Let true Gandhian philosophy
enlighten our people
But Congressmen remain the hurdle in the way
By Prabhat Jha

Without properly understanding Gandhiji we habitually shout Gandhiji ki Jai. It is not a crime to do so, but we will not understand the Father of our Nation with mere sloganeering like that. Today those who wish, may understand Shri Rahul or Smt. Sonia Gandhi in this manner because there is hardly any depth of thought and philosophy around them. And therein lies the basic difference between that Gandhi and these Gandhis.

Till the television serial Chanakya was telecast on Doordarshan the word ‘Chanakya’ was used derisively to denote a cunning and intriguing person. It was therefore natural that nobody thought of undertaking a research on him. Dr. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi gathered the courage to rectify this wrong perception. After hundreds of years people came to understand that Chanakya was a nationalist to the core. If the character of Chanakya had not been presented in the right light, perhaps the common people of India would not have done justice to this great luminary of Indian history. Today, Chanakya has become an ideal. He was earlier too, but not among the masses. Renowned journalist-writer Shri Arun Shourie often says: there is nothing that is new in our world. Facts may seem new because we are unaware of them till they are brought to our notice. Mahatma Gandhi played a very significant role in India’s fight for freedom—a fact not contradicted even by his worst critics. Non-violence, for Gandhiji, was like religion, a way of worship. It was he who turned the Congress organisation into a movement. A time came when the Congress, in the minds of the people, became synonymous with crusaders for freedom.

In 1916 speaking on Swadeshi at Madras Gandhiji said, “I don’t know whether dharma has anything to do with politics or not. Politics bereft of dharma is like a dead body which should only be consigned to flames.

How did Gandhiji do it? From where did he derive the strength to wage this war against the mighty British? How did he view the problems of India? What were his roots? What were his thoughts about himself? What shaped his behaviour and attitude? From where did he draw inspiration? What was the focus of his studies? What was the source of his moral strength? How did he look at religion? Did Sanatan Dharma form the spine of his thoughts and beliefs?
It is a pity that without having answers to these questions and without properly understanding Gandhiji we habitually shout Gandhiji ki Jai. It is not a crime to do so, but we will not understand the Father of our Nation with mere sloganeering like that. Today those who wish, may understand Shri Rahul or Smt. Sonia Gandhi in this manner because there is hardly any depth of thought and philosophy around them. And therein lies the basic difference between that Gandhi and these Gandhis.

For them, Gandhism seems to have been narrowed down to neo-Gandhism projected by the personalities of Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight this aspect of Gandhiji’s personality before the present-day Congressmen and people of the country so that they are able to distinguish between the true Gandhian philosophy and what the present Gandhis stand for. They have nothing of Gandhian thought or philosophy in their words and actions, except for having Gandhi as their surname.

Those who call themselves Congressmen of Gandhian ideology should first try to understand his philosophy and thought. If these Congressmen even read the biography of Gandhiji, I am sure many ills plaguing the nation will be resolved in the normal course. But the problem is that Congressmen today do not wish to study Gandhiji, instead they want to blindly follow the person bearing the surname ‘Gandhi’.

‘Gandhi’ is not a mere word, he is a symbol of the Freedom Movement of India. Gandhiji was not waging India’s war of independence purely in political terms but on the strength of spirituality, simultaneously fighting a relentless battle for the protection and preservation of Indian culture.

The way an effort was made to spread awareness about the role, character and patriotism of Chanakya through a television serial, a similar attempt needs to be made to make people understand and appreciate Mahatma Gandhi. Once this is done, those who are spreading wrong notions about him and Gandhian philosophy will get exposed. I have a feeling that the present generation of Congressmen have a vested interest in not allowing the present and future generations to study the life and history of Gandhiji from beginning to the end. Because if people come to understand Gandhiji, they will lose faith in the present lot of individuals having Gandhi as their surname.

Gandhiji on Dharma

A thorough study of books and collected works of Gandhiji published so far will leave no doubt in the reader’s mind that Gandhiji took pride in claiming himself to be a Santani Hindu. He viewed his own and the country’s problems and their solutions from the angle of religion.
Pushpraj, who wrote ‘Sanatan Dharma Aur Mahatma Gandhi’ published by Shri Vinayak Prakashan of Delhi, hails from village Lalgarh in Churu District of Rajsthan. He obtained his PhD from Delhi University on the subject of “Contribution of Sanskrit Literature to Gandhiji’s Thought”. He is a Reader in a college under Delhi University. After studying complete works on Gandhiji, My Experiments With Truth and Gandhiji and Christianity, one comes to the conclusion that neither Gandhiji’s true ideology has been put before the people nor has any serious effort been made to do that. His thoughts are very relevant in present times. That is why we have tried to take it to the common man.

