role in political life was a departure from those of the 20th century reformers. In the 21st century, it is clear that quotas for women in politics have not essentially ensured higher equality. For the success of democracy, active participation of women is essential. In this paper my focus is on participation of women in politics in India and Mahatma Gandhi's role in motivating large numbers of women into mainstream politics. As per modern theory, both men and women are integral parts of social, economic and political set up of a state. Keeping this background in mind, this paper seeks to focus on the share of women in the electoral process of India.


Thursday, March 6, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Gandhi's Influence on a Catholic Archbishop

By Paddy Kearney


As a schoolboy Denis Hurley regarded Mahatma Gandhi as a troublemaker who was doing great damage to the British Empire. Later on, as Archbishop of Durban, he described Gandhi as one of the greatest souls since Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - III

Gandhian perspective on Tribal Resources and the Modern State

By Birinder Pal Singh

Abstract
The modern state, whatever be its nature and type, has come to stay. It has become an extremely powerful engine to steer the so-called traditional society on the path of development following the framework of western modernization. It is positively related to the development and multiplication of resources for the 'benefit of its people' but negatively related to the tribes


Saturday, February 8, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Gandhian Concept of Non-Violent Society: A Modern Perspective

By P. I. Devaraj & Syamala K.*

The WORLD TODAY is dominated by greed and competition, speed and restlessness, pollution, poverty and starvation, exploitation, ecological destruction, war and violence. The standard of living of the people has risen with multiple amenities for a comfortable living. But despite extra ordinary progress in the fields of science & technology, there are ample signs of a sick human society. As a result of the degradation of man, culture and society many serious problems have arisen. If democracy is to survive and if science has to be utilized for maintaining the stability of society, if peace and security of the people is to be ensured we have to work hard and steady. 
A healthy and harmonized society can exist only when its members imbibe some moral and ethical values. Only such values can ensure mutual aid and co-operation. Only when the people internalize ethical and moral values in their lives and actually practice them in their day-to-day lives they can build a healthy and progressive human society. In order to attain this we have to bring about certain changes in human nature and attitudes. For the reconstruction of society, its social, economic, political and religious institutions, value systems and tradition which breed violence should be removed and replaced by new ones. As stated by Dr. Sampooran Singh, “we are often caught in an acquisitive culture which consists of ambition, comparing, competing and acquiring. This is called psychological aggressiveness. This is actually a subtle violence which has led to making the whole human race in to a civilized violent community. Violence benumbs the sensitivity and this makes our understanding of life poorer. No wonder, man has emerged as a violent species. Mahatma Gandhi foresaw this situation and one of his major intentions while he wrote 'Hind Swaraj' was to teach the Indians that 'modern western civilization' with the above said consequences posed a greater threat to them and to humanity than did colonialism. He said that "I would ask you to read Hind Swaraj with my eyes.... and see therein the chapter on how to make India non-violent. You cannot build non-violence on a factory civilization..."

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Violence and Non-violence Today: How Gandhian Principles can help in reducing violence

By Ravi Bhatia

There are serious problems of deprivation and marginalisation being faced by millions across the world. Although people suffer silently, occasionally they rise up in protest and commit violence on the state and the other individuals. This paper discusses the nature of different forms of violence and factors leading to it. In addition, it seeks to bring out the relevance of Gandhian principles of truth, Satyagraha, non-violence, proper educational system and religious tolerance, and argue that these principles can be applied in the contemporary situation for reduction of conflict and violence by advancing the welfare of the deprived, protection of environment, promoting peace and understanding among peoples. These principles have a universal validity and have been successfully adopted by several countries and peoples.



