Gandhi’s sense of humor was an inseparable part of his personality, as were his views on non-violence, sustainable living, economical use of resources, role of mass media in a nation’s development and humane treatment to animals. There were multiple dimensions to his personality, much beyond the saintliness we usually associate with him. Unfortunately, in the process of revering him as the Father of the Nation, we have unwittingly buried a series of interesting facets of his thought and philosophy, rendering him into a uni-dimensional monotonous figure. This failure to keep Gandhi alive as a living philosophy is responsible for the young generation’s loss of interest in him.
Popular yet misunderstood
If you ask a young Indian about Mahatma Gandhi, chances are that he/she will fail to identify him as anything beyond a freedom fighter. Worrisomely, a number of youngsters bred over a constant diet of social media forwards even openly deride him, holding him responsible for a series of ills including India’s partition, failure to seek clemency for Bhagat Singh and for preferring Jawaharlal Nehru over Sardar Patel. The problem lies in the fact that the state has failed to make Brand Gandhi relevant to the people. The Father of Our Nation was much more than a saint or a leader of a non violent freedom movement. As a human being, he deeply understood this country and laid out a philosophy that covered all dimensions of our lives. Truth be told, never have Gandhi’s ideals been more relevant to the world and to our country than they are today. As we face unprecedented challenges of violence, hate, environmental degradation, depletion of resources and increasing chasm between the rich and the poor, we desperately need Gandhi’s philosophy as a guiding light. There is also an urgent need to rebrand Gandhi to make him more palatable to the young Indians. This needs to be done by popularizing the unknown facets of his personality.
Rebranding the Mahatma
In 2006, a Bollywood comedy called Lage Raho Munnabhai did more to popularize Gandhi among the youth than state-led programmes could do in 60 years. It did so by simplifying his teachings and exhibiting how they can make a real difference in our daily lives. However, we need more than a film to realize this goal. At Chai Kreative, we have launched a unique people’s campaign to rebrand Gandhi and bring him back into public imagination. Initiated to mark the 150 years of his birth, the campaign aims to utilize the digital framework to educate the youth about Gandhi’s philosophy and the multiple facets of his personality. Our aim is to make Gandhi relevant to this generation and ensure that his teachings do not sound preachy or outdated for the times we live in. His ideas on sagacious use of resources, blunting hatred with love and forgiveness, and investing in nature are key to this age of excesses. His unknown love for music, his absolute dedication towards fitness (who could have walked 284 kms to Dandi at 63 years of age?), his advocacy of eco-friendly practices and his emphasis on humility are elements that need to be revived and adopted. As we initiate the first of its kind digital campaign on Gandhi, our aim is to contemporize him for the contemporary Indians and restore dignity to his brand.
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind!