Mahatma Gandhi has always demonstrated through his actions that he practiced what he preached to others. His life became a testimony to those who had initially disregarded his principles of truth and non – violence and he eventually showed them how that was supposed to be done. This statement by Mahatma Gandhi is more than just a fancy collocation of words and it contains the entire philosophy of his life which can be supported by numerous instances. A woman once approached Mahatma Gandhi and requested that he tell his son not to consume too much jaggery since it is harmful to the body. Gandhi asked them to come back again and again before advising her son that he should not do so. The woman was perplexed as to why he kept asking them to return again just to hear this simple instruction. To this Gandhiji explained that he first required time to rectify his personal habit of consuming too much jaggery. Before teaching the youngster to change, Gandhiji had to change himself. It indicates that we must start with ourselves if we want to see change in others. This remark implies that we should reflect on our own acts or behaviour before passing judgement on others. It also promotes the idea of leading by example. The person from whom these precious words surfaced is himself the greatest example substantiating the underlying truth and effectiveness of them.
There have been people who have personified this statement given by Mahatma Gandhi since the dawn of human civilisation, and it is only through their efforts that civilization has progressed, persisted, and thrived. There have been individuals who stood out from the crowd because they had a clearer vision of the world, the ability to affect the direction we were travelling, and the courage to act. It is for these people that we stand here today on a progressive route, overcoming a dark age and it is for these people that we embark on a journey to an even better world. When we think of the ancient world, we come across the example of Ashoka the Great, who conquered practically the entire Indian subcontinent yet his worldview and perception changed dramatically following the victory at Kalinga. He regretted the act of war as he walked past the river of blood and bodies marked by the great sadness of their kins. All of this bloodshed for territorial gains serves solely to satisfy the greed of aristocratic elites yet millions of innocent people perish in vain. However, by then he had become a symbol of expansionist policies, the valour of defeating others in battle and the blatant display of power. How will his new radical vision be received by people? That could only have happened by demonstrating the change within him, which is exactly what happened. He drastically reduced the size of the standing troops and became a great believer of Buddhism. His followers believed in the change because of his deed of reforming himself first.
Moving on to the inspiring times of our nation contemporary history, one cannot miss Raja Rammohan Roy and his innumerable contributions to the liberation and emancipation of Indian women, as well as the cure for religious fanaticism and absolutism. He worked tirelessly for these reforms, forming several clubs and sabhas to spread his liberal beliefs and put an end to blind faith of people and educate them. He was a strong opponent of the social evil of ‘Sati’, and his activism and charisma were instrumental in its abolition. During this time period we also witnessed visionaries like Ramkrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda who believed that “Work is workship”. They established various missions and foundations that continue to promote this concept today and spent their entire lives to educate people about the value of humanitarian service to mankind. Mother Teresa held the belief that “The hands that serve are more sacred than the lips that pray.” She continues to inspire millions of modern – day philanthropists with her unselfish dedication to humanity. These legends had a religious worldview and envisioned a far better society, and they continue to inspire successive generations to draw closer and closer to this seeming utopia by their deeds and gestures. Furthermore, when we discuss modern philanthropy, we come across names like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who have immensely influenced the wealthy to share their vast wealth with the poor and destitute. The fact is that only a small fraction of the population controls the majority of the resources and the truth is that if they are prepared to share a little, poverty and starvation can be eradicated. Now in the post – modern era, we may still see traces of this ancient concept in the form of a new version known as ‘Entrepreneurship’. Today’s youth are not in the mood to work for monstrous and greedy firms and businesses that have grown into leviathans unresponsive to the expectations of the workforce. Instead, they have plethora of ideas and innovations that they want to develop further and turn into full – fledged realities. They dream about altering modern lifestyles and by turning these dreams into business ventures they are demonstrating to the world how to effect change. Thus, entrepreneurship is nothing more than the modern manifestation of this age – old principle. From societal level there are two major debates in national discourse i.e., corruption and cleanliness. Nobody wants to live in unclean surroundings but ironically everybody looks for someone to take charge of the things instead of acting themselves. Nobody cleans their own premises as each of us think that it is someone else’s burden which when extrapolated becomes a national problem. If everyone starts to ‘be the change’, then the problem seems very small and takes very less time to solve.
This statement by Mahatma Gandhi is also like a fountainhead, generating multiple ideals and virtues and pointing the way for those seeking a meaningful direction in life. It discusses ‘initiative’ and how each individual should be able to break free from the herd mentality and carve out a unique niche for himself. Taking such an initiative and putting it into action would require leadership skills. To be the change or to be the causal agent, one must be able to encourage and inspire others. To achieve in any given setting, there must be a vital synergy of operation in addition to individual genius. Another aspect of this vision is that it encourages a progressive approach. The term ‘change’ refers to a positive development in the existing system to amend the loopholes and make it more robust and sustainable. This change we expect can be in two ways: a change that is beneficial at a personal level or a change that affects the society. At a personal level, we expect others to treat us with respect and decency. But, we fail to reflect on the kind of treatment we extend to others in our interactions. An employee who is rude to his subordinate cannot expect genuine respect from him. Nor can he expect his superiors to be gentle with him. If he starts being gentle to his fellow employees and subordinates, it will effect a positive change in the office gradually. Similarly, a father who treats his wife with disrespect cannot expect his daughter to be treated with respect by others. At the end, these words by Paulo Coelho sum it up nicely, “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion”.
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