Is he relevant only on currency notes?

Youth and Gandhi

Of late, Mahatma Gandhi and his ideologies like ‘non-violence’ have been revived with a spate of protests. On this day, when the country celeb­r­a­tes 143nd birth annivers­a­ry of Mahatma Gandhi who led the nation in its fight for freedom Metrolife finds out what does today’s youth think of the Father of the Nation?

Ravi Kant, a young staffer at Delhi University’s (DU) Gandhi Bhawan in North Campus, says he regularly conducts events on Mahatma Gandhi, listens to seminars and talks on him but is still far from his ideologies.

“I lie a lot and have never read anything on Mahatma Gandhi. For me, it is just a job and despite working in Gandhi Bhawan, which imparts and promotes his ideologies, I am still untouched by them. For me Gandhi’s importance is only on currency notes,” he laughs.

Most of the youngsters’ source of knowledge on Bapu seems to be what they hear on
television, see in films and have off late heard during protests.

The Mahatma may have devoted his life to various issues like women and Dalit empowerment, promotion of Hindi and other languages and the Swadeshi movement but youngsters’ are aware only of his deconstructed ideology of Gandhigiri, that too cou­r­tesy Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

While it is debatable whether the Mahatma alone was responsible for the Partition or Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s death as made out by some history books, youngste­rs have made up their minds on the basis of their little knowledge.

Kartik Lakshmi, a first-year student of Chemistry (Hons) at Miranda House, says, “I don’t believe in Mahatma Gandhi. It is because of him that Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s life could not be saved. Anna Hazare’s protest was based on Gandhiji’s ideology of non-violence but even that could not reach any conclusion. So I am not sure if he has any relevance now.”

Lakshay Kharbanda, a first-year student of Delhi Technological University (DTU), holds similar views. He does not hesitate in saying that walking on the path of non-violence is near impossible in today’s scenario.

“I feel that his ideologies are relevant but following them is a bit tough in the present scenario. Can we imagine a non-violent society when the defence budget of our country runs into millions?”

Pragya Shrivastav, a second-year student of Kalindi College, thinks differently. “Gandhiji’s ideologies are difficult to pursue but in the long-term they work.

The ideologies he promoted decades ago can be adopted in daily life. I read on him during my school days. You unknowingly walk on his path if you don’t lie, don’t believe in ‘an eye for an eye’ and treat everybody at par,” she says.