Friday, January 3, 2014

Gandhi Journal Article - I

Gandhian Inspiration, Buddhist Philosophy

By Dr. A. T. Ariyartne

In 1927 November, Gandhiji visited Sri Lanka (Ceylon) which he himself called a ‘mercenary visit.’ He appealed to one and all, the rich and the poor, students, teachers and parents, employers and labourers, to open out their purses and donate money to support teeming millions of the starving poor in India, to promote spinning, weaving, sale and wearing of Khadi to ensure a steady income for them. Wherever he went he was welcomed by large crowds ranging from national leaders to common people all of whom contributed to his cause of Daridranarayana.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Gandhi's world of peace
By Balamurali Balaji

Over many centuries, world civilization has witnessed countless instances of warfare, battles, and conflicts duly capable of employing the power of transmuting the human kind into forms what the emperors and rulers had never thought of. There existed peerless and rarest men among the human species who preached and practiced theories of peace that made the human race to evolve into a more enlightened genre living of what he is today on this planet.
Mahatma Gandhi is the greatest apostle of peace the world has seen after Buddha and Christ. His notion of peace is centered on nonviolence, individualism, soul force and forgiveness. At first glance, global peace initiatives might be perceived as far-flung methodologies that have wholly diverged from his ideologies. Many modern researchers and philosophers feel that today's conflicts are far more complex, so as their solutions. Global peace, global citizen, neo-modern trends and global issues have placed Gandhi at the backseat of the global forum.
But, there exists a fundamental correlation of what Gandhi had said and what the world is doing these days to combat violence and bring peace. This paper tries to find the relevance of Gandhi's dictum and how his ideologies can be put in current day’s global peace initiatives. It also traverses through various dimensions of peace one could think of in upholding global peace at micro, individualistic levels.


Saturday, November 30, 2013

Mahatma Gandhi's teachings relevant in modern society: Bali's governor

Mahatma Gandhi's teachings relevant in modern society: Bali's governor

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi is like a candle as he enlightened the world and scarified his own life, the Governor of Bali has said, underlining that the peace icon's teachings are still relevant in modern society. 
"It is important that all of us, including the young children and students, follow the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, and become a good citizen and a good human being," Made Mangku Pastika, Governor of the Province of Bali, said delivering the Second Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Gandhi Journal Article - II

Mahatma Gandhi and Children's Literature in Indian English

By Ved Mitra Shukla
In the present century, children's literature has not been a marginalised area in the world of literature. There is a long list of such writers who are constantly writing for children. As far as the beginning of the history of Indian English literature is concerned, writers have knowingly or unknowingly focused on it. Children-centric works can be credited to Rabindranath Tagore, R K Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, etc. However, the genre could not be developed so much in the pre-Independence era, but later on, there followed a number of writers who focused considerably on it. But not many big names except writers like Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, etc. can be cited as far as the development of the genre is concerned. However, the paper will make an attempt to discuss the influence of Mahatma Gandhi on some selected works of Indian English children's literature. No doubt, a number of children's books can be found on Gandhi. Owing to the limited scope of the paper, there will be a focus on the children's books suggested by the Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal / Gandhi Book Centre, Bombay. Works like Pictorial Biography of Mahatma Gandhi by B R Nanda, Inspiring Stories from Gandhiji’s Life by Uma Shankar Joshi, Mahatma Gandhi by Jyoti Solapurkar, Story of Gandhi by Ramanbhai Soni, The Story of Gandhi by Rajkumari Shankar, A Pinch of Salt Rocks by Sarojini Sinha, etc. will be taken for study. Some other works which are without the biographical account of Gandhi will also be taken. All these works will be studied with the purpose of a literary analysis of the writers’ treatment of the technique, tone and content, or length in the respective works. The paper will also try to crutinize the books by age category, keeping in view the divergent interests of children of the age-group 1-18. Over and above, it will concentrate on how children’s literature has gone through considerable changes under the influence of Gandhi over the years. 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Gandhi Journal Article - I

