The evolution of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi into the
'Mahatma ' of our times very much hinges on the principles that were the
guiding light of his life. Till his last breath, Gandhiji unflinchingly
adhered to these philosophies often referred by the collective term
'Gandhism'. Over the years the thoughts and the philosophy of Mahatma
Gandhi have inspired generations across the world and they have often
been the bedrock of civil rights movements waged against oppressive
regimes.
Truth
Truth or 'Satya' was the sovereign principle of Mahatma Gandhi's life.
The Mahatma's life was an eternal conquest to discover truth and his
journey to that end was marked by experiments on himself and learning
from his own mistakes. Fittingly his autobiography was titled 'My
Experiments with Truth.' Gandhi strictly maintained that the concept of
truth is above and beyond of all other considerations and one must
unfailingly embrace truth throughout one's life.
Satyagraha
Gandhiji pioneered the term Satyagraha which literally translates to
'an endeavor for truth.' In the context of Indian freedom movement,
Satyagraha meant the resistance to the British oppression through mass
civil obedience. The tenets of Truth or Satya and nonviolence were
pivotal to the Satyagraha movement and Gandhi ensured that the millions
of Indians seeking an end to British rule adhered to these basic
principles steadfastly.
Nonviolence
The principle of nonviolence or Ahimsa has been integral to many Indian
religions and Mahatma Gandhi espoused for total nonviolence in the
Indian freedom struggle. He was determined to purge the Satyagraha
movement of any violent elements and incidents of violence by
Satyagrahis in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh led him to call off the
civil disobedience movement. Gandhi's adoption of vegetarianism is often
regarded a manifestation of his faith in the principles of nonviolence.
Khadi
Khadi, an unassuming piece of handspun and hand-woven cloth, embodies
the simplicity synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi's persona. After
renouncing the western attire of his advocacy days in South Africa,
Gandhi embraced the practice of weaving his own clothes from thread he
himself spun and encouraged others to follow suit. Mahatma used the
adoption of Khadi as a subtle economic tool against the British
industrial might and also as a means of generating rural employment in
India.
