Why we need Gandhi ji Today

Remembering Gandhiji on October 2nd every year has been a ritual we have been practicing religiously ever since India attained freedom. Gandhiji was a leader, activist, Mahatma and more importantly a politician all ruled into one. But he was a politician of a different mettle and it is this role of Gandhiji that is most relevant and needs to be discussed today. The political class today is fast losing it’s relevance as the common Indian seems to be alienated by the state of affairs, rather  affairs of the state. In his weekly newspaper young India October 22, 1925 issue Gandhi ji talked about seven social sins. While they all were important and happen to be the curse of the present times nine decades down the line, the one that matters most today is Politics without Principles. This is the mother of all sins. Politics is at the helm of everything. Definitions about politics maybe many but they all invariably suggest one thing—politics is ultimately about power. Naturally, if politics becomes unprincipled, chaos and disorderlines will follow.All that is wrong in the society is in some way a by-product. The difference between order of Gods and Demons, Ram and Ravan, dictators and democrats, despots and leaders has something to do with principles. That the present society is witnessing politics without principles is unfortunate. For Gandhiji principle was the expression of perfection without which the ruler could not be fair. Principle is the essence of Raj Dharm, the essence of good governance.The wheel has come a full circle as we witness the rise in the  tilt towards unprincipled politics. Even though Gandhiji is not a subject of popular discourse these days what was rather reassuring was the fact that the many Heads of State who were a part of the G 20 conference in Delhi chose to visit the Mahatma’s memorial at Rajghat where Gandhi ji’s favorite recital Vaishnav Jan toh tene kahiye peer paraai jaane re. What better proof of approval of Gandhiji’s principled politics. Mahatma Gandhi is  certainly our most accepted global brand in the recent times. If we carefully look around and observe the goings on of the present times we will be compelled to rethink about the relevance of Gandhiji-his ideas, his ideals and even his idiosyncrasies. To many his views may be utopian and his world view may appear impractical. But he had strong convictions about his world view. He believed what he believed and did what he believed. The things Gandhiji stood  for  are not easy to comprehend for the generations today who have little familiarity with his ways.But that doesn’t reduce the significance of his ideas and practices. Quite strange that he is less understood in his own country where his views are thought of as too idealistic to be practiced. Ironically, those same views mesmerized the Indian masses in to action which was instrumental in winning freedom. The problems of the world today are due to faulty leadership styles that are  ego driven rather than ethics driven. Truth and non violence, the two cornerstones of Gandhiji’s philosophy need to be  inculcated in present day politics.