Gandhiji had great depth of thought. On the basis of his studies he concluded that knowledge of Sanskrit and its literature was essential for every Indian. Speaking in the National Education Council at Haridwar on March 20, 1927 he said: “To study Sanskrit is the duty of every Indian student. It is the duty not only of Indians but of Muslims too because after all their ancestors too were Ram and Krishna and to know more about their ancestors, it is necessary for them to learn Sanskrit” (Navjeevan 23.3.1927 and Complete Works 33/185). In his opinion learning Sanskrit is the very dharma of Hindus. In a letter to his son Harilal, Gandhiji wrote: “Sanskrit opens the door for learning all Indian languages”.

All the instincts of Gandhiji were guided by religion. Dharma was the very life-breath of Gandhiji. In his own words: “much depends upon Dharma and knowledge of Sanskrit was the duty of every Hindu”. According to him, “if there is any use of philosophy it is to make use of it in one’s behavior” (ibid 40/144). He believed that if philosophy was not made a part of the life then it was nothing more than a body without life.

"To study Sanskrit is the duty of every Indian student. It is the duty not only of Indians but of Muslims too because after all their ancestors too were Ram and Krishna and to know more about their ancestors, it is necessary for them to learn Sanskrit"

Because of his firm belief in eternal principles which controlled man’s behavior, Gandhiji had deep faith in Dharma. In the words of Gandhiji, “a person with even a little knowledge of Dharma can never abandon it. It cannot be put on or put off like a dress. It is more precious than even the body. Body is attached to the principle of transmigration, Dharma is something connected to the soul. Dharma teaches us that it cannot ever be changed. It can be purged of ills but it cannot be cut off .”

He asks how can anybody forsake that very Dharma in which Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas etc. have been written, in which innumerable people have observed penance till death, the Dharma whose followers’ bones have brightened the Himalayas, whose sweat nourished flowers? Reformers of this Dharma alone have uprooted orthodoxy to make it shine brighter. Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavira, Shankar, Ramanuj, Kabir, Chaitanya, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ramakrishna, Dayanand, Vivekanand and other luminous figures showed us new paths by opposing orthodoxy. They did not renunciate Dharma. On the other hand, they broke rigid orthodoxy and protected Dharma by preserving its essence (ibid 41/177-8).

Dharma was all pervasive in Gandhiji’s life. In his words “many of my political friends have lost hope in me because they say that my politics and all my other tendencies are influenced by Dharma. I will go a little further and say that the source of every tendency of a religious person should be Dharma alone.” (ibid 57/214).

“Mankind has found Dharma indispensable for its existence in one form or the other. Therefore it is correct to assume that mankind could not visualise its moral development without Dharma” (ibid, 54/259).

On October 10, 1932 in his letter to Dadachanji, Gandhiji wrote: “a person whose life is coloured with Dharma, in his views politics and economics are the very part of his life and he cannot leave any of these. In my opinion a person who considers Dharma as one of the many tendencies, he in fact does not know what Dharma means. Therefore, it is beyond my imagination that I will ever quit politics for social reform any day. I am in politics and social service etc. are only in furtherance of the cause of my Dharma.”

In 1916 speaking on Swadeshi at Madras Gandhiji said, “I don’t know whether dharma has anything to do with politics or not. Politics bereft of dharma is like a dead body which should only be consigned to flames. Reality is that in your own way, quietly, you influence politics a lot and I feel if efforts had not been made to divest politics of religion, the way it is being done today, politics would not have been degraded to the level it seems to have fallen.” (ibid 3/223)

Gandhiji on Conversions

Gandhiji’s views were very clear on conversions. When a journalist asked Gandhiji whether he will support the continuance of American and other foreign missionaries in India after India wins freedom, Gandhiji replied: “If instead of concentrating themselves on humanitarian work and serving the poor they convert people into their religion by extending medical treatment or educational facilities etc. I will certainly ask them to leave the country”. Religion of every country is as respectable as that of any other country. The religions of India are certainly adequate for the people of this country. We don’t need conversions.” (ibid 45/339)

Whether he was on tour to London or amongst Indians in South Africa, Gandhiji lost an opportunity to explain the traditions of Hindu religion. On the occasion of Vijaya Dashmi on October 24,1909, Hindus in London arranged a dinner in his honour. Speaking on the occasion he said every Indian should respect great historical personalities like Shri Ramchandraji and every Hindu, Muslim and Parsi should feel proud of the country in which such great figures were born. Shri Ramchandraji is a great Indian and therefore he is respectable to every citizen. For Hindus he is God incarnate. If venerable figures like Shri Ram, Sitaji, Lakshmanji and Bharatji were born again, India would become a happier and contented country. We must remember that before being able to serve the country Ramchandraji passed through the litmus test of a 14-year exile. When Indians lead such a life they will be considered as independent. India will never be happy by adopting a path different from this. (ibid 9/498-9)

A proud sanatani Hindu

Gandhiji said he had pondered deeply over Sanatan Hindu Dharma and not just accepted it as a religion adopted by tradition. He examined its principles and became satisfied that his salvation lay only in Hindu Dharma. It is true that some ills, like the inhuman custom of untouchability had infiltrated into it, but he felt these ills could be eradicated. It was impossible for him to leave Hindu Dharma and ‘Bharat bhoomi’.

