We all claim to know everything about our Father Of The Nation Mahatama Gandhi. We’re thorough with his biography, we’ve watched movies based on his life, but, do we still remember what he really stood for? Let’s take a look at where some of his principles stand in contemporary Delhi and find out if his ideals have any relevance in today’s world or not:
To Lie is Natural: One of the primary Gandhian principles which all of us are familiar with is Satyagraha. In a city where people are encouraged to lie for their own safety, is truthfulness still considered a sacred virtue? Lying to get some extra pocket money from our parents, lying to our bosses for taking a weekday off, lying to our relatives for not attending boring family functions; been there done that.
FILE PHOTO: If this happened after every lie, the situation would be epic in the city
Street Rage & Violence: Gandhiji’s advice of ‘turning the other cheek’ in the face of violence is etched in our collective memories. But just a day caught in the busy traffic snarls of Delhi roads will wipe out whatever non-violent streak we may have had within us: incessant honking, verbal abusing and bestial fist fighting are all common sights once we step out of our homes. Aggression has become an inseparable part of Delhi’s consciousness and it is at its most glorious display when we are out on the streets.
FILE PHOTO: Everyday situation on roads
‘Make In India’ Is So Passé: Our land is richly blessed with ample natural resources but all the swanky malls mushrooming across our metropolitan cities are brimming with foreign brands selling everything from clothes, accessories, cosmetic products to fast food and electronic gadgets. Now matter whatever we say, we still love our Gucci, LV and Zara’s at the end of the day.
FILE PHOTO: Face it; We all cannot live without these
Simple Life is ‘Poor Man’s Life’: Our cars, our cell phones, our clothes and our properties everything becomes a quantifiable factor which determines our identity. Gandhiji believed that for a civilization to flourish, a multiplication of production wasn’t mandatory, but a voluntary reduction of wants was. Our society will be harmonious if we only take what’s required for sustenance and leave out the rest. This concept is rather difficult to assimilate while living in a fast paced and highly commercialized metropolis like Delhi where we are constantly being judged by our possessions.
We Live in extremes; It is either RICH or POOR
Caste is ‘everything’, still: Take a good look at us, here we are standing at the brink of 2017 and we are still stuck discussing religion, caste and creed like our ancestors have done for centuries. Have we not changed even a wee bit from what we were back then?
Everything starts with caste and end in trashes
So, no matter how much we look up to our Father Of The Nation, we have certainly forgotten his simple principles of life that made him what he is today!
