GS1 PYQ (Mains Answer Writing): Significance of Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi | History for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Throw light on the significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times. (UPSC GS 1 MAINS )

Mahatma Gandhi the father of our nation was a prolific writer, philosopher, freedom fighter, an advocate by profession and a social activist by nature. He was a visionary and possessed a very powerful mind and hence thought deeply and wrote on basic human issues and problems facing India in those times. Those issues are as relevant today as they were in his time. Therefore significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi is relevant on all those basic human issues and problems which humanity is facing now and then. These issues range from social, political, economic and religious aspects of the society.
Social Issues:

• One of the visible adversaries of the present world is intolerance among societies, countries and cultures. Western world has become apathetic to countries of third world more now than any time in the history. Racial and cultural discrimination is rampant due to the fear of losing ground for to the immigrants in western countries. Middle East is divided in religious and racial lines and is in continuous turmoil. Africa is witnessing the rise of extremism. In our own country India, the danger of intolerance can divide our society and tear our social fabric. 
• Fear and insecurity is the root cause of intolerance as per Gandhi. So he advocated throughout his life the principle of being truthful and fearless. His idea of fearlessness allowed him to be tolerant to varied thoughts and perceptions accommodating diverse sections of the society and at same time come up with a compromise. 
• His ideas of tolerance, compromise and non-violence can serve as an antidote to the present social crises of hatred, terrorism, and racial and religious conflicts across the world. As per Gandhi fear can be triumphed through meditation and strong belief in God. Both these attributes makes a man tolerant and accommodative. 
• The modern man can also take great wisdom from what Gandhi said the seven social sins: Politics without principles; Wealth without work; Commerce without morality; Education without character; Pleasure without conscience; Science without humanity; Worship without sacrifice. All these are very much relevant in the contemporary world than any other time in human history. Political Issue: At the global level, many places in the world have been drastically changed through the use of brute force, by the power of guns such as in the erstwhile Soviet Union, China, Tibet, Burma, and many communist countries in Africa and South America. The Israel-Palestinian war, the Korea war, the rise of ISIS and the ethnic cleansing of minorities in Middle-East and the armed race among the countries are all symptoms failures of the leadership to guide for the goodness of all humanity. 
• Gandhi left many valuable for the modern man to fight for goodness in society in a non-violent way. He considers non-violence a tree that grows slowly, imperceptibly but surely. Goodness along with knowledge courage and conviction can bring wonders to the humankind as per Gandhi. For Gandhi, the process of change was very important which must be ethical, nonviolent and democratic giving rights to all minorities. 
• The idea of inter-dependence at the international level propounded by Gandhi holds relevance of immense importance today. No country in the world is efficient enough to tackle the global challenges of environmental degradation, poverty, terrorism, etc. single headedly. Collaboration and cooperation among the nations can be only means to move ahead and made some progress in these matters. 
• At domestic level, the idea of gram swaraj propounded by Gandhi has found resonance through constitutional validity of panchayats and municipalities. Gandhi believed that villages are the real India and if India is to move forward and make impressions on world, villages would have to be made as fundamental units for development. The policy changes since last three decades to decentralize governance and politics are resonating the idea of Gandhi on Gram Swaraj. 
• Moreover Gandhi’s Idea of politics without principle is a sin should be a lesson to the political class to up hold their integrity and work for the progress of all ‘Sarvodaya’ the term used by him. 
• Gandhi’s views about sanitation or women empowerment or need for basic education for all, is relevant. Make in India is nothing but self-sufficiency as emphasised by Gandhi.

Economic issues:

• Materialistically world has progressed a lot since last century. But the progress and the fruits of development are unevenly distributed both vertically and horizontally. Inequality is rampant all over the world. India today has the unique distinction of being the only country in the world which has the richest man in the world while at the same time more than 30 per cent of its population lives in dire poverty. 
• Statistics show that the country is definitely not following ‘sarvodaya’ a broad Gandhian term meaning ‘universal upliftment’ or ‘progress of all’ reaching the masses and the downtrodden. As per Gandhi ‘Poverty is the worst form of violence’. 
• Gandhi’s idea of uplifting and empowering poor is first key towards realising the inclusive and sustainable development. 
• The Sustainable Development Goals of eradicating poverty, hunger free world, eliminating illiteracy, gender equality, dignity of labour, employment opportunity and better healthcare are goals resonating the ideas and goals of Gandhi which he cherished throughout his life.

Thus, it can be said that Gandhi was the leader of the past runs into the present and marches towards the future. He had always been a leader of the time ahead. His thoughts are relevant and important today more than ever before.

Topics Covered- Present Importance of Mahatma Gandhi