The life of Mahatma Gandhi should serve as a beacon of light to guide humanity to a better world. He taught a lesson to all political leaders on how to work great social and political changes for the betterment of humanity in every walk of life. He said, “An India awakened and free has a message of peace and goodwill to give to a groaning world.”

According to one writer: “If Gandhi had lived in India thousands of years ago, his life would have been wrapped in myths and miracles.” But Mahatma Gandhi is a man of our times, “which shows that his origin was ordinary, his childhood normal, his student days uneventful, and his early professional career unsuccessful. Yet, he “was the spokesman for the conscience of mankind.”

The year 1994 bore witness to the efficacy strategies and philosophy as could be seen from the manner in which the fight Gandhi began 100 years ago in South Africa i.e. in 1903 bearing fruits when the blacks and the whites in South Africa were able to work out a satisfactory solution to a peaceful transfer of power which resulted in the holding of elections and Dr. nelson Mandela taking over the reins of power.

In the American continent Martin Luther King's heroic fight for civil liberties on the Gandhian lines and his own admission that it was from Gandhi that he learnt his operational tactics also is not an isolated instance of the relevance of the Gandhian tactics Martin Luther King (Jr.) said, "If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought and acted, inspired by the version of a humanity evolving towards a world of peace and harmony. WE may ignore him at our own risk."

One of Gandhiji’s principles is Satyagraha. Satya means Truth and agraha means firmness or force. Racial discrimination in South Africa awakened Gandhiji’s social conscience and this lead him to coin this word. Satyagraha is also translated as Soul-Force. He not only preached the tenets of Satyagraha, but also lived and acted them. He showed by actual examples how these basic principles could be used to transform the world into a better place. As Gandhiji wrote, “Satyagraha is the vindication of truth not by infliction of suffering on the opponent but on one’s self.” This principle reverses the idea of an-eye-for-an-eye policy which, as he says ends in making everybody blind, or blind with fury. Instead, it returns good for evil until the evildoer

Fasting for Gandhiji is his way of going inward for solutions to solve the Indian problem. Today , we meet in the battle field to settle our differences. Of course, he was accused of using fasting as a political blackmail. But for him he saw it as introspection to problem solving and gaining spiritual strength.

The life of Mahatma Gandhi should serve as a beacon of light to guide humanity to a better world. He taught a lesson to all political leaders on how to work great social and political changes for the betterment of humanity in every walk of life. He said, “An India awakened and free has a message of peace and goodwill to give to a groaning world.” We can see his greatness expressed in his own words: “I have known no distinction between relatives and strangers, countrymen and foreigners, white and coloured, Hindus and Indians of other faiths, whether Musalmans, Parsis, Christians or Jews. I may say that my heart has been incapable of making any such distinctions.”

Gandhi's contribution to the political awakening and freedom movement in different parts of the world and adoption of non-violence strategies which help both the opposing groups respect each other's sentiments and accommodating the news of others as much in common with UNESCO's decision to propagate the message of tolerance for humanity survival. Asia and African Continent particularly has seen peaceful transition power of power and social change, thanks to Gandhi's initiatives and teachings.

Gandhi’s message to young generation was built around two cardinal principles that are truth and non-violence. His slogan “be fearless” inspired the youth. He taught his countrymen the value of compassion and willingness to sacrifice for fellow brethren. Gandhi understood the significance of youth power in bringing about social change and he effectively utilized the huge reservoir of energy present in young people during the freedom movement.

Youth are naturally compassionate for fellow human beings and inclined to create an ideal society, which makes them instruments of social change. Gandhi made heroes and heroines of ordinary men and women. Those who opted for violence did not find a place in his good books. Gandhi emphasized dignity of labour and human values. Unfortunately, Gandhi’s ideals and ideas have not been fully utilized. They need to be disseminated with reinforced zeal, particularly amongst the youths, which will help them discover the revolutionary Gandhi.

Today the name of Gandhi transcends the bounds of race, region and religion, and has emerged as the prophetic voice of our time. He is remembered now for his passionate adherence to the practice of non-violence and humanism. It is true that Buddha and Mahavir reinvented the word Ahimsha (non-violence) but credit goes to Gandhi to use it as an effective instrument for social change. Gandhi in his book “My experiment with truth” said: “I taught nothing new to this world, truth and Ahimsha is as old as trees and mountains”. He was successful in demonstrating to the world the importance of truth and non-violence.

Arnold Toynbee, the famous historian, who studied Gandhi once said that “the generation into which I happen to have been born has not only been Hitler’s generation in the West and Stalin in Russia it has also been Gandhi’s in India; and it can already be forecast with some confidence that Gandhi’s effect on human history is going to be greater and more lasting than Stalin’s or Hitler’s”.

On one occasion, Gandhi wrote, “non-violence is a plant of slow growth. It grows imperceptibly but surely”. He worked for universal human values and his life is a sure guide to a meaningful existence for all of us in 21st century. Gandhi had a dream for India but realizing his dream has become a nightmare. Today, we are living a life with constant adjustments to changing conditions, which call for a different kind of discipline. Now it rests on our shoulders to see that the democratic values remain intact. The time-tested communal harmony and composite  culture must be maintained while ensuring social justice and gender equality for all. If we are able to achieve this, we shall be helping in fulfilling Gandhi’s cherished dream.

Gandhi’s unfinished task is the biggest challenge before us. He had faith in his mission because he had infinite faith in the individual’s capacity to change. He firmly believed that the human nature is capable of radical reorientation; all one needs is a will to explore his own true self. This explains why Gandhi, all through his life, was striving to take humanity on to the path of spiritual and moral growth. The progress of civilization, as it has evolved through the ages, is proof that human nature is a developing entity, capable of change for the better.

Remember that the contemporary crisis demands not only a careful analysis of the roots of current social disorder and strategies of transition away from the current violent system but also demands a total rejection of some of our present narrow minded beliefs while restructuring our life-style and socio- economic institutions on radical moral lines.

Gandhi’s thoughts need to be disseminated. It is these ideas which have an impressive role in taking the human society forward towards the desired goal. It is said that, it is not the empire builders but the thought of human being, individually powerless, who are ultimately the rulers of the world.

Today Gandhi is the sign at the world’s crossroads. It is never too late to retrace the steps and follow the non-violent path of recovery shown by Mahatma Gandhi. Thank God, even after being nominated for five times for Noble Peace prize between 1937 and 1948, Gandhi did not get the award because the same nomination list also included Hitler, although it was later withdrawn.

Gandhi successfully demonstrated to a world, weary with wars and continuing destruction that adherence to Truth and Non-violence is not meant for individual behaviour alone but can be applied in global affairs too.

Now we have to try and see what we can do with our limitations to overcome what Gandhiji described as 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.

We can sum it all up by saying that it was Gandhi who, through his dedication, lifted the country from the British policy of 'divide and rule' and let the Indian masses form rivalries to reconciliation and from hostility to harmony. And in this the Mahatma was ably supported by his great disciples- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and many others.