Here is a small article on "Mahatma Gandhi and Politics".
GANDHI'S MESSAGE ON POLITICS
*Fr.Ivo da Conceição Souza
Of Gandhi, the great scientist Albert Einstein wrote in July 1944 that
"generations to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such a one as
this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth". He is one of the most
dynamic and saintly figures of modern times, a truly great leader. He was
really a "great Soul" (MAHATMA).
At the end of a prayer meeting (or while he was going to the court-yard for
prayer) on January 30, 1948, Gandhi was pleased to hear from his Hindu and
Muslim friends that Delhi had experienced "a reunion of hearts", but soon
after he touched the hands of Nathuram Vinayak GODSE together, smiled and
blessed them, he fell at the shot of a pistol and died with a murmur: "Oh,
God". Godse, a thirty-five year old editor and publisher of a Hindu
Mahasabha weekly in Pune, was bitter that Gandhi made no demands on Muslims,
although he did not hate Gandhi.
The then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Motilal Nehru,
conveyed the news to the country by radio: "The light has gone out of our
lives and there is darkness everywhere and I do not quite know what to tell
you and how to say it. Our beloved leader, BAPU as we call him, the father
of our nation, is no more. Perhaps I am wrong to say that. Nevertheless, we
will not see him again as we have seen him these many years. We will not run
to him for advice and seek solace from him, and that is a terrible blow not
to me only but to millions and millions in this country. And it is
difficult to soften the blow by any advice that I or anyone else can give
you".
"The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light
that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has
illumined this country for these many years will illumine this country for
many more years, and a thousand years later that light will still be seen
in this country, and the world will see it and it will give solace
to innumerable hearts..."
His message still resounds on our ears. Gandhi should lead us today to
progress, harmony and peace. It is disheartening to witness national
disintegration based on the wrong notion of religion, politics and human
welfare.
In his political struggle, Gandhi was led by his religious principle of
self-realization. He narrates his "experiments" in the spiritual field, from
which he has derived power for working in the political field. Therefore, he
says, there can be no room for self-praise, but only for humility by feeling
his own limitations and shortcomings. Let us hear his wn words: "For me,
politics bereft of religion are absolute dirt, ever to be shunned. Politics
concerns nations and that which concerns the welfare of others must be one
of the concerns of a man who is religiously inclined, in other words, a
seeker after God and Truth... God and Truth are convertible terms and if
anyone told me that God was a God of untruth or a God of torture I would
decline to worship Him. Therefore in politics also we have to establish
the Kingdom of Heaven" (YOUNG INDIA, June 18, 1925).
Being a sincere seeker of truth, he could not subscribe to the methods of
bribery and deceit. It was devotion to Truth that has drawn him into the
political field. His experiments in the political field are but expression
of his spiritual life. What he wanted to achieve was self-realization, to
see God face to face, to attain MOKSHA (or salvation which was for him
oneness with God). He lived in pursuit of this goal (see The Story of My
Experiments with Truth, Phoenix Press, London, 1949, Introduction).
This is the goal of all his endeavours: to see the universal and
all-pervading Spirit of Truth, face to face. But one cannot aspire after
that, unless one loves "the meanest of creation as oneself". Without the
slightest hesitation he could say that "those who say that religion has
nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means" (M.K.Gandhi,
The Story of My Experiments with Truth, "Farewell", p.420).
Politicians of today are exploiting the ignorance of the millions of
illiterate people of India for their political mileage. They are giving them
wrong notion of religion and exploiting even religious symbols to gain
votes. But people should know what is the "true religion" and abide by it.
When we witness rampant political gimmicks, immorality and scams, we cannot
shun religion from politics. Only religion can purify politics, which has
become a dirty game among us.
Every religion teaches us to love God and our fellow men and women. How
can a dirty politician say that he loves the nation when he is corrupt? It
is his selfish interest that is his top-priority.
We hope that Mahatma Gandhi will inspire us all, and particularly our
politicians, to serve selflessly our country.
