Gandhi and Gen-Next
Derek Soares
Gandhi with the loincloth and a walking stick seems an unlikely advocate of post-modernism. On his 64th death anniversary, the question which arises is whether the much-revered and respected personality of Gandhi needs a makeover to make him more relevant and appealing to the Gen-Next to whom he’s a distant historical figure, born some two centuries ago, who drove the British away.
Gandhi is, to borrow a phrase, not of an age, but for all times. If there was the slightest doubt that Mahatma Gandhi, his teachings and his philosophy of non-violence were outdated in today’s age and time, then the Gandhian leader Anna Hazare’s recent fast against corruption clearly showed us how unfounded that doubt is. He brought the Gandhi topi back into fashion and the youth christened him ‘Aaj ka Gandhi’. In this high-tech age, Gandhi’s relevance is all the more significant. Gandhi’s many movements can be applied to daily life as well. Young people, who feel a vacuum in their lives and need a moral icon, get inspiration from him, as his lifestyle can be followed in contemporary India.
