The 21st century has tested materialism, bringing lots of scientific revolutions, which have proven a boon for mankind. However, in the face of materialism, the principles of Gandhiji are still relevant whether it is the mantra of satyagraha (non-violence) or cleanliness, which Gandhiji considered the most important for physical well-being and a healthy environment. More so, the core of the Gandhian legacy is that the TRUTH is greater than that of all worldly possessions and that slavery, violence, injustice, and disparities are inconsistent with the truth.
Throwing light on different aspects of Gandhi Marg (ideology) during Health4All Episode-24, the author of ‘My experiments with Gandhi Marg’ Dr Virendra Singh, President, Rajasthan Hospital, Director, Asthma Bhawan said, “We can solve day-to-day problems by applying Gandhi Marg without enmity. And success in anything is bound to come if you follow the Gandhi Marg persistently and patiently with honesty. The foundation of Gandhi Marg (ideology) is truth. According to Gandhiji, the harmony of thought, speech and action can be said as true. Besides delivering their duties, if the healthcare workers follow the truth, the face of Indian healthcare will change automatically.”
Deliberating on how he got inspired by Gandhian philosophy and experimented on himself, which worked wonders in transforming his life and fortifying his belief in the Gandhian philosophy of truth and prodded him to write the book – ‘My experiments with Gandhi Marg’, Dr Singh said, “The THREE-Points that I picked from Gandhian Philosophy regarding the rectification of ‘Mistake’ not only transformed my life but also the lives of others with whom I have interacted. These three points were: Accepting mistakes with guilt; Determining not to repeat the mistakes; Atoning for mistakes committed.”
| Basic human nature admires the path of honesty. Even a liar would like to be recognized as a truthful person in society. Every person at the core of his heart is truthful. However, the fear of losing something and the greed to achieve something causes the divergence in thought, speech and action. This makes the person stray away from the virtue of truth.
Some people in the present era take Gandhiji to be an exaggerated idealist. They would decry Gandhiji’s relevance in real life. Based upon my experience, I would like to firmly assert that there is nothing simpler than following the ‘Gandhi Marg’. This path is based upon truth and a man in his basic nature is always truthful. Therefore, it is easier and relevant to adopt it. Excerpt from the Book – My experiments with Gandhi Marg |
Sharing his personal experiences with Gandhi Marg during Health4All Episode-24, Dr Singh added, “I have experimented and found that the change of hearts can only be done through Gandhi Marg. If we do some planning in advance we can resist many undesirable consequences of violence, agitation and crime. I have applied the Gandhian principle of Satyagraha (non-violence) that helped me change the mode of the strike in the workers of the hospital I was superintending. Gandhigiri also helps solve your problems. Gandhi Marg is always truthful. To follow Gandhi Marg, we need to have two things – TRUTH & BRAVERY. I have observed that helping others gives a different kind of happiness and satisfaction, which I have learnt from Gandhi Marg.”
While moderating the session of Health Counter during Health4All Episode-24, Dr Swadeep Srivastava, Founder of HEAL Health & HEAL Foundation said, “Of course, Gandhian principles are always relevant irrespective of ages provided if we follow them wholeheartedly with truthfulness as the central message of Gandhian philosophy is the TRUTH. Also, the Gandhian legacy of simple living in conformity with the basic rhythm of life typifies the age-old wisdom of humanity. We need to educate the people about the basic principles of Gandhigiri.”
