Mahatma in G20

- By Sujata Choudhary

World leaders pay homage at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat on the final day of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, Sunday, September 10, 2023 | PC: PTI Photo

The more intense the thirst, the sweeter the taste of water. Similarly, the more the unrest in the world and more the terror of war prevailing among mankind, the greater is the search for peace.

It is no coincidence that after the two world wars the world desperately sought peace and achieved success in many ways. And that is why the entire world’s attention turned towards a remarkable individual who, through the power of truth and non-violence, transformed half the world. Prior to this, no one had imagined that ethics could have a place in politics! or that empires could be uprooted through non-violence, or that exploitation could be ended by converting the hearts of the exploiters and beyond that even foster mutual love and harmony between the exploiters and the exploited.

We all accept that following the dictum of an eye for an eye will one day render the entire world blind. The only way out of the vicious circle that the whole world is trapped in, is demonstrated by Mahatma Gandhi, as his life itself is his message.

If we study entire history, from Mahatma, Buddha to Jesus Christ, everyone spoke of truth, non-violence, and love. However, Gandhi was the first person who proved to the world that power of truth and non-violence could even be applied to complex unsavoury politics.

India recently hosted an important world event – G 20 – in which, apart from the heads of state of twenty-nine countries, major organizations and institutions of the world participated.

The gathering of presently the most important and influential figures of the world at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi was not merely a part of protocol, nor were they paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his Samadhi solely because they happened to be visiting India, but genuine reverence was visible on the faces of all the heads of state. This can be inferred from the fact that not all heads of state attended all the events of G-20; some skipped the dinner, while others skipped the seminar of the next day, and yet some others did not attend the seminar of the first day itself. It is worth noting that it was not just a coincidence that no one missed the opportunity to visit this revered memorial, be it leaders from extreme left wing or extreme right wing.

This attraction towards Mahatma Gandhi was neither just a formality, pretence and show and neither was it just blind faith; rather, it is the foremost necessity of the present world and this sentiment is being felt even more intensely by this group of powerful leaders because war has now reached the heart of Europe, where the very thought of war had been abandoned by people after the Second World War.

The war in Yemen and Africa seemed distant because it was a war of the poor, but the war between Ukraine and Russia is not the same, it is as if Europe's own house is on fire. No matter how much blood is shed and violence perpetuated, no matter how much destruction takes place, the ultimate truth is that a solution will only emerge through negotiations. The only way out will be through compromise; the resolution to the problem is possible only through peace.

Mahatma Gandhi has shown the whole world a way in which change can be brought about without violence. The world must, and will, have to accept his path; whether it accepts it after being consumed by the horrific flames of violence or embraces it while remaining unmarred depends on the people of the world. Change is the law of nature, it is inevitable; now it depends on you whether you choose the path of destruction or the path of peace.

When asked by a journalist, “With which person would you be most pleased to have dinner?”, American President Barack Obama immediately responded, Mahatma Gandhi. He further said, “If it weren't for Gandhi, there would be no Martin Luther King, Jr., and if there were no Martin Luther King, Jr., where would Obama be?” This is the kind of profound impact of Gandhi's immense influence on the world stage.

A well-researched documentary film on the American independence movement is screened in the auditorium of the Statue of Liberty in the US. Though this film is on American freedom struggle and exclusively deals with stories about their great heroes who struggled for, and achieved, independence for their country. It is remarkable that, apart from the American heroes, the only other great figure given a respectable place in the film is Mahatma Gandhi and his concept of freedom, a fact which is astonishing but delightful and true.

Mahatma Gandhi appeared on the world stage like a rising sun of ethics and spread the light of truth and non-violence across the world, showing the oppressed people worldwide, including those in America, a path to live with dignity. He demonstrated and proved that there is a power beyond guns, ammunition and explosives, a power more effectual and precise, and that is the ‘power of the soul’.

A giant chair with three legs, signifying an imbalanced world we live in, is placed right in front of the UNO office in Geneva. Not only are we just living in this unnatural situation, but running madly in a frenzy to clench everything. Looking at this chair sends shivers down the spine. This chair is not placed to instil fear, but it is truth itself. We have just witnessed and experienced it in the recent coronavirus pandemic.

A large statue of Mahatma Gandhi is placed a little distance away from that chair, signifying that the only path to save this unstable world is Gandhi's path. When an Indian looked at that statue, he spontaneously said, “This is our Gandhi.” Upon this a European said smilingly, “Gandhi belongs to everyone, to the entire humanity.” Whether it is Czechoslovakia or Hungary, wherever an Indian team passes through, one voice is heard - "Have you come from Gandhi's country?"

In one of his lectures Einstein in October 1948, i.e., ten months after Gandhi's assassination, had said, it is already too late; now without wasting a moment we should follow Gandhi's path. It is seventy-five years since this was said. The world has to realize that we have delayed far too long, if there is any further delay it will be difficult to save the world.

Moreover, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Foreign Minister, a journalist had asked him, “Nowadays, you talk a lot about Gandhi during your foreign tours!” Atal Ji had humorously replied, “What can I do? In foreign countries, Ram and Krishna does not work; only Gandhi name strikes a chord!”

Mahatma Gandhi is one of those rare great personalities whose statues are installed in more than eighty countries, including India. Eight statues are placed in various locations in the United States, the world's superpower. His statues can be found in many other countries, including Pakistan, China, Britain, African nations, Canada, and Germany. In addition, Mahatma Gandhi is the only individual in the world in whose honour more than 125 countries have issued 325 types of postage stamps.

The profound respect and affection that the Father of our Nation garners in foreign countries is a matter of pride for us. It is a different matter that some misguided people in India not only try to insult him, but also attempt to tarnish his character. Such individuals either deserve pity at best, or at worst are guilty of offending the biggest symbol of our national identity.

We are committing a crime against a great man to whom a journalist once asked, “Jesus said, enemies should be forgiven. What do you think on this?” After giving it a thought, Gandhi responded “Who is my enemy? Not a single name comes to my mind because I don't have any enemies.” He continued that some people may consider him their enemy, but from his side, he had no enemies.

Even though he departed from this world seventy-five years ago, this great man is even today revered to the extent that not only the superpower whom he fought, but the entire elite western world has become his follower.

Translated into English by: Hina Manerikar