For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Youth and Mahatma Gandhi - V

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

E-mail- dr.yadav.yogendra@gandhifoundation.net;

dr.yogendragandhi@gmail.com

Mailing Address- C- 29, Swaraj Nagar, Panki, Kanpur- 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India

Youth and Mahatma Gandhi - V

So-called necessity of sexual indulgence and the consequent liberty had taken by the youth before marriage. The protagonists of the doctrine of such indulgence further contend that restraint of the sexual passion is a restraint upon ‘the freedom to dispose of one’s body’. The author shows by elaborate argument that restraint on individual freedom in the matter of sexual indulgence is a sociological and psychological necessity. 1 Where there are no selfish motives and there is a genuine desire to do well, courage is lacking. The truth is that the future of the different communities, and of the country itself, depends wholly on the youth. If they realize their duty and act in accordance with it, they can do much and make such unbecoming unions impossible. For this, hardly anything more than educating public opinion needs to be done. When that is done, old men will not have the courage to come forward to marry, nor will parents and guardians have the courage to ruin the lives of their daughters or wards. 2

Let them not parade their cases to justify and advocate a practice that in India, if it became general, is bound to ruin the youth of the country. A highly artificial education has robbed the nation’s youth of physical and mental vigour. We are offspring in many cases of child-marriages. Our disregard of the laws of health and sanitation has undermined our bodies. Our wrong and deficient dietary composed of corroding spices has produced a collapse of the digestive apparatus. We need, not lessons in the use of contraceptives and helps to our being able to satisfy our animal appetite, but continuous lessons to restrain that appetite, in many cases even to the extent of absolute continence. 3 The unconscious and subtle effect of an atmosphere charged with sexuality cannot but react upon the minds of the school-going youth of the country the surroundings of the city life, the literature, the drama, the cinema, the household appointments, various social ceremonies do but to point one thing the promotion of the sexual passion. It is impossible for little children already conscious of the beast within to resist the pressure exerted by these influences. Palliatives will not answer. The reformation must begin with the elders if they would discharge their trust by the younger generation. 4

But he quarrels even with the bent that is given to the youth of the world by their elders and teachers. But that it seems is an inseparable handicap (if it be one) of impressionable age. Purely secular education is also an attempt to mould the young mind after a fashion. The correspondent is good enough to grant that the body and the mind may be trained and directed. Of the soul which makes the body and the mind possible, he has no care, or perhaps he is in doubt as to its existence. But his disbelief cannot avail him. He cannot escape the consequence of his reasoning. For, why may not a believer argue on the correspondent’s own ground and say he must influence the soul of boys and girls even as the others influence the body and the intelligence? The evils of religious instruction will vanish with the evolution of the true religious spirit. To give up religious instruction is like letting a field lie fallow and grow weeds for want of the tiller’s knowledge of the proper use of the field. 5

As every human being passes through childhood, youth and so on to old age, so also does he or she meet death? The phrase dehantarprapti used here does not mean a new body or another life, for what is being discussed here is the fear of death, not that of a new life. 6 Destruction of the wicked does not mean their physical destruction. Physically, both the wicked and the virtuous perish. It may be that a bhakta will pass away in the prime of his youth, and a wicked person will live up to the age of 76; shall we say that this was an instance of God’s injustice? Kesar Bhagat was bitten by a serpent yesterday and died; should we, therefore, believe that he was a wicked man? In fact he was a good man; he was, though a mere labourer, a bhakta and a man of upright character. We would be punished with degradation if we believed that a man must have been wicked because he died early. 7

We should actually feel towards them in the same manner. It is in vain that one reads the Gita if one does not try to live in such a spirit. We should not get pleasure in torturing snakes and other creatures like them. We catch a snake and hold it tight with sticks, but we may do this because we have no choice in the matter. Our attitude should be the same as when we take special care of the body and even pamper it, but feel how much better it would be if we did not do this. We should adopt a fixed attitude of mind, that in such matters we should do the minimum necessary and no more. Do not tell yourselves that you will think about these matters when you have white hair on your heads. You must make the best use of your youth right now. As Lord Krishna said, among thousands only one person strives for self-realization, that is, for self-purification, and among the thousands who strive only a rare person comes to a right knowledge of Him. Hence we should strive hard and long. We should look upon ourselves as those exceptional persons among thousands. We should try to become philosophers. We should aspire to be the rare individuals among those thousands, and hope that we shall succeed. 8

A historian has said that there is no difference in outlook between youth and old age. Youth has desire and the capacity to satisfy it; in old age, the capacity is wanting and so the desire becomes stronger. If we do not follow the example of Menavati, who explained to Gopichand [the futility of attachment to bodily life, we shall invite misery upon ourselves. I go a step further and say that an old man is far more thoughtless than a young man. A prince is always surrounded by hakims and consuming yakutis but he is ever talking Vedanta. Thus, boys and old men are the same in this regard. Anyone who imbibes something, however little that may be, from these verses from the whole work, commencing with Aum can attain complete peace. 9 Nation youths discard restraint, courtesy, humility and tolerance courts destruction. The reins of national life are in the hands of youth alone. Their responsibility is greater than that of old people because the latter have given whatever they could or as much as they wished to give to the nation. Youths are today shaping the new order and making fresh contributions. 10

