Gandhiji led India to the dawn of Indian independence through a long struggle against the colonial powers. He inspired, guided, challenged and led millions of Indians to join the struggle for freedom, not with weapons of mass destruction and a gun-wielding army, but with the weapons of truth, non-violence and peace. Even when the conditions were oppressive and the challenges insurmountable, Gandhiji remained steadfastly committed to the weapon of non-violence for his struggle for freedom.

Gandhiji believed that it is irrational and self-contradictory to use violence to achieve the goal of a peaceful society. He therefore encouraged massive civil disobedience movements like the Salt March of 1930 and the Quit India Movement of 1942 which, according to him, were a just means to achieve just ends. He strongly believed that violence and hatred were not just a means for winning freedom.

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Today, humanity is growing in a precarious phase. “‘An for an eye’ only ends up making the whole world totally blind!” clearly illustrates the Gandhian principle of non-violence. In our diverse world in terms of geography, economy, polity, society, culture, religion, language, etc., Gandhi’s message continues to resound because of its universality.
Nandini Singh (17)
St Conrad’s Inter College, Agra

The dictum states that a cruel deed should be repaid with another cruel deed. But, violence cannot solve another act of violence. It only brings about a negative outcome. Revenge is equally bad as the original offence. This will in no way end violence. Only peace and tolerance can shun violence. Doing what is right is more important than seeking power and revenge against the wrong done to someone.
Melissa Rosalyn Pinto (18)
St Andrew’s College, Mumbai

Gandhiiji always believed that the world should stand up for what is right in a peaceful way, leading to his ideology of discouraging revenge. With this statement “an eye for an eye will only make the world go blind”, he tries to convey the truth that vengeance will eventually spiral out of control and wipe out everybody as revenge does not terminate a conflict, rather, instigates further brutality among more people, leaving the whole world totally blind!
Mrudula Satla (14)
Mary Immaculate Girls High School, Kalina, Mumbai

Revenge is the key to destroying the world. History tells us revenge in exchange for revenge can’t benefit anyone. It just destroys the life of people on both sides. Therefore, Gandhiji’s statement that an eye for an eye ends up making the whole world totally blind is absolutely correct.
Yogita Nishad (15)
St Xavier’s High School, Durg, Chhattisgarh

Gandhiji means that we can’t solve violence with violence. The shreds of individuality cannot be served with bayonet nor can democracy be restored with the old principle ‘an eye for an eye’ which in the end would make everyone blind. If we keep doing away those we deem cruel/violent, then, we’re no better than the bad ones themselves.
Rashmo Mehta (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Jethuli

With his statement “an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind” Gandhiji is telling us that if we repay violence with violence we will only add to the quantum of violence, instead putting an end to it with peaceful means. It is really true that “an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind!”
Vaishnavi Narayan (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Jethuli

If we take revenge (to the same extent to which the victim is harmed), it will only be a vicious circle which destroys the global community. Vengeance is not conducive to social harmony. On the other hand, tolerance is a great virtue that needs to be cultivated. The application of this thought encourages us to redefine our choices and not react with animosity. Gandhiji’s statement is relevant today as when he said it first, decades ago. Therefore, we must promote this principle in order to save the world from getting self-eliminated!
Angela Shabu (16)
St Claret PU College, Bangalore

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“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

He can be termed, without doubt, as Gujarat’s best ambassador of tourism. Donning a Gandhi topi, a khadi kurta and carrying the Mahatma’s message: “Be the change” on his autorickshaw, Udaysinh Ramanlal Jadav believes in the principle of ‘atithi devo bhav’ and goes that extra mile to treat his customers as God. Born and brought up in Ahmedabad, with a family of 10: parents, three kids, wife, brother, sister and her son, Udaybhai comes from a very middle class family with a load of responsibilities. It takes a lot of guts to jump into something like this for a person with this kind of a family background. But his conviction of belief, determination to add love to his work, and pleasant experiences when customers hear about his idea, drives him to accomplish his mission.

