Who Killed Gandhi?

“The Congress will die a natural and deserved death if and when it substitutes reason and moral influences by goondaism”.

(M K Gandhi “A Criticism, Harijan, June 18, 1938”, CWMG, vol. LXVII, p. 125.)

The Gandhi scion has again displayed his depth of immaturity by invoking the issue of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination and making false allegations against the organisation dedicated for nation-building. When Congress is on the verge of fulfilling Gandhi’s “Last Will and Testament” of disbanding the Congress, it is timely to ask a question, who killed Gandhi and his idea of ‘Swaraj’.

Mahatma Gandhi had severely criticised the British education and so-called ‘civilisation’ process inculcated through it. He was fully aware that Indian minds need to be freed from the British bondage, so he introduced the idea of ‘Nai Talim’, education based on wisdom and lessons of life. The killing of Gandhi’s thought started with the continuation of British education based on self-interest, bookish information and defeatist perception of our own history.

As political power was more important for the then Congress leadership, not only they continued with all the vices of the so-called representative democracy established by the British but further degenerated it with new inputs of family rule, divisive policies and corrupting institutions. As per Gandhi’s interpretation, Parliament and political parties have become symbol of ‘opportunism’ and ‘perpetuating self interests’ in the name of people’s representation. Nehru-Gandhi dynasty politics, its regional variants combined with criminalisation and casteism have completely denied ‘spiritualisation of politics’. Khadi and Gandhi Topi have become symbol of corruption and manipulation. The ultimate result is murder of Gandhi’s Ram Rajya.

In Gandhi’s Gram Swaraj, participatory model of development, assuring optimum utilisation of locally available resources as per the societal needs, was the key. Trusteeship was the model to ensure peaceful equitable distribution of resources. The whole idea of centralised planning and controlled manipulation of resources for industrial development killed the entrepreneurial skills and local initiative of the society. ‘Sarkar’ became “Mai-Baap” and ‘social security’ schemes became means for buying votes. The failure of Nehruvian economy is replaced by another foreign idea of ‘multinational’ economy. The agrarian and handicraft foundation was crushed by both the Congessi variants. The victims were Gandhi and Indian villagers.

Using Gandhi and purported Gandhi cap has been a political fashion. Another Gandhi in making has been displaying acts of vandalism for two consecutive weeks. Gandhian tools of satyagraha requires perseverance and patience based on inner strength and organisation building. ‘Hit and Run’ tactics and irresponsible allegations further malign Gandhi’s name.

The original Gandhi himself had admitted in the last phase of his life that Congress ‘as a propaganda vehicle and parliamentary machine, has outlived its use’. Congress had a unique opportunity to continue its efforts in attaining social, moral and economic independence but in the name of Gandhi, his ‘Swaraj’ was murdered in every walk of life in Independent India. As the ‘sole inheritor’ of Gandhian legacy gave his new interpretation, where ‘rights’ are more important than duties and ‘trusteeship’ is not a trust worthy model, one has to think which Gandhi to be believed, Gandhi whose body was murdered by Godse or Gandhis who killed Gandhi’s thought on regular basis, while encashing his name.