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Expectations from Gandhi's New Men

By K. D. Gangarde

INDIA ACHIEVED INDEPENDENCE on 15 August 1947. Indian man became a citizen from a subject. But, in Gandhi’s words, we did not get freedom, that is, Swaraj (self-rule). He wanted not only a new citizen for India but for the rest of the world who would be “visionary.” His vision was to consider the whole world a “single family.” His philosophy and goal of development had to be inspired by “Sarvodaya” (development of all). His principles and methods were to be based on Truth Nonviolence He was to wage a relentless battle against injustice. He was to use “Satyagraha” (self-suffering) to change the heart of the opponent.

Such a new man will be able to replace hatred with love, competition with cooperation, and independence will be basic principles of life. He will bring peace, tranquility, and harmony in the world.

The new man will tell India and the world that we need not adopt war or flee, or be subservient to a resolve conflict and difference. He will tell us that we can match our soul force against the physical force and wear the other down with goodwill. It is possible to have the “new man” by internalizing and practicing Gandhi’s thoughts; words, and deeds. Salvation for a strife – ridden world lies in having Gandhi’s” New Man” who will consider the whole world a joint family.

This essay commences by giving opinions of celebrities on India and then it reflects over the situation obtaining in India since its independence. Emphasising the relevance of Gandhian ideals, the essay laments that India has moved away from Gandhi, though several of his concept, ideals , and principles are not only relevant but are growing in significance today, Analysing Indian society from a variety of perspectives, the essay concludes that the worth of Gandhi is on the rise. Gandhi was a rationalistic planner. He stressed sanitation, health, and nutrition among several other things, which are of value to the life of the common man. It is reassuring opt note that in recent years, there have been attempts to go back to the Gandhian idea of integrated planning. According to the essay, the relevance of Gandhi is eternal, timeless, and as important as the Sun. After independences, those who took over from the British have become new rulers and in order to suit their interest they twisted the laws of the land.1


Uniqueness of India

Friedrick Max Muller says: “If I were to look the whole world to find out country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power, and beauty that nature can bestow-in some parts a very paradise on earth-I should points to India. If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions to some of them which will deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant- I should point to India. And if were to ask myself from what literature we, here in Europe, who have been nurtured almost exclusively on the thoughts of Greeks and Romans, and of one Semitic race, the Jewish, may draw that a corrective which is most wanted in order to make our inner life more perfect, more comprehensive, more Universal, in fact more truly human, a life not for this life only, but transfigured and eternal life, again I should point to India.”2 He spent a lifetime studying Hindu Philosophy and argued with great passion that Indians were also very honest.

Mark Twain at the end of the nineteenth century wrote: “This is indeed India! The land of dreams and romance of fabulous wealth and poverty- of gene and giants and Alladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants –the country of hundred nations and hundreds tongues, of a thousand religions and two million Gods , Cradle of human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, and great grandmother of tradition….3

Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership of the Freedom struggle, his personal commitment to communal harmony, and his choice of Ahimsa (nonviolence) as the strategy to defeat the British, created a new image of Indians as a tolerant and nonviolent people. The long innings of Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of India conjured up another vision of millions of democrat Indians struggling to make transition from tradition to modernity. Yet the visible diversity of the land, and the complexity of its cultural tradition, continued to bedevil accurate or deeper understanding. The former American Ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith India as a “functioning anarchy.” Decades later he was to admit that he had said it only to attract attention.


Macaulay's Education System

It was February 1835, a time when the British were striving to take control of the whole of India. Lord Macaulay, a historian and a politician, made a historical speech in the British parliament, commonly referred to as The Minutes, which struck a blow at the centuries-old system of Indian education. His words were to this effect.” I have traveled across the length and breath of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country such as ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture; for , if the Indians think that is foreign and English is good and greater under their Crown, they will lose self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.” It was not just plan for colonial domination, it was to destroy the identity to disconnect its psyche from its perennial source of vitality and to transplant the genes of servitude to serve the longer imperial purpose.

Acharya jagdish Chandra Bose in his lecture at the Royal institute (London) in January 1897, spoke: “The land from which I come did at one time strive to extract human knowledge, but that was centuries ago. It is now the privilege of the West to lead in this work. I would feign Hope, and I am sure I am echoing your sentiments, that a time may come when the East too will take her part in this glorious undertaking and that at no distant time it shall neither be the West nor the East, but both the East and the West that will work together, each taking her share in extending the boundaries of knowledge and bringing out the manifold blessings that follow in its train.”4

It is true that he Gandhian movement has physically liberated us from the imperial rule. But the transplanted genes (sown by Macaulay) for the fragmentation of our psyche and to deflect its vitality into the Cartesian mould of separatism of the material and spiritual has created and continues to create distortions in the reactions of the beneficiaries of the Indian elite.


