Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and today’s Bangladesh

A legend’s legacy must have three basic elements: good deeds, knowledge left behind which benefits people and charity done in that legend’s name. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi scores high on all three elements. Perhaps his most important contribution to mankind is that he redefined the ideology and dynamics of non-violence while taking it to newer heights.

As the British were about to execute the most complex geographical surgery by dividing the Indian subcontinent into two nations, bitter communal revulsion erupted almost everywhere. Rampant religious extremism and widespread violence resulted in deaths of more than a million people belonging to different religions, but had it not been for the iron will and a creed of non-violence of one exceptional individual, the scale of losses could have been unimaginable.

Volumes of articles and opinions have been penned by numerous famed writers and scholars on Mahatma Gandhi in the last 70 years, Indian TV shows have organised countless talk shows, schools and colleges across the subcontinent introduced separate chapters on the teachings of the Mahatma—yet, that unique legacy of non-violence seems to be the number one teaching of Gandhi, badly missed in many parts of the world today.

Following the alarming rise of religious militancy and complexities in domestic and international politics, we need to be aware of the violence we inflict on others as well as in the natural world. It‘s exactly on this point, where the ideology of non-violence appears to be essential for harmonious co-existence.

When the brutality of the partition riots shocked the Indian Independence leader, he nonchalantly rushed to the region and went barefoot around villages for about four months preaching communal harmony and non-violence before the clashes finally came to an end. And especially, as far as today’s geographical map of Bangladesh is concerned; Gandhi’s non-violence dogma worked a miracle. It profusely created an impact in the Bengali psyche at that time. The violence in Noakhali and therefore, in most parts of East Bengal, started months after similar massive communal riots dreadfully scarred Calcutta.

In the face of heightened communal tensions the Mahatma didn’t resort to political manoeuvring or broker deals between religious communities. And had he intend to practice his political authority to resolve the political and communal predicaments of his time—none was more powerful than him.

Quite amazingly, he chose a complete different path by shunning the eye-for-an-eye method. He built bridges between disgruntled communities purely based on the foundations of peaceful co-existence. Despite poor health, he often observed fast for dangerous lengths of time, and suffer the pain emotionally and physically until non-violence won over all the ills of society. This was the exemplary element of good deed of the Mahatma.

However, following Pakistan’s creation in 1947, the philosophy of non-violence was largely ignored and tacitly discouraged by the then military and non-military regimes of Pakistan. But rather fascinatingly, the public of the erstwhile East Pakistan held (now Bangladesh) strongly to Gandhi’s belief at the core. In the midst of turmoil, political developments of the 50’s and 60’s, reports of big scale communal riots are almost non-existent in this part of the world.

That’s not all—a BBC report pinpointed at least four of Gandhiji’s disciples were murdered by Pakistani soldiers. Despite repeated pitfalls under different regimes, the Gandhi Ashram Trust in Bangladesh today is working directly with more than 25,000 poor families, both Muslims and Hindus. It has become a centre for various activities including training programmes for rural women to boost their income, free education for poor children and poverty alleviation schemes. This is the element of charity in his legacy witnessed here.

In the aftermath of 24 years of subjugation, discrimination, exploitation and misrule by the Pakistani rulers against the people of East Pakistan since 1947 (after the creation of Pakistan on the basis of Two Nation Theory from the British rule) when the Bengalis revolted against Pakistan, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the undisputed leader of the Bengalis (later became the Father of the Nation of independent Bangladesh) launched a non-violent, non-cooperation movement in line with Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence from March 1 to March 25, 1971, before the Pakistan occupation army swooped on the people of East Pakistan leading to genocide, mass rape and destruction.

After Bangladesh became independent in 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman attempted to reflect Gandhi’s principles of non-violence in a more modified and structured manner by introducing Bangladesh as a secular state in its constitution.

The point, however, the scourge of extremism and communal loathing in the 21st century has dangerously torn apart the hope of peaceful coexistence and pluralistic thinking in many countries. The vices are not any longer restricted within the boundaries of communal clashes, but have been promoted to the levels of unthinkable terror attacks worldwide.

As Bangladesh race towards the 50th anniversary of her independence in 2021, we are, to some extent blessed to have followed and reflect Gandhi’s non-violence approach while dealing with violence, internally and also regionally. The party in power under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has followed a zero-tolerance for all forms of violence including religious fundamentalism and terrorism as well as insurgency across the border. Despite having strong and well-equipped armed forces - our response to Myanmar’s manmade Rohingya crisis and their provocation – has drawn international acclamation purely because of patience, perseverance, and yes for our non-violent approach for solving the humanitarian crisis.

True, Bangladesh has been hit hard, but it didn’t hit back at Myanmar in similar fashion. It didn’t because it believes counter-violence do not resolve disputes in the long run. That said–the creed of non-violence needs to be applied with effective strategies that changes with time. Compare to the early years of this decade, political violence in the country dropped mainly because of applying well-timed efficient non-violent strategies.

Gandhi’s non-violent strategies for the tumultuous partition years were different, since the social and political demands were different then. However, today communal riots have turned into deadly terror strikes targeting not any particular religion’s followers, impatience and intolerance have resulted in the plight millions of ethnic minority refugees, (influx of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh escaping from Myanmar persecution-a glaring example) and the need of the minute is to once more place the tool of non-violence into action.

Promoting secularism, guaranteeing rights of minorities, ensuring freedom of expression and sheltering of helpless refugees of a neighbouring country—handling all such crucial issues without being violent—requires faith in the ability of a particular doctrine. Given today’s political, economic and social reality of Bangladesh, the non-violent approach has proved its irrefutable value time and again.

What Gandhi’s approach teaches is: non-violence is not possible without patience and tolerance. And, secularism, pluralism, democracy are all important pre-conditions for turning the non-violence ideology into a much sought after reality. This is the element of knowledge left behind by Mahatma Gandhi, the prophet of non-violence.

The Gandhi legacy is intact. The teachings of non-violence are all there. What we all need to do is jointly put it in practice. The Mahatma is eagerly waiting to see that happen, to ensure peace and co-existence in the present world-tormented by violence, disputes and hatred.

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury is the Media Adviser of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Editor of the Daily Observer

This article first appeared in National Herald on Sunday