Gandhi: Moral Courage and Conviction

- Dr Ravindra Kumar*

Gandhiji was a man of multi facets personality. Some of the facets of life of Gandhi made him not only quaint and unique among his leading contemporaries, but also established him as a person of conspicuous identity in the pages of the history of the world. He would always be remembered as a man continuously in the search of the Satya - truth while passing through the process of righteous acts to the maximum possible extent. He would also be known as a Yugapurusha - a man of the era, who had the firm belief in those supreme values, which were, and are, necessary for an appropriate conduction of the universal system - Brahmanda Vyavastha.

The greatness of Gandhi's life remained in the fact that he firmly believed in the truth of the universal unity - Indivisible Whole. The universal unity - Brahmandiya Ekta is an all-timely and the perennial truth - a Shashwat Satya. The basic source of the universal unity is Ishwara - the Supreme Authority, and His ever-flowing Law, the Rule of God - Ishwariya Niyam (both are in fact synonymous terms according to Gandhiji),which is the Absolute. All are equally within the ambit of His Rule. To quote Gandhiji himself, "God and His law are synonymous terms. Therefore, God signifies an unchanging and living law." (Harijan: August 25, 1940)

Firm belief in the truth of universal unity, and embracing the reality of equality of all in principle and practices, individual and mutual, is, in fact, the reflection of one's highest level of morality. In other words, it is the best observance of one's morality in thought and action. One who observes the truth of infinite unity and equality of all, and works accordingly, he, thus, embraces morality in its real form and steps forward on the right pathway of his life. Such a one has, in fact, the courage of conviction in life and he always works for the large scaled welfare of humanity and emerges as a Mahatma - Great Soul also establishes as a Yugapurusha.

In this regard, Gandhi is one of the excellent examples before all of us - the whole world. He firmly embraced morality according to its basic spirit. He, taking morality as a synonym of the truth itself, had it as the nucleus of all of his endeavours made for equality of fellow beings - mass actions he initiated for the freedom of India or the revolutionary approach he adopted for the large scaled welfare of the people.

In this regard we will analyse Gandhiji taking clues from the historical events related to his life. He was a man following morality, a synonym of the Satya, resultantly transforming the valiant Mahatma to such a Yugapurusha who remained firm as a rock on his principle, fought for unity and equality throughout his life taking these as his foremost duties. But, before discussing him on the basis of his morality, it will be necessary for us to be familiar with the basic spirit of morality.

Morality (Naitikta in Indian term) is a word derived from Moralis of Latin reflecting manner, character and proper human behaviour. Morality calls on man to choose what is right, just, good, fair and appropriate leaving aside that which is wrong, unjust, bad, unfair or inappropriate. It, thus, emanates as a long-lasting code of conduct necessary for a right and welfaristic conduction of the system from individual to universal level. Morality, hence, sets up as a universal value - Sarvabhaumik Mulya. From its basic spirit viewpoint, especially due to its dedication to the right, just, good, fair and appropriate, morality emerges as one of the strong supplementary of the supreme and natural human value of Ahimsa (non-violence), which not only existed in all times, rather it functioned as a guide remaining active and dynamic in daily chores of man ultimately calling for all-round human welfare and inspired him for this purpose. Ultimately one's dedication to human welfare and making fair endeavours for the purpose, taking it as his foremost duty is the proof of one's morality.

Gandhiji embraced morality, a complimentary of non-violence - Ahimsa in his life according to its basic spirit. It means he made that one foremost - universal value an indivisible part of his life, which is according to its basic spirit absolutely necessary for an appropriate - systematically conduction of the universal system. He, as a brave man, having morality in the centre of all of his activities worked with firm determination throughout his life for equality and freedom of people. His struggle for the large scaled welfare of humanity is already recorded in the pages of history of India as well as of the world, for his efforts influenced not only his countrymen, but also the whole humanity across the world.

His life, which was dedicated to the welfare of common man, his lifelong fight for equality and freedom for one and all on this planet on the basis of morality and a great legacy he left to be followed by generations to come from his continuous struggle remained a hallmark in the entire history of the world. Keeping his moral bearings as the nucleus Martin Luther King Jr. rightly said, "Mahatma Gandhi embodied in his life certain universal principles that are inherent in the moral structure of the universe. These principles are as inescapable as the law of gravitation." (Kumar: Gandhi in Current Perspective, page 126)

The following statement of Albert Einstein, a great scientist of the last century should also be seen quoting Mahatma Gandhi for this very perspective, i.e., his continuous struggle for equality and freedom of all with firm determination while staying within the ambit of moral values:

"Mahatma Gandhi's life achievement stands unique in political history (of the world). He has invented a completely new and humane means for the liberation war of an oppressed country, and practiced it with greatest energy and devotion. The moral influence he had on the consciously thinking human being of the entire civilized world will probably be much more lasting than it seems in our time with its overestimation of brutal violent forces. Because lasting will only is the work of such statesmen who wake up and strengthen the moral power of their people through their example and educational works." (Kumar: Gandhian Thought - New World, New Dimensions, page 65)

The realization of equality and embracing it in practices especially taking it as his responsibility towards his fellow beings is, as mentioned already, in fact, the acid test of one's following morality in life. It is also the basis of his belief in the truth of universal unity - Indivisible Whole. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi not only accepted human equality as a divine principle, but he worked for this and three other foremost indivisibly associated aspects with it - freedom, justice and rights throughout his life.

