Mahatma Gandhi: Messiah of the poor and downtrodden -The Asian Age

Every year on the 2nd day of October we celebrate the anniversary of birth of one of the Great sons of India as well as father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi whose actual name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. There must be an objective in celebrating the birth anniversary of Great souls of the country. But now with utter sorrow and disdain we find that the observance has become mundane. The message which Mahatma Gandhi (as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was popularly known to the public) preached for the benefit of the nation was development of the poor, downtrodden and underprivileged; then only we can advance rapidly on a macro basis.

What is noticeable now is just the reverse of his thought. Now the socio-political situation has reached such a state of affairs which sounds highly distressing. The birth anniversary celebration every year of this Great saint is just rated as the routine affair but not inheriting some of his noble legacies concerned. Rather the political fraternities are just busy in extracting personal benefits rather doing something for the benefit of the nation.

Mahatma Gandhi's legacy still has its deep impact upon the mind of common citizens of India. Though he was deceased around 70 years ago but till date his legacy is deeply felt upon the common citizens of the country. His mission was to instill simplicity and humbleness among the nation so that the citizens can work sincerely for the empowerment of the poor and oppressed.

This mental makeup of cream of the Indians is badly lacking. For this reason we will held our political fraternities fully responsible. Mahatma's mission in life was not to resort to any kind of violence rather our personal goals could be achieved through peaceful coexistence. That is why during the days of freedom struggle in undivided India this highly revered Mahatma travelled into the heart of the citizens with an objective that all of us should reside peacefully so that our goals are achieved amicably to rise up to the top ladder of our success pillar.

Not only in India is Mahatma Gandhi is well reminisced still he and his legacies are equally revered all over Bangladesh. In the Bangladesh city of Noakhali there has been an ashram which has been set up by the government of that country which is now well known as 'Gandhi Ashram'. This is because it was back in the year 1946 immediately after Kolkata riot there was a massive riot at the then undivided Noakhali where Gandhi played a towering role in the rehabilitation program of the affected persons.

That is why rational minded and intelligentsias of Bangladesh especially more of Dhaka city than other cities of Bangladesh deeply reminisced him and his noble legacies. The way the social and political situations at the present generation is turning to so also Gandhi's legacy still seems deeply relevant to us.

Pity part in India is that Gandhi's philosophy and legacy has not been properly utilized for the upliftment of the nation. All around the country there has been severe social unrest and coercion which badly reflects derogatory impression to the Western World. Poor and the downtrodden sections of this vast Indian populace are further retracing backwards. Literacy is not at all improving. At the present junction all around India the literacy rate is around 70% and there are 29 states and 9 Union Territories.

Among all the states independent India we find that Kerala is the highest literate of all states and Bihar is the least literate among all the states under Indian Union. So readers can easily imagine the pitiable condition of the poor, downtrodden and illiterate sections of Indian societies concerned thereby throwing a message that Indians should not boast so highly about us.

Though Mahatma Gandhi was a prolific figure during the days of freedom struggle but his noble mission till date has been properly made good use of by us. Till instead of delving deeply about the sorrowful side about the introspection about Mahatma we must dwell deeply about this Great soul's literary talent. So books written by Mahatma Gandhi are My Experiments with truth, Satyagraha in South Africa, Truth is God, Key to health, India of my dreams, Village Swaraj, Diet and Diet Reform, etc.

Now the younger generations of both India and Bangladesh are in a different phobiatic mood. Most of them are leading life of merry go round thereby getting badly distracted from creative and aesthetic life. Despite all the odds still there are exceptionable elements noticeable among us which is possible mainly due to pedigree and culture. Same scenarios are noticeable in Bangladesh.

Mahatma Gandhi had pleasant relations with Poet and Noble Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore. Though sometimes differences of opinion among both cropped up but both of them were equally cordial and used to revere each other deeply. It was both Mahatma Gandhi and his spouse Kasturba met Tagore for the last time in the year 1940, a year prior to his demise in the year 1941. The famous song composed by Mahatma Gandhi ' Jodi Tor Dak Sune Keu Na Ashe Ekla Cholo Re' made an indelible mark upon Gandhiji which is still sung every year on Gandhi birthday and as well on his memorial day on January 30.

Summing up the above views we feel Mahatma Gandhi cannot be forgotten. His names will remain enshrined in the annals of Indian history among Indians as well that of Bangladeshis forever.  Gandhi was equally close to Nehru but in certain issues he had disagreement which should not be analyzed but from intellectual angle both were closer to each other. Gandhi had some missions for Independent India but all were boomeranged.

It was a very sad state of affairs for Indian Union but we could not help at all but it was our destiny to covet with this kind of situation. But still positives are noticeable about Mahatma that charka weaving is still portrayed all around India. But his noble successors of his family like his grandsons like Rajmohan and Gopalkrishna are trying all out to carry on his golden legacies and also helping the poor and downtrodden sections of the societies.

The writer writes from Kolkata