Paying tribute to our Father of Nation

The following quote from our Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi very aptly defines ‘education’

???????????“Understanding Education

???????????BY EDUCATION, I MEAN AN ALLROUND DRAWING OUT OF THE BEST IN??????CHILD AND MAN’S BODY, MIND & SPIRIT.”

???????????Here, it has been emphasized that instead of ‘imposing’ external knowledge, an effort should be made to ‘draw out’ from children as well as adults the best at ‘physical’, ‘mental’ and ‘spiritual’ levels. This has acquired more significance in today’s life filled with information explosion. The role of a teacher has become that of a facilitator and enabler at all the three levels of interaction.??

Today on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, I would like to take the readers through his basic teachings that if we start practicing in our lives and ensure our students practice too, we shall see the difference ourselves.

Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.

The respect that we earn on the basis of love is better than the respect that is earned on the basis of fear.

?What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?

A war always causes pain and sorrow on every individual. The world has witnessed many dictators who caused greatest massacres on the mankind. He believed on the power of non violence and practiced it too. He said that world peace can only be achieved if all practice the path of non violence.

?There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no cause that I am prepared to kill for.

We all lead our lives to fullfill our desires and needs but no one thinks about others. We all have become very selfish and self centred. Mahatma Gandhi scarificed his law practice in South Africa to live for the cause of others. We must have the desire to serve rather than just living for ourselves.

An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.

If we keep punishing those we feel are cruel, then there is no difference between both of us. We cant solve violence with violence.?

?We must become the change we want to see in the world.

Whatever change we want to bring to the world must begin with us. Here I would like to share an anecdote that I heard from my father about Gandhi ji when I was young:

During 1930′s, a young boy had become obsessed with eating sugar. His mother was very upset with this. But no matter how much she scolded him and tried to break his habit, he continued to satisfy his sweet tooth. Totally frustrated, she decided to take her son to see his idol – Mahatma Gandhi; perhaps her son would listen to him.

She walked miles, for hours under scorching sun to finally reach Gandhi’s ashram. There, she shared with Gandhi her predicament. -

“Bapu, my son eats too much sugar. It is not good for his health. Would you please advise him to stop eating it?”

Gandhi listened to the woman carefully, thought for a while and replied,

“Please come back after two weeks. I will talk to your son.”

The woman looked perplexed and wondered why had he not asked the boy to stop eating sugar right away. She took the boy by the hand and went home.

Two weeks later they revisited Gandhi. Gandhi looked directly at the boy and said,

“Boy, you should stop eating sugar. It is not good for your health.”

The boy nodded and promised he would not continue this habit any longer. The boy’s mother was puzzled. She turned to Gandhi and asked,

“Bapu, Why didn’t you tell him that two weeks ago when I brought him here to see you?”

Gandhi smiled,

“Mother, two weeks ago I was eating a lot of sugar myself.”

?I hope each one of us follow his teachings and become role model for coming generation.