Those who are familiar with public life of Gandhiji beginning of which could be traced in South Africa in year 1894 when he firmly decided to oppose the Indian Franchise Bill (through which Indians were to be deprived of their right to elect the members for the Natal Legislative Assembly), they know that it was his historic step towards the restoration of equality of people, which is a natural right of everyone. The Indian Franchise Bill was a part of the racial discrimination policy of the Whites (the Colonial Government there) considering themselves to be the superiors and the others as inferiors.

The Three Pound Annual Tax imposed on every indentured Indian by the Natal Government in 1894 and the Black Ordinance published in the Transvaal Government Gazette in 1906 (according to the one of the provisions of which the registration of every Indian, female or male above eight years, was necessary) were the two other acts of the White - Colonials in South Africa clearly reflecting their policy of inhuman discrimination and exploitation depriving others - non-Europeans of their natural - divine right of equality. Gandhiji's struggle against all the three inhuman acts of the Whites - the Colonials, unprecedented success he achieved and his method of Satyagraha - insistence on truth, which was a pure, ever significant and all timely weapon and its application for the first time in the history of the world could be seen in his firm commitment to the principle of human equality and continuous endeavours thereof. It should be analyzed having his own statement in the centre in which he said, "My central aim is equal treatment for the whole of humanity and that equal treatment means equality of service." (Young India, March 12, 1925)

Realization of equality, it can be repeated, and embracing it in behaviours itself paves the way to human freedom, getting justice and rights. The most important thing in man's life is to observe equality of fellow beings - recognising equality not only in principle, but accepting it in mutual behaviours.

During his stay and struggles in South Africa, Gandhiji started some constructive work for the welfare of people, details of which are well recorded in the pages of history. All those works and more especially the concept of collective living which he transformed into reality at a farm about 30 kilometres away from Johannesburg later in another nearby farm in 1100 acres handed over to him by Herman Kallenbach (later known as the Tolstoy Farm) was not only a symbolic manifestation of his firm belief in the concept of human equality, but also an innovative and a worth following example of his conviction towards this end having "tolerance, general welfare, common good and proximity" (Kumar: Theory and Practice of Gandhian Non-Violence, page 55), all necessary for a long surviving and peaceful world.

The whole series of events related to the public life of Gandhiji after his return to India from South Africa in 1915, especially his actions, from Champaran (Bihar) in 1917 up to the independence of the country from the Colonial Rule in 1947 are, in fact, the story of his continuous struggles for freedom, justice and rights eventually human equality itself. As the history of all the Satyagrahas under his leadership including three mass actions, the Non-Cooperation (1920), the Civil Disobedience (1930) and the Quit India Movement (1942) is well available to preview and analyze, there is, therefore, is no need to go in further details thereof while discussing the subject in hand.

There were some important episodes during India's struggle for freedom in the Gandhian era - under the leadership of the Mahatma himself. In those incidents Gandhiji's pleasant - productive role, especially in settling disputes through the way of positive intervention - meditation taking the value of labour and capital as equal on one hand and on the other declaring the worth of life of a layman and the ruler as the same, remained the vital. However, the present generation may not be much familiar with those events. One among those episodes related to a dispute between mill-owners and mill-workers of Ahmedabad in the year 1918 on the issue of demand of bonus by the workers. The other was related to the people's Satyagraha in the Princely State of Rajkot in the year 1938-39 with a demand of a responsible - public welfare rule in the State. His role in the both, the details of which are well available in pages of Indian's history, must be seen eventually in his constant efforts or struggles towards human equality with his firm belief that "we are born equal ...the idea of inequality, of 'high and low' is an evil..." (Gandhi: India of My Dreams, page 27)

Along with mass actions for the freedom of India Gandhiji took a number of constructive initiatives with the purpose of self-sufficiency - upliftment of common man in socio-economic fields. In this regard his programmes for Swadeshi - revival of domestic products through indigenous industries - cottage industries, rising of village and all-round village service, co-operative and cattle protection and regeneration of women could be mentioned here in particular. During his works he developed some unprecedented and ever significant ideas like the Theory of Trusteeship, A Non-Violent Economy and The Sarvodaya State. All such works and ideas of Gandhiji must be analysed with respect to the above perspective. His thoughts are even today worth considering and welfaristic in context of transforming the ideal of human equality into a reality to a large extent if they are adopted in their refined form as per the demand of time and space. Not only this, but their significance will remain intact in future as well with the same objective.

Equality is a divine - eternal truth. One who is the believer of the truth of the Jagat-Ekata - the universal unity, he cannot become indifferent, even for a moment, to the reality of human equality. The safe, peaceful and progress-oriented - welfaristic future of the world remains in the cultivation of the spirit of human equality and continuous efforts thereof. The one who realizes equality conscientiously and makes endeavours for it is exalted as an enlightened soul - is revered and emulated by all generations. Such a one proves himself to be a true futurist, a visionary. Gandhiji worked throughout his life towards this end; he, thus, emerged as a Mahatma. He is recognized as Mahatma Gandhi with due respect the world over; he is accepted as a true humanist, a futurist, a visionary.

* A Padma Shri and Sardar Patel National Awardee Indologist Dr. Ravindra Kumar is a Former Vice Chancellor of CCS University, Meerut; he is also the Editor-in-Chief of Global Peace International Journal.