It is an unfortunate fact that in our schools and colleges handicrafts find no place. All the knowledge, therefore, gained in the schools and colleges are of little use for the training required for khadi service. Therefore a graduate has to start almost on equal terms with a raw youth. Indeed, it is possible for the former even to labour under a handicap, if he has developed, as many do develop, repugnance towards physical exertion. 11 Whether you feel happy or not, you have to stay in the Ashram, that is to say, with me. Pour out your heart to me and exact from me a mother’s duties. Are you sure that the reason for your lack of interest is not the absence of a life-companion? A well-wisher of yours emphatically advised me that I should get you married. The suggestion was made as we were talking about a certain young man. He is not a Patidar, but is a deserving youth. I said that I had no fear on your account. I see no signs at present to suggest that you may wish to get married. He then told me that I did not know you. You can see from my language that I am not joking this time. 12

We are in Sholapur today. It is a big city. There are five mills here. The biggest of them belongs to Morarji Gokuldas. His grandson Shantikumar is still a youth so far as age goes, but he has a great soul. He loves khadi and wears only khadi. I do not mean that this is his greatest virtue. He is sympathetic, generous, humble, devoted to God and truthful. He has the virtue that his name indicates, i.e., he is calmness incarnate. I am very glad that such a jewel amongst men is found in a multi-millionaire family. I was not acquainted with his wife. Yesterday, while I took my meal, I made her sit down by me and talked to her to my hearts content. I suggested to her that she should take to public work like her husband. 13 But you will ask, as a youth who sought to heckle me asked, “If Lokamanya liked this thing, why did he not ask the country to take it up?” Well, I cannot be taken in by your question. Whether or not Lokamanya had khadi in mind when he defined swadeshi, surely his swadeshi cannot but include khadi. I am but the heir of Lokamanya, and if I do not add to the patrimony he has left me, I would not be a worthy son of a worthy father. I pondered well over Lokamanya message, applied my many years experience to it and came to the conclusion that Lokamanya message must mean khadi. Do you know what he used to do? I am telling you of an incident that happened a short time before his death. When Maulana Shaukat Ali approached him as regards the Khilafat question, Lokamanya said to him: “I shall put my signature to whatever Gandhi signs, for I trust to his better knowledge in this matter.” Supposing therefore Lokamanya had not khadi in mind when he advised swadeshi, what does it matter? Supposing we were manufacturing spectacles here and someone were to say, “We cannot use them, Lokamanya did not advise the use thereof”, would it be proper? We would dismiss him as a literalist, Vedavadarata as the Gita would describe him. As the literalist interpreter of the Vedas does not grasp the infinite meaning of the Vedas, even so these literalist interpreters of Lokamanya message miss its infinite power. 14

It is possible that my message if delivered in English might get more silver from you, and it is probable that you might understand me better. But I hold my message to be far superior to myself and far superior to the vehicle through which it is expressed. It has a power all its own, and I hope it will produce an impression on the youth of India. Whether it will produce an impression in my lifetime or not, I do not care, but my faith is immovable, and as the days roll on and as the agony of the masses becomes prolonged, it will burn itself into the heart of every Indian who has a heart to respond to the message. You must understand that at a time of my life when I should be enjoying my well-earned rest, I am not going about from one end of the country to the other for anything. It is because I feel within myself with increasing force every day the strength of my conviction that I must try until the end of my days to reach it to as many ears and hearts as possible. 15

Whenever I see a Punjabi youth capable of reading and writing Devanagari, I immediately conclude that he must have had his training in one of the Gurukuls. They have done more than any other institutions in these parts to revivify Sanskrit learning and Aryan culture. 16 Devote yourselves entirely to your duties. Youth is given to us to conquer passions. We should not allow it to pass away fruitless. Safeguard your purity. Do not give up the spinning-wheel. As far as possible do not leave the Ashram either. 17 Anyone who observes a difficult vow like yours in the prime of youth should never fall ill. But it may take ages to acquire such purity of heart. If one has holy merit acquired in previous births, one’s heart will change the moment one wishes that it should change. We should try patiently till it does and not lose heart. 18

My only consolation is that the poverty of my reading is not due to any laziness on my part, but a life of ceaseless action and full of tempest from early youth left not time for much reading. 19 I do not say that in youth you must all leave your amusements and pleasures and practice yoga, but I want that you recognize your duties, and do them as becomes real students and pupils of Brahmajnanam. The youths of today were not as the brahmacharis of old in health, they visit theatres, drink and eat wrong things and take pride in giving enjoyment to the senses. If your bodies are not strong your minds would also be affected and when your minds are affected you cannot have knowledge of God and your duty. You cannot have the will power to control yourself, you lose your vigour and energy and you become weak and slow. I have heard that some students take coffee as many as seven or eight times a day. I want my young friends to remember I was also a student once. 20