Udaybhai, as he is known, was like any other rickshaw driver for 10 years. But one day, on one of his regular trips to the Gandhi Ashram, he saw volunteers of the NGO Manav Sadhna rendering selfless service to the needy. Inspired by them, he decided to follow the principles of the Father of the Nation in word and deed. Udaybhai started “Ahmedabad no Rickshawalo” on 21 October 2010, the auspicious day of Dassera, with the concept of gift-economy in mind. The idea behind gift-economy is that someone before you has paid for your travel; now you have to pay-it-forward for subsequent passengers. However, the most impressive thing about Udaybhai is that he doesn’t charge his customers according to the meter, because the meter always reads ZERO! After every trip, he provides the passenger with a self-written greeting card-cum-envelope, which reads ‘Pay from your heart’, in which the passenger places the amount of his/her choice.

When asked if it doesn’t pinch him, he says, “I have no complaints. Whatever I earn at the end of the day, I use it to run my household. I will continue to treat my guests with respect and make them feel at home.”

To make his customers’ journey comfortable, Udaybhai has a mini library in the auto with books on heritage, tourist places and pilgrimage sites to visit in the city, besides English and Gujarati newspapers. An MP3 player provides his passengers with a choice of songs to listen to and there’s a small fan for the summer months. Hungry? There are two boxes containing snacks and drinking water! A dustbin to throw the remains has also been provided. If the journey at night is long, he has installed a portable light for your reading pleasure.

The exterior of the auto also attracts attention. On the front is painted, ‘Love all’, while the mudguard displays the religious symbols of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian communities, which Udaybhai says “is to convey the message of secularism”. On the side he has hung a board that says in Hindi and English, “Namaste and welcome to Ahmedabad. I am Uday, at your service. I will take you on a journey of Ahmedabad’s streets and across its bustling bridges to experience Gandhi’s legacy and architectural masterpieces…” The message ends with his mobile number and the website www.movedbylove.org.

When asked why he does this, his response is always, “I just want to help people and give them a good experience. If people don’t help each other, then who will?”

The Good Samaritan has a donation box, Akshay Patra, in his auto in which passengers can deposit money; he puts a number of coins daily in the box which he uses to help needy people. He refuses money from disabled, poor, and elderly people.

To improve his service, Udaybhai has a suggestion book for his passengers. Here’s what some passengers wrote in the book:

“This day I have found something new, which I have never seen before. An auto that has newspapers, magazines, MP3 player, reading light and other impressive facilities. The driver is well-mannered and polite, in contrast to the other auto drivers in our city.” —Pravin Jhankat, Rajkot

“The slogans were really inspiring. The driver was very polite. Udaybhai, you are a real Indian! Let every Indian keep an akshay patra like you.” —Dr Girish Panchal, Ahmedabad

Quoting a pleasant and memorable experience, Udaybhai said: “Once, while I was returning after dropping off a passenger, I saw a blind man trying to cross the road. But he wasn’t able to do so due to heavy traffic. So I went to him and asked to hop into the auto. After taking him to the other side of the street, I asked him where he wanted to go. He said, “No thanks, I will reach on my own.”

He was probably hesitant since he thought that I would charge him. After insisting, he said that he wanted to reach his blind men’s hostel. He told me his entire life story and I shared mine with him. Talking about all this, we reached his hostel. The hostel warden came out running, worried since it was unusual for students to come in a private auto till the hostel gates. However, he was pleasantly surprised once he came to know about the concept and invited me for a cup of tea.” These are the kind of experiences that keep Udaybhai’s spirits alive in spite of all the financial hiccups.

Udaybhai’s beliefs and principles are contagious. His wife now prepares dhoklas and lassi for passengers. Other auto drivers, motivated by him, have transformed their autos for a friendlier experience.

His compassion and generosity have seen him make it into the news several times and he has received awards such as Red FM’s Bade Dilwale, the Rotary Club of Ahmedabad Award, and Baroda Management Award. Celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Chetan Bhagat have flown to Ahmedabad just to meet him. He gets invited to schools and to entrepreneur meets to talk about his efforts and motivate them.

Udaybhai now has a van to address the growing needs of “comfort travel”, calling it ‘Sabarmati no Saarthi’. This too is run on the concept of gift economy, and has the same facilities as his auto, including clothes for people who need them.

Udaybhai believes that, at the end of the day, it is the absolute peace of mind and not money that will bring him a good night’s sleep.