Gandhi's Gift of India's Independence

A few weeks prior to the Independence Day in 1947, an emissary of Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel were sent to Gandhi at Kolkata. He was working there for peace and harmony among the Hindus and Muslims. The emissary reached at midnight He said,” I have brought and important letter for you from Nehru and Patel.” “Have you taken your food?” Asked Gandhi. When the emissary said, “no,” Gandhi served him food. And after food, Gandhi opened the letter from Nehru and Patel. They had written, "Bapu, you are the Father of the Nation, Fifteenth of August will be the first Independence Day in 1947 and we want you to come to Delhi and give us your blessings.” Gandhi said: “how stupid! When Bengal is burning, Hindus and Muslims are killing each other and I hear the cries of their agony in the darkness of Calcutta, how can I go to Delhi which will be glittering with the lights?” These were the heart – breaking words of Gandhi. He said:” I have to live here for the establishment of peace in Bengal and if need be, I have to give up my life ensuring that there is harmony and peace.” The emissary started his return journey in the morning. It was a moving sight, full of human touch. Gandhi gave the emissary’s hand. And he said. “My friend, you are going back to Delhi. What gift can Gandhi give to Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel as my first Independence Day gift?” And when he was saying this, tears came front the eyes of the emissary and with a sense of humour Gandhi said: “How great is God! “ He did not want Gandhi to send that dry leaf. He made it wet. It is glistening and with laughter, he said: “Carry this leaf as a gift.”5

In the absence of the Father of the Nation the glittering lights of Delhi on the midnight of 14 August 1947, were awaiting the Dawn of Freedom of 15 August 1947 by dividing Bharat into two nations: one India and the other Pakistan. Glittering lights , loud slogans and, with a poetic assertion, the late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said :” At the stroke of the midnight hour when the world sleeps India will awake to life and freedom and a soul of a nation long suppressed will awake find utterance.”

He recalled the pledge of trust with destiny, and redeeming it, hoped that newly independent nation would progress on the path of freedom.


Non-violent Means of Struggle

Before Gandhi came on the politician scene, the world knew two instruments of change; the Bullet and the Ballot. One the late B. R. Ambedkar, one of the founding fathers of the constitution, said: “It is neither by mere counting of heads nor by chopping of heads that you can bring about a political change. It is taking cognizance of what is happening inside the head and heart that you will be able to strengthen the motivation for change.” This is Gandhi’s nonviolent way of change. Gandhi had love for all.


No Independence of Gandhi's dream

Gandhi told people to defy the oppressive authority that usurped their freedom and in the process, if necessary, face bullets and bayonets. There is nothing more effective than suffering that can arouse the people, suffering of man in search of freedom is more explosive than the bullets that seek to suppress freedom, was Gandhi’s faith. Sacrifice was the badge of honour for the Satyagrahis. Gandhi’s Dandi March (1930) for Saryagraha was one of the most important epics of India’s struggle for freedom. A few kilometers away from Dandi there is a small village called Karadi. In that Karadi village there was one disciple of Gandhi called Pancha Kaka Patel. He also participated in Dandi Salt Satyagraha. The British Government confiscated while he was being taken to jail hand-cuffed, the police said, “See, to it that not a single inch of land remains in your possession; your house too has been confiscated.” Pancha Kaka told the police, “You can rest assured, I will never ask for the return of my property till India becomes free.”

In 1937, Congress Government was formed in the then Bombay Presidency, B. G. Kher became the Chief Minister. He sent a message to the then Gandhi’s discipline Pancha Kaka Patel, “We are prepared to give back your house and land confiscated during the British rule.” He (Kaka) said, “No, this is not the freedom of Gandhi’s dream and I have taken a pledge that till India becomes completely independent, I will not take back my property. Keep it with you.” In 1947, on 15 August, India became free. This disciple of Gandhi Pancha Kaka was told,”Now the country has become free and so take back your property.” He contacted Gandhi. He asked Gandhi,” Do you feel that the freedom of your dream has come?” Gandhi said “Unfortunately I must say, ‘No.’ And the Panchkaka told the Government:” I cannot accept back my property.” Then some Cynics commented,"Oh, Pancha Kaka Patel refuses to accept the confiscated property. But when he dies, his wife and children will claim with a statement. “I anticipated this possibility and, therefore, to avoid any embarrassment to me I did not get married at all and I have no children.” That is what he said. This was the human material. This is the type of “new men” Gandhi was searching for.


