Mumbai: In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat ahead of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th Birth Anniversary, his great-grandson Tushar Gandhi said that Gandhian ideology is truly sustainable and that Bapu would not have waited for long before acting upon the intolerance prevalent today.
'Gandhian ideology sustainable, gaining global acceptance'
Speaking about the future of Gandhian thought, the president of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation said that it was among the most sustainable ideologies discovered by humankind.
"Looking at the effects of our unsustainable lifestyle, there will be no other option other than the Gandhian ideology. It has sustained for so long and has proved to be everlasting," he said.
He added that Gandhian thought was not a discovery of the modern times, as the four cornerstones of the thought are based on the very cornerstones of ideals which led to civilisations and the formation of society.
"It has been proven that to sustain life, this is the only manner where we do not abuse the gifts of nature and rights of other people irrespective of diverse ideology," he said, adding that the ideology is gaining global acceptance.
'Bapu would have prevented the rot from happening'
Dubbing today's public life extremely intolerant and prone to violence, he said that Mahatma Gandhi would not have waited for long to respond to the situation.
"Killing has become a habit and has become accepted. Those who indulge in it seem to be doing it as a part of their as normal lifestyle. Those who do not do it but remain quiet are accepting it through their silence. That is more dangerous," he said.
Adding that Mahatma Gandhi was like a doctor who acted on the origin of the pain rather than instant relief, he said, "Bapu would have realised the symptoms in our society much before it became apparent to us. He would have acted to prevent the rot from happening."
'Radicalism prevalent today, but will not sustain'
On the global attraction towards Gandhian thought, he said that there is a charm about Gandhian ideology, as all other ideologies have been tried out.
"It feels as if we have no hope. Radical thought seems to be prevalent globally. Extremist and intolerant ideology seems to be coming stronger all over the world," he said.
However, Gandhi said that even the proponents of radicalism realise that their ideology is not sustainable, adding that they are in a rush to achieve things.
Calling Gandhian ideology truly natural, he said, "Every time after a small period where everything seems lost, we return back to adopt Gandhian ideology. Liberalism is sustainable, extremism is not."
'Swachh Bharat partial adoption of Gandhian ideology'
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Swachh Bharat mission just a convenient and partial adoption of Gandhian ideology, he said that internal cleansing was far more important.
"Yes, cleanliness is an important aspect, but the internal cleansing of the soul and the ideology of brotherhood is much more important. External cleansing is easy, while internal flaws are easy to ignore," he said.
"No matter how much filth you keep sweeping off, since your mind is filthy, you will keep on creating more filth," he added.
'Apparent that Godse is the hero today'
Saying that he was not surprised to see people subscribing to the ideology of murder and hate today, Gandhi likened the situation today to that of a fever, which is not a normal trait.
"Humans by nature are peace-loving and want to lead a secure life. Living on the edge, being radicalised is not human nature. It is like a fever. It has a cure," he said.
"It is very apparent that Godse is the hero today in India. But during such times, one must have the courage to show the heroic qualities of Bapu's ideology," he added.
Gandhi said that work must be done to save the next generation, as the present generation was already lost.
"Everyone will start looking for sustainable ideology, because the ideology of hate and murder does not stop at mankind. It even threatens life, environment, and nature. One cannot be selectively hateful or extremist. Even in the bleakest of times, there's hope," he said.
'Even after his death, Bapu's thought inspired movements world over'
Calling Gandhian thought self-sustained, he said that the ideology does not require fuel, but only needed to be understood.
"Gandhian thought cannot be injected into minds and cannot be fed like a tonic. It needs to be understood. It does not require preaching," he said.
Opining that its sustainability is the only reason for the hatred it is getting today, he said people would soon understand Gandhian ideology better. He added that even though Mahatma Gandhi was murdered, his thought inspired many movements world over.
"Those of extremist mindsets who always opposed Gandhian ideology realise that even after killing the person, the thought could not be smothered. The ideology could not be marginalised," he said.
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