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Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation, belongs to the world. He set a true example of great leadership, and set India free from the British rule. As we remember him on 2 October, his birthday, THE TEENAGER TODAY brings you Gandhian thoughts that can inspire and motivate, and have the power to transform the world.

My life is my message

Gandhiji courageously affirmed: “My life is my message”. Truth and love were the essence of his life. His life was an expression of his core belief. During the freedom struggle, he preached and practised Ahimsa or non-violence. His passion for truth and his willingness to give his life for it, always choosing the way of peace, when practised, can enhance the inner beauty of our lives.

Be willing to remake yourselves

Gandhiji always walked the path of truth and had the courage to live by his convictions. He knew that he was doing the right thing in the right place for the good of the people. He was determined and dedicated to the task of remaking himself. His concepts of Satyagraha and Ahimsa sparked interest and enthusiasm in many people. He was a tireless seeker of the truth and was well aware that truth alone will set one free. This acquires greater significance when we read it in the light of his own life. As he was consciously engaged in the task of remaking himself, he was offering his valid contribution to re-design the world.

Winning battles with the strength of non-violence

Many have won great battles for social and political transformation using the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. Martin Luther King, champion of the American civil rights movement; Nelson Mandela who brought an end to apartheid in South Africa, the Dalai Lama who advocates a peaceful resolution in Tibet; Aung San Suu Kyi who struggled to bring democracy in Myanmar (Burma); and Cesar Chavez who fought to reduce exploitation of farm workers in California, have all acknowledged Gandhi’s role in their lives and work.

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Little did the Gandhi family know that the last baby of Putlibai, born in a dark, windowless, ground floor room of the Gandhi residence in Porbandar, Gujrat, would one day become the strong ray of light that would lead the nation suffering at the hands of the British Rule to its independence.

The man who people adoringly called ‘Bapu’, fought endless legal battles, challenged the British taxes and opposed the mighty British rule was a man who in his childhood was considered as a quiet, shy and nervous child. Mohandas was an avid reader of the stories of Shraavana and Harishchandra. The values of these legendary characters left lasting impressions in the fragile mind of this little boy. His early self-connect to stories based on truth and the spread of love as supreme values can also be seen as the virtues he followed even in his adult years, and throughout his fight for freedom. He led the nation to its independence using philosophies like non-violence, peaceful protests, and self-sacrifice as major weapons in his combat for independence.

Before becoming the legendary hero whose ideologies were followed by a nation of millions, and before being bestowed with the title of the ‘Mahatma’, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a simpleton born to a middle class family. He always reckoned that he was an average man with average abilities.

How did this modest man, born in humble circumstances, with seemingly ordinary abilities portray extraordinary virtues and have millions as followers to his ideologies and philosophies? Perhaps there is something in them that the present generation can learn from even today.

Let’s learn from some of Gandhiji’s famous quotes and understand their relevance and usefulness even in today’s times.

“A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes.”
Gandhiji strongly advocated spreading love. His beliefs influenced his thoughts. He unwaveringly encouraged peace and harmony. He taught his followers to follow the path of non-violence, and peaceful negotiations against the very hostile British. He practised the path of Satyagraha and influenced millions to practise it with him, ultimately leading to the defeat of British rule, and bringing in the dawn of independent India.

It is important to not only learn the right values but also to inculcate them in your beliefs. Your thoughts form your habits. Many complain that they do not have much time to accommodate all of their daily activities. Many students turn up late for class; submit their projects, assignments or any other tasks assigned to them late. They are haphazard and disorganized in their daily activities. This occurs because a lot of youngsters are not effective managers of time and they end up wasting too much time with friends, using Facebook, WhatsApp, or on other trivial and insignificant things. They become too focused on a particular activity that leaves them with no time to follow their timetable, or complete a particular task on time.

If you believe you can achieve the right balance between leisure and work. That would make the first step to making your beliefs turn into actions. What you could do is plan your time and day ahead. Make it a habit to always be punctual for every appointment, submission, etc. Being punctual, being disciplined and learning to balance social, college and work life will eventually become a habit, finally leading you to being more productive and making it easier for you to reach any of your life goals.

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