Concern about Public Funds

Gandhi had great concern about public funds and their utilization. Once, accompanied by Acharya Bhansali, Gandhi went to visit the well–known temple, in Pune on the Parvati Hill. When they returned from their visit to temple, Gandhi requested Kripalani to hire a horse a horse – driven cart and fix up the fare. In the mean time, a young girl came to Gandhi and asked for his autograph. Gandhi insisted that she must make a modest contribution towards his public work. The college girl paid Rs. 10 and Gandhi returned the gesture by giving her his autograph. Gandhi handed over the ten – rupee note to Acharya Kripalani with instruction to pay the cart fare from this amount.6

When the cart reached the residence of Gandhi’s host, all three got down from the cart. Immediately after getting down Gandhi’s host, all three got down from the cart. Gandhi asked Acharya Kripalani’s as to how much was paid for the cart fare. Kripalani’s reply was Rs. 5. Since Acharya Kripalani had lost 5 from the contribution of Rs. 10, given by young girl towards our public work, Acharya Kripalani will not be given food tonight.” Gandhi was worried over the loss of a party amount of Rs.5. It strikes sharp contrast with the present times when we witness several multi-crore (million) scams involving serious corruption.7

Gandhi's concern for clean life and probity in financial matters had influenced his senior colleagues in the freedom movement as well.

Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad was in the Ahmednagar Fort prison during the 1942 Quit India movement. While he was in jail, Azad’s wife Begum Azad died at her residence. As a gesture of courtesy Azad’s wife Begum Azad died at her residence. As a gesture courtesy Azad’s friends started collecting funds to be used for Begun Azad’s memorial. When Maulana Azad was released from the prison in 1945, he came to know about the collections being raised for Begun Azad’s memorial. On 17 September 1945, Azad issued a statement saying that memorial should be raised only for towering persons in public life. He humbly pointed out to his colleagues that Begum Azad was just a housewife and had made no significance contribution to public statement appealed to his friends to stop any further collection for his wife’s memorial and asked them to donate the money collected so far to the Kamala Nehru memorial Hospital .Such were the men of integrity. We should have politicians of such caliber to qualify for being called Gandhi’s new man.

His (Gandhi) opinion on public institution (or Non-Governmental Agencies, NGOS) was: “A Public institution is conducted with the approval and from the fund of the public. When such an institution ceases to have public support, it forfeits its right to exist,”


Gandhi's Dream of India The Concept of Development

Gandhi’s said: “I shall work for an India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country, in whose making they have an effective voice. An India in which all communities will live in harmony. There can be no room in such an India for the curse of untouchability, for the curse of intoxicating drugs or drinks. Women enjoy the same rights as men.”8

He emphasised the acceptance of Swadeshi model of development rather than following Western approach or models since many of their approaches, concepts, models, beliefs, ways of life are in crisis even in the countries of their origin. Development should be understood as a person can enjoy, exercise, and utilise, under, the rule of law, all his human rights, whether economic, social, cultural, or political.

No doubt, over the years India has succeeded in increasing her grain production, improving technological production and techno-logical capabilities and maintaining formal democracy. However, during these years poverty, inequality, landlessness, and unemployment have increased. The nation’s macro – organisation-political parties, peasant unions and trade unions–have failed to reverse these trends effectively. During these years, the basic resource base essential for the survival of a large number of disadvantages people has eroded, and organised communal and caste violence increased. The Government’s approach over the years has shifted from indifference or neglect to attention but its programmes have been marked with attitudes of distrust, coercion, or co-operation.


Relevance of Gandhi

Gurnar Myrdal said: “It is only in the latest years that we have more generally come back to Gandhi’s ideas when even, some modern economists have been moved to pres for and “integrated planning” which in modern term for what Gandhi was all the time teaching. My Indian friends will not be offended when I say that if Indian Planning has not been more successful than it has actually been, the main explanation that we have not kept as close as we should to the fundamental teachings of the Father of the Nation. Gandhi had Years ago emphasized that the last men should be the first to benefit.

