October 2 is a
national holiday in India because it is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, a
political leader, and a religious leader regarded by Indians as a Saint. This
is the meaning of the word Mahatma.
Whenever we speak of
the philosophy of non-violence we are reminded of Gandhi who is often thought
of as the man who "invented" non violence as a means to fight
injustice.
However the history
of India shows that for centuries it had been a non-violent nation. India is
often called "Hindustan", meaning the place where Hindus live. The
Hindus had always been associated with non-violence. One of their most powerful
kings, Asoka the Great, 300 BC who conquered all of India was so shocked by the
violence on the battlefield that he gave up the sword.
Buddha was an Indian
prince who propagated non-violence in the world as early as 500 BC, and taught
the people to not to hit back but to turn the other cheek to the tormentor and
to offer love in exchange for hatred and violence.
Because of its
leaning towards non violence, India soon became the homing ground for invaders
from the world, Arabs, Turks, Persians, Mongols, Afghans and the Portuguese,
French and the British of the time. The history of India is full of defeats and
capitulation before the enemy. The Hindus just did not have it in their veins
to be ruthless and violent, even though they fought bravely and valiantly.
Their attitude was always trusting, kind and merciful towards the invaders, and
forgiving, which cost them heavily in military terms and made them lose their
lands to the enemy.
From 700 AD to 1700
AD India was ruled by dynasties of Muslim Rulers, and from 1700 AD till 1947
India was ruled by the British.
The British ruled
India with an iron hand and it appeared impossible for the complacent Hindus to
ever get out of the yolk of British imperialism. There was hardly any organised
resistance to the British.
And then came Mahatma
Gandhi who told the Indians how to get rid of the British conquerors -- through
non-cooperation and civil disobedience. Gandhi would not tolerate armed
resistance by the Indians against the British.
He led peaceful
marches protesting against the government and these rallies were brutally and
ruthlessly put down by the British Government of the time. Old and respectable
people were brutally beaten by the police, and many died in these beatings.
Gandhi and his ailing wife were jailed several times.
But the foundations
of the British Government had begun to shake. Even though Sir Winston Churchill
the Prime Minister of England refused to meet Gandhi and called him a
"half naked Fakir", yet Gandhi had captured the hearts of people all
over the world.
For various reasons,
most of which were Gandhi's crusades, the British government packed up their
bags and left India without a shot being fired in 1947. The two countries
continued to be the greatest of friends afterwards as Gandhi had wanted. It was
not in Gandhi's heart to nurture grievances or hurts.
Gandhi believed in
all faiths of the world and even protected the Muslims, while he himself was a
Hindu.
Gandhi believed in
God as Lord Rama, God Incarnate of the Hindus, and the word "Rama"
was on his lips all his life.
It was on his lips
when he was shot by an assassin and he died in 1948.
As the bullets
pierced into his delicate frame he was heard to say loudly: "Ram!
Ram!"- and entered silently into the abode of Rama.
It is absolutely
impossible for the human mind to comprehend how a non violent movement could
ever gain victory in a world where the motto is might is right. But Gandhi
toppling a mighty government is proof that it is a philosophy that might work.
Martin Luther King in
the US was an adherent of Gandhi's philosophy of non violent resistance. And
the song
"We shall
overcome some day,
Deep in my heart I do
believe
We shall overcome
some day"
almost sounds like it
was something that Gandhi may have written.
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