Rev Fr Dr PS Varghese
Principal MGM College, Dimapur
“Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits.
Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”
The world has never seen a leader who stood up for truth and justice like Mahatma Gandhi. As a lifelong advocate of truth, the Mahatma battled against the dark forces of the kingdom and fought for the freedom of a nation. His legacy will last forever. Mahatma Gandhi remains one of the foremost leaders that India has contributed to the world.
There is no scarcity of ideologies in the world today. Great warriors who disowned their good fortunes and lived for others, great men who discovered the truth that the world is mortal and the journey to eternity begins in this worldly life, and shining like stars in the world, saying that life is not luck but dedication.
The journey from a small coastal village in Gujarat to become a world citizen was fascinating. From his childhood, Mahatma experienced the glory of Arsha Bharat's heritage. English gradually spread around the world, and he was assimilated into the English education system. Gandhi understood the contemporary importance of a world language for the exchange of ideas and the integration of cultures.
As an educator, he later became a proponent of vernacular languages, arguing that each child should be taught in his native language in order to better clarify and understand ideas.
A great visionary and pragmatist who led a great nation with utmost determination like Moses, the great liberator. He instilled values and battled against imperial powers. Nonviolence, truth, justice, and equality were the cornerstones of the fight against all the clutches of imperialism. 'Mahatma' or 'Bappu' these terms signify Truth, non-violence, justice, determination, commitment, and many other virtues that no one else in our time has.
He wrote continuously in Young India, Indian Opinion, Harijan, and Navjivan to edify the masses during his lifetime. For a long time, both publications were Gandhi's public voice. He asserted that values are formed by continuous habits. We can cultivate and nurture habits and values. Cultivating good habits is extremely challenging without tremendous effort. Values are shaped by properly cultivated habits.
Today's education is devoid of values, a fact that is lamented by all. In addition to teaching, every mentor is also responsible for instilling in each student good habits and values that will last for a lifetime. This is the best time to cultivate good habits in the classroom that lead to values over time. Every classroom should be a fertile ground for cultivating good values and habits. Thus, Gandhi emphasized that all teachers must be men or women of values.
All the above-mentioned points were practiced by Gandhi in a systematic manner. He made a difference in his life through his beliefs, convictions, ardent habits, positivism, strong behavior, and value-centered educational input. According to an old proverb, we are in charge of our own destiny.
Gandhian philosophy has become a way of life all over the world. The Gandhian way of living mentioned above can help humans create their own destinies. As Gandhiji envisaged a better tomorrow, every mentor should be inspired by Gandhiji's way of life.
