Gandhi’s guiding light still shines to defeat darkness

The greatest Indian ever, Mahatma Gandhi, was killed exactly 72 years ago but the ‘father of the nation’ still guides us with the light of his immortal philosophy.

India needs the 'father' most today as it pledges to stand united against the divisive forces.

Gandhi ji pioneered the idea of non-violent resistance in South Africa. After his return to India, he converted the Indian National Congress into a mass-based political formation.

He inspired the Khilafat, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and the Quit India movements which gave a new character to the Indian freedom struggle.

He engaged with the question of caste and battled untouchability. Gandhi ji cemented Hindu-Muslim unity.

Indian politics today needs Gandhi ji's commitment to truth and political pragmatism.

As Albert Einstein said, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”

It was both in life, and death, that Gandhi offered lessons for contemporary India.

  Gandhi ji taught that the only way to express political conflicts, contradictions and difference in ideologies is non-violent mobilisation.

Gandhi took on the world’s biggest imperial power with sheer moral authority and political skills. And he defeated this mighty military machine with no arms.

The lesson extends to the State too, which must exercise restraint in how it deals with dissent.

India today needs Gandhi ji's lesson of religious harmony and battling extremism.

All his life, Gandhi worked for Hindu-Muslim unity. He was devastated at Partition and opposed it till the very end.

One of his finest moments was stopping violence and mayhem in the wake of the country’s division in Bengal and, in the end, in Delhi.

But it was precisely this commitment to unity that led to his assassination.

Nathuram Godse was a Hindu fanatic, inspired by a world view which saw the country’s minorities as enemies and traitors.

India still fights the 'Godse thought' in the divisive and fundamentalist forces.

At a time when India stares at a growing divide between religious communities and extremism appears to be on the rise, it must recall what Gandhi stood for and believed and emulate it.