“If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women” –
Mahatma Gandhi.
As a ceaseless crusader of women’s equality, Mahatma Gandhi had
an unshakable and profound faith in one beautiful thought – that God sent women
as messengers of the gospel of non-violence.
Gandhiji’s lifelong ‘experiments
with truth’ served that very purpose. According to the Mahatma, calling women
the weaker sex is a false credo. He even called such a belief system an ‘injustice
to women’.
He worked for a society in which women will be born empowered and not
struggle for empowerment. In this realm of thought, he called women the ‘epitome
of Ahimsa’.
Ahimsa, as it has been bequeathed to the modern world by Hinduism,
Jainism and Buddhism, is the belief and practice of non-violence – the supreme
dharma. Ahimsa means infinite love and infinite capacity for suffering. He felt
only women could show it in the largest measure. No other pain can be compared
to the pangs of labour faced by a woman.
Think of it dear reader, she actually
forgets the pain in the joy of creation.
I think this is why the Mahatma had
such an opinion on women.
He called out to women to participate in the national
struggle for freedom. Inspired by his ideals of non-violence, women came out in
large numbers to take part in big movements. For example, Civil Disobedience
Movement saw the energetic, large-scale participation of women.
Their
participation actually became an important feature of the movement. They used
the dharma of Ahimsa to protest in marches and picket foreign cloth and liquor
shops. Many even went to jail. Women began to see their participation as a
sacred duty. This did not mean that they had to neglect their duties as mothers
or housewives.
He rightfully recognized at the same time that a woman’s role
finds completion only in motherhood and in being an equal partner in her
husband’s joys and sorrows.
Not surprisingly, Gandhiji frequently invoked the
great women of India like Sita, Savitri, Draupadi and Damayanti in his speeches
concerning women and Ahimsa.
If we notice any purity in Gandhiji,
it is only because of his mother.
His mother was instrumental in initiating him
to a spiritual way of life upholding Ahimsa dharma.
Annie Besant, Oliver
Schreiner, Millie Graham Polock, Margaret Cousins, Sarojini Naidu, and Sushila Nayyar
are examples of women who upheld Ahimsa in India and around the world.
How can we forget Kasturba Gandhi when talking about Ahimsa?
An integral companion to Gandhiji, she was significant in his change of
attitude towards women. His change from a dominating husband to a lovable
partner and motivator in her life is a story that has to be read by every
married man.
Gandhiji acknowledged his flaw and corrected himself. From then,
as said before, he became a ceaseless crusader for women’s dignity. The first
cabinet of independent India consisted of two women members only because of Gandhiji’s
ideals that were followed religiously. If the world has to prosper, it is not
only through the cessation of wars but through the promotion of non-violence or
Ahimsa. Women have an important role to play in this regard.
There is no need to look elsewhere for motivation and empowerment when the ‘soul force’ is
already innate in her- the force that brings prosperity in a non-violent way.
Ahimsa should the bedrock principle and philosophy in every person’s life and
most importantly in a woman’s life for if she grows violent, a whole generation
and its successors disintegrate in morality.
Women have always been on the side
of Ahimsa. Certain exceptions may be there, but women should look beyond those
vicissitudes and think long-term for solutions to a better tomorrow. It is here
where Gandhiji’s lessons should be promptly incorporated.
As always, there will be a gang of
‘intellectuals’ who say that Gandhiji’s ideals of Ahimsa are old-fashioned and not
pertinent to the modern world. To all those people, I present a testimony: Recently,
Ria Sharma, a 26-year-old Leeds University student started a rehabilitation
venture for acid attack survivors.
She said that her prime source of
inspiration was Gandhiji. In her words, “He taught us lessons that we will
forever use in our lives.”
This proves that Gandhiji’s ideals continue to
inspire women to this date. He also rightly said that if strength refers to
moral power, a woman is stronger than a man.
It is only a matter of realization of
this simple fact that would make women achieve infinite strength and courage. Ahimsa does not simply mean having a ‘no fight’ attitude but it is the
raising of one’s conscience beyond the need to fight. There is immense potential in a woman in this regard.