Ecology and Lifestyle: A Gandhian Perspective

By M. P. Mathai

Rising Awareness, Chronic Inertia

The ecological crisis we confront today has been analysed from various angles and scientific data on the state of our environment made available. Humanity has come out of its foolish self-complacency and has awakened to the realisation that over-exploitation of nature has led to a very severe degradation and devastation of our environment. Scholars, through several studies, have brought out the direct connection between consumption and environmental degradation. For example, Inge Ropke in his paper 'The dynamics of willingness to consume' raises pertinent questions like: why are productivity increases largely transformed into income increases instead of more leisure? Why is such a large part of these income increases used for consumption of goods and services with a relatively high materials-intensity instead of less material-intensive alternatives?
The climate change experienced today has convinced many that unless we take urgent remedial measures life might be wiped out of the face of the Earth. There have been several international summits and important conventions have been signed. But to our great dismay, most of the provisions of these covenants have been blatantly violated, rather than scrupulously honoured and implemented. Awareness of the issues involved has become almost universal, but the determination to take corrective steps is sorely missing.
The most pertinent question today, therefore, seems to be: 'why these violations?' Why sidestep the most crucial existential issues relating to the protection of eco-system? One direct answer to this vexing question is that we are not willing to change our lifestyles, the way we live. We have developed, adopted and internalised the values of a lifestyle which is a part of an unsustainable and destructive development paradigm. We seem to cherish it so deeply and religiously, so to say, that we can neither abjure nor modify it. Modern lifestyle has become addictive and has succeeding in entrapping an ever growing number to its fold, particularly the emerging middle classes. It could be reasonably argued that one of the most important reasons why humanity is not able to retrace its steps from the perilous path of self-annihilating eco-destruction is its addiction to modern or contemporary lifestyle.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Timeless Appeal ( Gandhi Journal Article - I )


Timeless Appeal
A Simple Man from India Continues to Influence the World

By Lord Meghnad Desai*


What is it about Gandhi that still fascinates the world? Sixty-three years after his death, books still pour out at regular intervals exploring his life and personality. People are supposed to be shocked by revelations about his life. But as always we find that there is nothing any one can expose about Gandhi which he has not already put down in writing with brutal honesty. In terms of frankness about private life, Mahatma Gandhi breached the outer limits of possibility. Yet if the President of the United States, Barack Obama, wants him as his dinner guest—hoping of course that that is not one of Gandhi's fast days or worse yet one of his silent days, then Gandhiji must have 21st century appeal. He was chosen as one of the three most influential persons by TIME magazine on its 20th century issue along with former President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and physicist Albert Einstein. He must have something timeless in his appeal.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Understanding GANDHI ( Gandhi Journal Article - II )

Understanding GANDHI


By Nagindas Sanghvi*

Address at Lechayim of Jewish Services Association. Madison [WIS.] U. S.

I stand before you to speak on Gandhi who was shot dead some sixty years ago but who is still alive. He is still the most frequently mentioned individual in the world and is still the centre of the controversies some of which were raised by his actions and beliefs. Every year at least three or four books are written about him in some part of the world or other and he is being constantly discussed at several seminars and intellectual discourses all over the world. The date of his birth has been proclaimed as the Non-violence Day by the United Nations Organization. In our terror-stricken world of today, his teachings are even more relevant than they were when they were preached in the first half of the twentieth century.
The world to-day hails him as a Mahatma - a Great Soul - a Saint. Gandhi always resented the title and found it intensely painful. He never cared for any beatification and insisted that he was an ordinary man who was trying his level best for the realization of the Divine Presence.
Gandhi was not born a saint but chiseled himself into one by intensely agonizing experiments in austerity and discipline. He chose to call his biography “My experiments with Truth,” It is very difficult, if not impossible, to project Gandhi in few minutes. Sixty years after his death, he still remains a sort of enigma. The flood of copious literature on Gandhi does nothing to solve the mystery.
Unlike most of us, Gandhi continued to grow and change till the last moment of his life and he never worried about contracting himself. “In my search for Truth, I have never cared about consistency.” Like Emerson, he rejected consistency as the virtue of small minds. He was bold enough to proclaim that ‘If my readers find any inconsistency in my views, they should reject the older ones and believe in the later as my views might have changed.’

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