Mahatma: Mahatma Gandhi in Life and Death

People who attended:
Dr. John Joseph Kennedy, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Faculty and students of the department of International Studies and History.

The event was about:
The death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, also known as Martyr’s day.

Venue:
Main Auditorium, Audi Block

On 31st January, the Department of International Studies and History held its first-ever large-scale event on Mahatma Gandhi in the Main Auditorium. The Department’s UG Students Association (Vrittanta) organized the event in light of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary also known as Martyr’s Day. The attendees included Dr. John Joseph Kennedy, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rev. Dr. Fr. Jose C.C., Director of Student Affairs, and the entire faculty and the students of HEP, EPS and MAIS.
Followed by the lighting of the lamp and an inaugural prayer dance, Dr. John Joseph Kennedy, who was also the chief guest, addressed the gathering. He discussed the deterioration in the prevalence of Gandhian thought amongst today’s youth. Which according to him, is in fact more relevant in present times. He also covered Gandhi’s beliefs; harmony in actions and deeds; non-violence; and the seven sins based in Gandhian ideology. In his conclusory remarks, Dr. John Joseph Kennedy stressed upon the importance of receiving an ‘education with character’ and how imperative it is to be able to apply all that is learnt in the classroom to the actual world.  
Dr. Kennedy’s address was proceeded by an address from Dr. Madhumati Deshpande, Coordinator of the Department of International Studies and History. Dr. Deshpande, in accordance with Dr. Kennedy, also spoke of Gandhi’s relevance today. Not only in India, but also the world. Dr. Deshpande introduced to the audience the department’s flagship online publication- ‘Beyond the Borders’, which includes academic writing by faculty, alumni and students.The launching of the blog was done by Dr Kennedy.

Subsequently, a panel discussion was held on “Mahatma Gandhi and Grassroot Democracy” moderated by Dr. Koiremba Singh, an assistant professor at Christ University. The panelists were Paawani Tewari, Siva Sitharaman and Hardik Kothari from 4EPS and Arsh Mogre and Swetha Menon from 4HEP. They covered a wide range of topics pertaining to Gandhian thought- from Gandhi’s ideals on Swaraj to his liberal democratic ideals. The discussion opened with Paawani acquainting the audience with the concept of ‘Ram Rajya’ and explained why it was Gandhi’s ‘dream’ to see such a state. Ram Rajya is not to be confused with a Hindu Rajya, Ram only implies God according to Gandhi. To him, all terms pertaining to God such as Allah or Ram were interchangeable. Gandhi saw religion as a means to attain self-actualization. His ‘Ram Rajya’ was a state that ensured equality, justice and self-reliance. Following this, Swetha discussed ‘The idea of democracy through Gandhi’s speeches.’ The concept of Gandhian democracy also finds tinges of Anarchism, which means everybody in the state is self-reliant and one’s own master. Gandhian democracy is based on a system of equality wherein the weakest sections of society are given the same opportunities as the strongest.

Siva covered the next topic ‘The Concept of Rural Self Government in Gandhi’s Biography’. Gandhi was disappointed with the economic development and a lack thereof in India. He believed that they key to strengthening the Indian economy was by creating self-sufficient villages. While Gandhi did not oppose mass production and modern technology, he was against the dehumanization of society. He fought against caste prejudice, communalism and income inequality. At this time, there was a clear distinction between the rich and the poor in the Indian villages. To combat this and make villages self-reliant and self-sufficient, Gandhi emphasized on the importance of Rural Self Governments. Next, ‘The Incorporation of Gandhian Views in the Indian Democracy and Constitution, the Various Committees and Reports with Special Reference to the 73rd and 74th Amendments” was examined by Hardik. The Gandhian principles of democracy and his concept of Satyagraha shape a large aspect of contemporary Indian democracy. Lastly, Arsh explored the ‘Contextual Relevance of Ram Rajya in the Globalized World/Village’. Due to globalization, a wave of capitalism has engulfed various world economies. Capitalism evokes in nations a sense of competition to appear at the top, leading to economic and hegemonic wars. Thus it was argued, that in the modern day world, non-violence and ‘ahimsa’ are not the most effective course of action. In recent years, the world has also seen a rise in international terrorism. India has had the misfortune of experiencing the terrorist attacks of 26/11 and the 2016 Pathankot attack, amongst various others in border lying areas. The argument put forth was that a strengthening of the defense sector and military becomes more imperative than the moral high ground of ‘ahimsa’. In conclusion it was said that Gandhian ideology must be re-examined and revalued to suit the 21st century.

The audience was further engaged through a question-answer session. Due to a limited period of time, only four questions were taken. All questions asked by members of the audience presented well-constructed arguments and points challenging the panelists.  

As the panel discussion came to an end, the cultural performances resumed. Avirbhav, the Music Club of the department performed a classical arrangement. A biographical skit by the theatre club, depicting Gandhi’s life and his dedication to Indian freedom followed. The skit took the audience through Gandhi’s life from his childhood days in Gujarat, to his time in South Africa, to his return to India and ultimately his sad demise to the manner in which his legacy was carried forward and is of importance even today. Lastly, a western music performance by the music club concluded the events. Priyam Agarwal and Praveena Makesh, student coordinators of Vrittanta delivered the vote of thanks. The audience rose for the national anthem and the event came to a close.

In a nutshell, the event was a commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s contributions to the world. It was an in-depth, extensive and well organized showcase of his life, beliefs and ideologies.