He exhorted us not only to believe in purity of means but to practice it to achieve our ends and goals. He said: “Man can find God in the service of humanity.”9


Godse’s Misunderstanding About Gandhi

Godse’s understanding of the facts of India’s partition was wrong. It is evident from the statement he made before the special judge on 8 November 1948. It was made during his trial for the murder of Mahatma Gandhi. Godse attributed responsibility to Gandhi for the vivisection of India and stated as follows: “I shall bow in respect of the service done by Gandhiji to country and to Gandhiji himself for the said service and before I fired the shots, I actually wished him and bowed to him in reverence. But I do mention that even this servant of the country had no right to vivisect the country, the image of our worship by deceiving the people. But he did all the same. There was not legal machinery by which such and offender could be brought to book, and it was therefore that I resorted the firing of shots at Gandhiji as that was the only thing for me to do”10


Gandhi was opposed to Partition

Gandhi had stoutly opposed the partition. It is borne out by Gandhi’s own saying recorded in the last page of the last chapter of Volume seven of The Mahatma by D. G. Tendulkar. There he stated freedom obtained after partition would be like a wooden loaf. It was said on 1 June 1947, half –a -hour before morning prayer. Gandhi prayed that God might not keep him alive to witness partition. He also added the following prophetic word:

Let it not be said that Gandhi was party to India’s vivisection. Let Posterity know what agony this soul went through thinking of it.


Qualities of New Man

It is abundantly clear from the aforesaid analysis that the implications of the Gandhian spell on the Indian psyche and society cannot be over emphasised. Gandhi’s ability to communicate directly with the masses, his sane simplicity coupled with charisma and sympathy for those in distress have been identified as the traits responsible for the impact the exerted on the masses and on social and welfare legislation in independent India. He wanted leaders, politicians, NGO workers, professionals and most of others workers who want to work with people or serve them have to be humble than dust. He said:

The world crushes the dust under his, feet but the seeker after truth and who intends to serve people should be so humble himself that even the dust could crush him. This should be the code of ethics for all workers engaged in working with people.


The Concept of Service and Unity of Universe

We have a Limited or distorted view of service. We think only of “acts” of service not the “spirit,” Service is not an “attitude”. Mahatma Gandhi said that there is not a single moment in life when one cannot serve. We can serve with just a loving look or a consoling pat. The readiness to serve at all times, just for the joy of giving, should be the hallmark of every man. We move through discipline, spirit of service, and self- enquiry to abidance in the self and achieve the transcending of desire to reach the state desirelessness.

Gandhi said: “No paper contribution will ever give us self- government (Swaraj). No amount of speeches will make us fit for self- government. It is only our conduct that will fit us for it.” Further, he referred to the contrast in India between the richly head nobleman and millions of poor agriculturists and firmly declared.” Our salvation can only come through the farmer. Neither the lawyers , nor the doctors, nor the rich landlords are going to secure it , the rich are getting richer in India, the number of people whose assets tops $ 1 million is rising fast and so is that wealth they own. The Merill Lynch–Capgemini 2004 World Wealth Report has said there has been and increase of 22 Percent to end up at $267 billion. This is in addition to the houses the doller millionaires live in.


The Way Out

What is the way out? One may argue that it is the overall cultural environmental that it is the overall cultural environmental that creates this indifference and introduces new priorities. This is partially true. But we cannot afford to wait till the culture changes. Our education system can do a lot of positive things in this context. The primary issue is to root the system of education as a whole on very strong and well – articulated ethical foundations. The students have to learn from life more than from the institutes. The only way to make this happen is to take than from the institutes to the world, as in today’s world institutes are inevitable to gain and impart knowledge.

Another important matter for concern should be an emphasis on the creation of knowledge, as what happens today is more or less making students equipped with a set of skills which enables them to secure admissions and jobs in the US and in the West. The best students of science and technology are ending up either as management executives with an MBA or as a “software Labourers’ is a national disaster. They also aspire for careers in management, not to face the challenges thrown by that profession to their knowledge and skills, but for the luxuries and extravagant lifestyles they can support. To make educations knowledge- oriented is the task for policymakers in education.

Ethics cannot be taught with the help of textbooks. It has to be learned from the life and textbooks should provide the tools to open the great door of life. The new generation’s search for knowledge should great door of life. The new generation’s search for knowledge should not end in the classrooms of IIMs or corridors of MNCs. What to be managed is their natural curiosity, by leading them from the libraries managed is their natural curiosity, by leading them from the libraries and laboratories and eventually to the ultimate Laboratory of life.

There is no doubt in my mind that the twenty-first century belongs to Gandhi and Asia.


