"Ahimsa, Truth, Showing the other cheek, Self sacrifice, Fasting, Service to the nation, becoming the change you want to see in the world" these values that were close to Gandhi may be known to you through history books, your teachers, elders and even his own autobiography but are these relevant to you and me? Do we really have the patience to appeal to the conscience of others? With India developing and growing with an appetite for success and money, does simplicity in thoughts and living hold an appeal to us? Are we ready to show our other cheek when someone wrongs us? And when we see the word of the powerful and wealthy being the ‘last word', does truth really matter?

This independence day, we thought of revisiting Gandhi's philosophy, we thought of seeing his values with issues that are relevant today. We wanted to see if the philosophy of ‘Father of our nation' which inspired non- violent movements all over the world, still holds true.

Gandhi's like us!

The reason why most of our generation fails to relate to Gandhi and his thoughts is because we find him too much of a pacifist and our generation believes in action. Since most of us do not really delve deeper into reasons behind his methods, we fail to see the strategist in him.

• Gandhi was a rebel, a non conformist- It is true, Gandhi rebelled against many of the customs and traditions of that time. Even though his means were non-violent, he was effective in proving his point. Remember the civil disobedience movement or the famous Dandi march? Using unusual means, he tried to change the way people thought about caste, religion and communities and also left a mark on those he fought against- the Britishers. Gandhi believed in doing what his conscience told him no matter the consequences, "The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within".
• He was strong- Many of us think he always compromised but reading about him shows he was courageous, headstrong and willful. Like he said strength doesn't come from physical capacity but from indomitable will and that will he had. And if we feel he was too good to the Britishers, that's because he believed, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
• He was modern in his outlook- From his methods to his views, Gandhi was unorthodox. He used means of non violence and peace to gain independence which was different from anything tried earlier. In a society highly divided, he fought against inequality against women, against social evils, against untouchability and for secularism.
• He wasn't perfect- We know Gandhi's commitment to be truthful but there were times when Gandhi, like us, struggled to do the right thing, he confesses there were times when  had made mistakes, he never held a moral high ground and after all he considered his life as an experiment. He said "I worship God as Truth only. I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking Him". By showing that he isn't' perfect, Gandhi can inspire us to fight our own demons and negativities and to aim for being the best of ourselves.

"My life is my message"

Unlike so many of the populist personalities who are all talk and no substance, Mahatma Gandhi was a person who was extremely honest about his life and actions and had no qualms about sharing his mistakes and his regrets in his autobiography ‘My Experiments with Truth'. Gandhi practiced what he preached and thus seeing suffering and poverty he decided to just wear a loin cloth (dhoti). When he spoke about self sacrifice, he was the first one to do it, when he spoke about satyagraha, he would himself fast. That's why Gandhi inspired millions around the world. Dr. Martin Luther King said "If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought, acted and was inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony."

Gandhi himself said, "My writings should be cremated with my body. What I have done will endure, not what I have said or written"

What we can learn from Gandhi-

• Don't give up: Gandhi was a failure early in his life. He failed in his Mumbai legal practice, shut shop, and had to go back to his home town.
• Follow your Heart: Gandhi believed in his heart. Gandhi was a passionate human being. He dedicated all his life to his passion for social upliftment and more importantly, freedom for India. He did not have the herd mentality; in fact he inspired/awakened people to follow the freedom mission. He brought in the concept of satygraha, when freedom fighters were creating armies and rebel forces.
• Intelligent Leadership: Gandhi was an intelligent leader, a strategist. Gandhi's non-violence movement was more a political strategy to awaken the world's conscience on the matter of slavery and British colonial rule.
• Power of Silence: Gandhi practiced Mauna (Silence) – a very important thing to learn. Chatter is more out of inner restlessness. Practicing Mauna helped him control the inner restlessness and understand things in better light.
• Learn and Unlearn: Gandhi believed in learning and unlearning. He clearly mentioned about his life as an experiment. He was very comfortable correcting his earlier thoughts and improving upon them.
• Self Control: In today's world, we aren't able to control our indulgences. There's a good amount of learning in Gandhi's way of living here. Vegetarianism, his sacrificing western clothes and opting for what poor wore, fasting etc. are some of them.

We asked people whether they find teachings of Gandhi relevant today,

T. R. K. Somaiya, Program co-coordinator, Gandhi Books Centre, Sarvodaya Trust, says "Man's greed has created a number of problems today. There is no peace or happiness in our lives in spite of the luxuries that we enjoy. We need to implement Gandhi's philosophy to experience happiness and peace in our lives. Gandhi has written on all subjects from politics, religion, health and social life and reading his thoughts will definitely help us."

Sudhir Sarnobat, Co-founder, Medimanage Insurance Broking Pvt. Ltd says, "If we need to assess Gandhian philosophy's relevance to any period, it's now. The media explosion, volatility in economy, changing lifestyles and growing aspirations-have made Indians intolerant which has made people insensitive towards others. Gandhi propagated a thought process of Discipline and Tolerance and in chaotic times like these, discipline is something that we must impose upon ourselves.

While doing this, being sensitive to other's needs, being compassionate can make us be at peace with ourselves and bring in contentment about what we have. The lust for more and more can be tamed by broadly adopting Gandhian thoughts. This is the need of the hour and earlier the change that we bring in ourselves, juicier the fruits that we will reap."