Untold stories of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi had a significant influence on our family and my childhood. My paternal grandfather stayed at Sabarmati Ashram and served Mahatma Gandhi there for twenty years. My grandmother took her children to her parents’ home and willingly gave away all ten and a half kilos of her gold jewellery to him saying, “I will take care of the children. You go and serve the country.” We grew up with inspirational stories about Mahatma Gandhi.

He would not waste any moment of his life. Once Mahatma Gandhi was travelling on a small train to Darjeeling. When the train was moving uphill the engine got disconnected from the coaches. So the engine went ahead and the coaches started sliding backwards. There was panic all around. But Gandhiji was completely unperturbed and was dictating letters. The assistant who was taking the dictation said, “Bapu, we may not be alive. We are in-between life and death.” Gandhiji replied, ‘If we die, we die. But if we are saved, we would have wasted so much time! Come on, take the dictation.’

My teacher Pt. Sudhakar Chaturvedi was also a teacher to Mahatma Gandhi whom he taught the Bhagavad Gita. He is still alive and is 118 years old. Gandhi used to call him Bangalori, since he is from Bangalore. Once, he was lodged in Yerawada jail in Pune and Kasturba was on her deathbed. When Gandhi realized that she may not survive the day, he asked Pt. Chaturvedi to read the second chapter of the Gita. There is a verse in it that describes the qualities of one who is established and centred in knowledge – Sthitapragna. Gandhi said, “Bangalori, today is the test of your Bapu. Let us see if I can maintain the equanimity of mind today. My wife and partner for over 50 years is leaving her body. I have done much injustice to this woman. I often forced her to do things she did not want to do. I’ve been so cruel to her and her children. But she stayed with me till her last breath. She is the real saint, not me.” He made this admission during her last moments.

He was a great advocate of non-violence and compassion towards animals. Once he saw a cow being milked so hard that her udders started bleeding. From that day, he left drinking cow’s milk and would only have goat’s milk. He said the right to the cow’s milk goes to the calf first. He was so sensitive towards the cow and unfortunately today, India is among the top exporters of beef. Millions of cows have been slaughtered in our country.

He was a strong proponent of alcohol prohibition but alcohol and substance abuse continue to increase their vice grip over our people. Studies have shown that a major chunk of violent incidents and crimes occur under the influence of alcohol. During the time of Mahatma Gandhi, great pride was attached to non-violence. But today, pride is associated with violence. It is time now, that we reverse this tendency. If we instil pride in being non-violent, in being compassionate, in being helpful to others, our lives will take a new and better direction.

Mahatma Gandhi used to do satsang every day. In fact, this is the reason that his movement reached the masses and was successful. He went district by district, state by state, and conducted huge satsangs across the length and breadth of India. His satsangs brought hundreds and thousands of people together who united with his mission. A huge spirit of oneness came up in the country, and that brought us freedom. As a politician too, Gandhiji had a great sense of sacrifice. ‘I want nothing for myself but I want it for my people,’ was his credo.

The youth can benefit tremendously from these values which bring enormous strength when enlivened. We need to move from greed to generosity, service and a sense of belongingness with the larger humanity. For every act of violence, we have to create a hundred acts of non-violence. The voice of non-violence has to be heard loud and clear.

The change starts right from where we are; from each one of us. Let us take responsibility for a better world and create a wave of enthusiasm and hope as Mahatma Gandhi did. Only then will our society get a realistic chance of making Gandhiji’s dream of an honest, peaceful and harmonious society - a Ram Rajya- a reality.