I do not underrate your difficulties; I do not underrate your cause; but what I feel is that you adopted a questionable method for achieving your purpose. You will not build up the morals of the Sindhi youth by undermining those of Malkani. Malkani standing at the helm of his sinking ship in Gujarat, himself starving, his wife and mother-in-law looking daggers at him, and his friends howling at him in indignation for his madness, would have been an ideal professor for your boys and a noble lesson for India. I wonder if I am still clear to you. Do not for one moment consider that the fact that it is Gujarat Mahavidyalaya that will come to grief that has weighed with me. My life has been a witness of many such institutions arising and falling with some of which I have myself been intimately connected. For me, their worth has consisted in their having thrown up heroes and thus finished their task. 21 The education you are receiving in colleges is not for the poor of the country. Such education could serve its purpose only when it leads them to the service of the suffering millions. I therefore tell you that the real service of God consists in the service of humanity. For this end, wear khadi, and spin for half an hour a day. In your address you refer to my efforts to revive the charkha. If you merely praise me in the addresses, but do nothing yourselves to encourage spinning, it would be nothing short of fulsome flattery. I do not want to take more of your time. I have elsewhere spoken about the duties of students, and you can read them. I always pray to God that He prosper you, the youth of India, that He speed you in the service of the country. 22

The death of Sir Ganga Ram removes from our midst an able and practical agriculturist, a great philanthropist and a friend of the widow. Though advanced in years, Sir Ganga Ram had the energy of youth. His optimism was equal to the obstinacy with which he held on to his views. I had the privilege of coming in fair contact with him recently. And though we could not agree on several matters, I recognized in him a sincere reformer and a great worker. 23 Having realized this you will have to turn your attention to the crying evils of early-marriage system. Do not call it dharma or a thing supported by Shastras that you can marry a little girl fonding on the knee that it could be straightway married and asked to become a housewife. And yet, I have known many of my friends, learned lawyers and doctors, educated and enlightened men marry girls before they were thirteen. Friends, it is no laughing matter, it is a matter for shame and tears. I tell you, there is no sadder evil in our society than this. You must think of this seriously and not with laughter. Our youth must resolve that they would not marry girls before they are fifteen. It is they who must help in this task of reform. You must all help in this cause, both young and old. 24

But if India is not to declare spiritual bankruptcy, religious instruction of its youth must be held to be at least as necessary as secular instruction. It is true that knowledge of religious books is no equivalent of that of religion. But if we cannot have religion we must be satisfied with providing our boys and girls with what is next best. And whether there is such instruction given in the schools or not, grown-up students must cultivate the art of self-help about matters religious as about other. They may start their own class just as they have their debating and now spinners’ clubs. 25 We have inherited imperfect bodies and weak wills from our parents, and by an incorrect life we find ourselves to have further debilitated both our bodies and wills. When a writing advocating purity of life attracts us, we begin the reformation. Such reformation is never too late. But we must not expect the results described in such writings; for those results are to be expected only from a regulated life from early youth. And the third handicap we labour under is that in spite of the exercise of all the artificial and outward restraint we find ourselves unable to restrain and regularize our thoughts. And let every aspirant after a pure life take from me that an impure thought is often as powerful in undermining the body as an impure act. Control over thought is a long, painful and laborious process. But I am convinced that no time, no labour and no pain are too much for the glorious result to be reached. The purity of thought is possible only with a faith in God bordering on definite experience. 26

He has chosen the right expression to his desire of keeping alive the memory of his son by giving you this gymnasium. That only shows he is anxious that the youth of the country should become strong and healthy. I know that in a land where engineers like Sir M. Vishveshvarayya had come forth to serve the motherland there would be engineers like Mr. Venkatasubba Rao to come forward to build this gymnasium. You know very well that just as the intellect requires exercise and development the body also requires exercise. But only a few have realized this and many giant intellects go about the country in enfeebled bodies. It does not appear to me that this is the right way of education. It is not right that they should neglect their bodies. It gives me much pleasure that you are alive to this necessity of affording your young men physical exercise. 27

I have omitted from the letter several personal references. Though I have performed shraddha ceremonies myself in my youth, I have not been able to understand their religious usefulness. This letter is not the first of its kind I have received. But not being able to understand the hidden meaning, if any, of the practices which are almost universal in Hinduism, I have hitherto refrained from dealing with them in these pages. The rule that the correspondent has chosen has however appealed to me. We do very often meekly submit too many conventional ceremonies although we may have no faith in them, and although they may have no meaning for us. Submission to convention in trivial matters in which there is no danger of deceiving others or oneself is often desirable and even necessary. But submission in matters of religion, especially where there is a positive repugnance from within and a danger of deceiving our neighbours and ourselves, cannot but be debasing. There are today many religious ceremonies, which, whatever meaning and importance they might have had in ages gone by, have neither importance nor meaning for the rising generation. There can be no doubt that it is necessary for this generation to strike out an original path by giving a new form and even meaning to many old ceremonies. The idea of keeping green and of respecting the memory of one’s parents is not to be given up. But it is hardly necessary on that account to retain the old conventions and forms, which have lost their reality and therefore ceased to have any influence on us. I therefore commend the example of the correspondent to those who are anxious to do only that which is right, and free them from self-deception. 28

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