Today the Father of our Nation, the Mahatma, celebrates his 146th birthday. Or we, the people of this nation, do. 146 years is a long time. Long to enough to (over) scrutinize one’s life, which has been the case of Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi was at the forefront of the freedom struggle and lived in public eye for almost his entire life. Every move he made, every speech he gave, every letter he wrote are constant subjects of passionate debate even after all these years. The years when he did live a low-key life or the years before he returned to India from South Africa, even more so.
Hundreds of books have been dedicated to life, but one doesn’t have to read them all to recognize his legacy, which seeps into our daily lives. So, on this day when the nation celebrates his remarkable efforts and contemplates his life, here are some things from his legacy that we run across, in some cases, everyday.
Dry Day: Yes, the nation toasts to his greatness every year on his birthday, but not with alcohol . A day to sit at home and contemplate your life with a clear mind.
MG Road in every city and other countries: Its quite unlikely that one does not know of at least one road named after the Mahatma. And unlike many others, we can be sure that roads named after him will never be subject to any debate.
Currency notes: If you ever need a reminder of how important this man was to this nation, just reach for your wallet.
Civil Disobedience: For many, Mahatma defined civil disobedience. He used it against the British, we now have organisations that use it as they seek solutions to varying problems.
Gandhi topi: Although past their prime when it comes to making a fashion statement, just the fact that they are called ‘Gandhi caps’ says it all. They survive as the prime physical evidence of ones affiliation with Gandhi ideologies.
Hunger strike: Every year for one reason or the other, someone goes on a hunger strike in the country as a symbol of protest. In recent times they’ve almost always met with success. Pretty effective, we’ll say.
Khadi: Gandhi caps might not be as popular in everyday fashion, Khadi, anything but. For many government jobs, its a uniform, for many others across the country, a fashion statement. One of the most famous picture of Gandhi ever taken is of him spinning a yarn.
Ahimsa and Satyagraha: Perhaps Gandhi’s greatest legacy (and that’s saying something), non-violence is a tool which has served humanity well. Satyagraha moved mountains then, and has the power to do the same even now.