Gandhi's Leadership Transforming and Not Transactional

People in general and Indian people in particular have not understood the concept and theory of Swaraj, Gandhi frequently observed: that political independence for India was not accompanied by Swaraj in each Indian. He realized in early 1947 that India had not attained Swaraj. Consequently, his forecast was that the social and political disaster would soon consume the subcontinent after the Partition. He wrote, six months before Independence: “if this weakness continues, we shall have to go through rivers of blood once the British rule goes.”11

He firmly believed that ultimate power resides with the people. They should realize this elementary political fact. This may help them to attain their desired end without violence by withdrawing their support in a variety of ways. Satyagraha is concerned with power as well. But the dominant concern from the outset is with raising the consciousness of the individual in a way that will purify the nature and use of political power. It is impossible without self- purification and the observance of the law of ahimsa (nonviolence) will remain an empty dream.12

Leadership plays a very vital and significant role in this area. Leadership is a very difficult category to use since the character of the individual leader varies so much with situations. However, since Gandhi as a thinker and leader is so closely identified with the meaning of Satyagraha, It is advisable to ask what it is about his leadership that illuminates the special qualities of Satyagraha.

Transforming leadership, like the transactional, “recognizes and exploits and existing need or demand of a political follower,” but it moves beyond their seeking “to satisfy higher needs and engages the full person of the follower.” This results, ideally in a relationship of mutual stimulation and elevation that converts followers into leaders and may convert leaders into “moral agents.”13

When transforming leadership ultimately becomes moral, in that it raises the level of human conduct and ethical aspiration of both leader and led, and thus it has a transforming effect on both. Perhaps the best modern example is Gandhi who aroused and elevated the hopes and demands of millions of Indians and whose life and personality were enhanced in the process. Therefore, for the leader employing Satyagraha must engage his followers to the extent that he or she responds to and develops further to the extent of their needs, including their demand for self- respect and self-esteem.

The concept of right and wrong does not belong to the sphere of science technology. Yet it is, on the study of the ideas centering round these concepts, that human action and happiness ultimately depend. A balanced cultural should bring the two in to harmony. As soon as we lose the moral basis, we cease to be civilized persons. Man, for instance, cannot be untruthful, cruel, or inconsistent, and claim to be a civilized man.

A civil society can be built on the ideals of Gandhi who taught us to love our enemies and not hate them. Love never fails; todays or tomorrow or through ages.

The Gandh’s new man has to have qualities like those of Pancha Kaka Patel in contemporary India and the world.

The greatest hope is in younger generation who will have Gandhi’s new man or men. It is the youth who will provide new leadership to India.


Notes and References

  1. N. A Palikhiwala, We the People, (Bombay: Strand Book Stall), 1986, p.xii.

  2. Mark Twain, More Tramps Abroad, (London: Chattoe Windus, 1987), the revised British edition following the Equator: A journey Around the world,” It was India’s good fortune to be a British colony; The man who once called India a functioning anarchy, John Kenneth Galbrith, in conversation with Arun Venugopal,Outlook,20 August 2001,p.46

  3. J. C. Kapur, Perennial source of India’s vitality and its Contribution to the Future, MSS, New Delhi, 5 June 2004, PP.1-9.

  4. Feroz Ahmed, Science and Humanism, Collection of Articles Addtesses and Speeches Delivered by D. S. Kothari, (New Delhi: Galgotia Publication Pvt. Ltd., 2004), P.301.

  5. Madhu Dandvate, Gandhi’s Human Touch: Gandhi in Action, Volume 4 and 5, pp.98-111.

  6. M. K. Gandhi, An Autobiography, (Ahmedabad: Navjivan Publishing House, 1992) p.165.

  7. M. K. Gandhi, Satyagraha in South Africa, p. 252.

  8. K. D. Gangrade, Moral Lessons from Gandhi’s Autobiography & Essays, (New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, 2004), pp.21-67.

  9. F. Max Mullar, India: What Can it Teach Us? ( New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2004),p.58.

  10. Harijan, Vol. 10,1946,p.105,28 April 1946.

  11. K. D. Ganrade; Working With Communities at the Grassroot Level – Strategies & Programmes (New Delhi: Radhi Publication, Daryaganj, 2001).

  12. K. D. Gangrade; Gandhian Approach to Development and Social Work, (New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, 2005) pp.1-23.

  13. K. D. Gangrade, L. S. Kothari, and A. R. Verma, Concept of Truth in Science and Religion (New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company), pp. 11-19.

Source: Gandhi Marg, Vol. 27, April- June 2005, No. 1

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