Is Gandhi Still Relevant ?

On October 2nd 2016, I happened to visit Sabarmati Ashram (Gandhi Ashram) in Ahmedabad. I was feeling a sort of anxious, not sure of what it would be like to see the place where Gandhiji, the father of the Nation had actually lived, ‘practice what he preach’, and carry out one of the greatest revolution in history.

The three wheeler that took me stopped at an entrance. I had expected a symbolic ‘gate’ or at least some ‘guard’ or a huge entrance sort of. I even thought there would be some kind of a frisking / checking ?  

If one did not know the place there is no indication that it an important historical place. It was on roadside like any other recreational spaces. Anyone, people, visitors just went in. There was no formality.

I went around, like any other ‘tourist’ or a visitor, though there are very few actual ‘foreign tourist’. There were a few children gathering in one of the space for prayer and bhajan.

It was in the afternoon,  people started gathering at one place where a meeting/ observance of the day was being organized. Most of them Gandhians, elderly and definitely not young. There  was music and speeches.

The small cottages that adorned the ashram  were well maintained, neat and clean. These are basically  the remains of Gandhiji and his followers. The hall(s )that has a collection and chronicles of Gandhi and his activities of  were a lot of learnings and insights into Gandhiji led movement - His ideology, his teachings.

The Sabarmati Ashram has quite a lot of visitors. Families, students, youths, foreigners. It is a still a happening place.

The stark reality though is   that this Ashram is more like a “photo studio” a setting for taking pictures. It indeed appears like a place where people come for taking Photographs. All the more as everyone has a mobile phone, people posed not only in front of the cottages, but inside , such as where Gandhi was supposed to be spinning the Chakra etc. Of course, it is indeed mementoes and memorable in take pictures in such historical, important place.

It felt a bit odd to see people just came, posed, take picture, and move on. Everyone let alone a few. No one seems interested to observe or see or understand those symbolic remains.

It was bit confusing. I was perplexed and bit puzzled.

The famous meeting between the Nagas ( NNC) and Mahatma Gandhi came into my mind. What did Gandhi actually say to the Nagas? What does Gandhi really mean when he said Nagas are ‘Independent’?

Later, I remember reading the book “ The Night of The Guerrillas “ where the Author had  reproduced the actual conversation between the Naga delegates and Gandhi. Gandhi had said “As I can see, you are all slaves. From where do you get your clothes? ” What of your food?’

It slowly dawn on me what Gandhi was trying to explain, in the simplest form of what independence, freedom is as an individual and people. It was said that had Gandhi been alive a little longer it could have changed the course of Naga history. Indeed not only the Nagas but the whole of north-east India.

Gandhi is a living example. Sabarmati Ashram stands as witness to it and the collection of his works , his famous quotes are all enough to give us a guiding principles of what freedom means and what freedom is. Unfortunately though all this serves as mere backdrop for photo album today. Or so it seems.

 Is Gandhi still relevant today ? many argued the times and situation is different now. 

Given the situation, particularly in north-east India, perhaps it need to contextualize and re-interpret Gandhi’s philosophy and ideology