Our country will be celebrating its 71 st Republic Day very soon. With so many years
Of our constitution and republic, are there things that we might have forgotten?
The answer seems pretty clear. Our war for independence was fought by many warriors but
the one who won it was the father of our nation.
Mahatma Gandhi, the man who taught us ‘Ahimsa parmo dharma’. Are we following his
words.
During the pandemic, we all went through a phase that wasn’t expected. Juggling in between
settling at home and fear of pandemic. This year taught us a lot. We even came to know how
cruel the world can be. What one thing we learnt is that how important is helping each other.
How much of fraternity is required in our society.
One thing that we all need to think about is the idea with which we set the foundations of our
nation. The bricks of non-violence were laid with the promise that we’d make this golden bird
fly high again. Is that what we see around us? Is this what Mahtma taught us?

Makrand Paranjape in his book Mahatma Matters says that a Mahatma is a person whose
afterlife is more important than the life he lives. And one can see this in Mahatma Gandhi.
What makes Mahatma Gandhi very integral to today’s world are his thoughts and learnings.
Gandhi who was born in Gujrat, studied in London, began his career in South Africa and then
returned to his motherland at the age of 45.
Gandhi’s writings can be seen as this pillar of strength to which connects a huge number of
people who served their countries. What makes Gandhi so relevant even after 4 decades of
his death are his writings.
Gandhi had always been a lover of non-violence or ahimsa. His text talks about the power of
love. Gandhi believes that where there is love, there is god. He states that as the centripetal
force is the force which keeps the atoms bound, the same it is the centripetal force of love
which can keep the world alive. One can relate this to the present scenario of today’s world.
What we do need today is this force of love rather than hate or violence.
 
Gandhi also talks about equality of treatment. He says that this law of love makes no
distinction. Although this is a thing which we have heard many times but have never
incorporated in us. How many cases of injustice do we see that are happening around us
because of inequality? Gandhi says that mutual love or mutual trust is no love and no trust.
How simply this can be put in our daily lives. How many people do we appreciate who do not
appreciate us? One only likes someone when one is liked back. Gandhi says that this kind of
love is no love or trust.
With all these beautiful values that these great people left for us, are we really doing justice to
it? These questions come with just one answer that we need to go back to the values that were
taught to us. Because this isn’t the India that they dreamt of.
Let’s hope for a better India.The India of dreams, the India of love, the India of fraternity.
Learning things from the past and then applying it to the future. Let’s treat everyone with
respect. Make this a better place to live in. Gandhi beautifully says, “love never claims, it
gives. Love ever, suffers, never resents, never revenges itself”.
Thus, let’s all embrace this love on this republic day and built a better nation for all of us.