He repeatedly declared himself to be a devout Sanatani Vaishnava Hindu. From Sanatan Hindu Dharma he only meant Arya Vedic Dharma which came to be known as Sanatan Hindu Dharma. Ghandhiji included Jain, Buddhism, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shaakta, Sikh, Arya Samaj, Brahmosamaj etc. into Sanatan Hindu Dharma. He felt that the only difference between the various communities was the diversity in sadhna and ways of worship.

In his words, “Why am I happy in calling myself a Hindu and continuing to be so? I cannot explain, but my continuing to be a Hindu does not hinder my acceptance of whatever is good, amiable and beautiful in Islam or any other religion of the world.” (ibid 37/327) Writing in Young India (6.10.1929) Gandhiji said, “I am using the word Sanatan in its natural and prevalent meaning”. He said I call myself a Sanatani Hindu because:

To articulate his feelings about Hindu Dharma was as difficult for Gandhiji as it was to express feelings about his wife. He confessed that the extent of influence she had on him could not be equalled by any other woman in the world. It was not as if his wife had no shortcomings, yet he felt an unbreakable bond with her. He had the same feelings about Hindu Dharma. Whatever the shortcomings, whatever the limitations, he continued to nurture love for it. Many ills might have crept into Hindu temples, there may be many defects which could not be described, yet he had love for these places of worship. He had a special fascination for them – a fascination that nothing else inspired in him. He was a committed social reformer from beginning till the end yet it never meant that he ignored the essentials of Hindu Dharma in that enthusiasm.

Present genre of Gandhians

Gandhiji has discussed in detail his concept of the Truth and God, Bhagvad Gita, Yam-Niyam, Varnashrama Dharma and Ram-Rajya. There is a need to present before the society Gandhiji’s views on Sanatan Hindu Dharma, on Lord Rama, and on Hindu classics. He was not a hypocrite and practised what he thought and preached. Today however, the situation has changed.

What Gandhiji had said in the past, is being said today by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party. The fact is that at times Gandhiji went beyond Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s views on Hindu Dharma. In spite of all this, what is the position of Gandhiji’s followers today? At home they start their day by offering prayers to Shri Ram and Sankatmochan Hanumanji, as devout worshippers. But the moment they step out of their homes, the language and tone of these present day followers of Gandhiji undergoes a change.

Inside their homes they are Mahatma Gandhi’s Congressmen but as soon as they come out, they forget the father of the nation and become Congressmen of the hue of Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. These poor souls do so because they are ignorant of the high morals and great ideals of Gandhiji. In fact, they never cast even a cursory glance over Gandhi literature.

For them, Gandhism seems to have been narrowed down to neo-Gandhism projected by the personalities of Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight this aspect of Gandhiji’s personality before the present-day Congressmen and people of the country so that they are able to distinguish between the true Gandhian philosophy and what the present Gandhis stand for. They have nothing of Gandhian thought or philosophy in their words and actions, except for having Gandhi as their surname.

Gandhiji was a liberal because he was a Hindu. He was proud to call himself a Hindu. But what is the position today? Can any Congressman today have the courage to say that Muslims, Parsis and Christians should also learn Sanskrit which will enable them to study our ancient scriptures? When they study our shastras only then will they come to know that their ancestors too were Lord Rama and Lord Krishna.

Can any true Gandhian say it so openly? Never! If anybody does, he will fall out of favour with the present Gandhi dynasty. But when senior leaders including RSS Sarsanghchalak repeat these very words of Gandhiji, statements from the so-called ‘secularists’ including Congressmen start trickling in, alleging that RSS is trying to instigate riots. Did Gandhiji have that objective in mind when he said these things? We don’t think so.

Therefore, it is necessary today more than ever before that views of the Father of our Nation on various other matters and not just Hindu Dharma should be placed before citizens of this country. Congressmen have not done so but the institutions inspired by Hindu ideology should make some serial or documentary film to take Gandhiji’s ideas to the people and make them acquainted with his thoughts about Dharma.

This will serve two purposes. First, Gandhian Congressmen will also be able to understand Gandhiji’s philosophy and better sense will prevail upon them so that they don’t make irresponsible statements about the Sangh parivar, Hindu Dharma and important national issues like construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and desist from vitiating the country’s atmosphere. Second, it will generate an atmosphere of harmony, social unity and integrity in the country. At the same time, those who create unnecessary commotion about matters concerning Hindu Dharma every other day will stand exposed before the common people who will not be misguided anymore.