Gandhi Jayanti 2023 — Remembering his finest words

Mahatma Gandhi is venerated as the Father of Nation in India. In redeeming the country from the clutches of foreign rule and in nation building following that, Mahatma Gandhi had a very significant role.

Gandhi was born in Porbandar of Gujarat on October 2 and in his memory, Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated in India declaring it as a public holiday in memory of this great personality who inspired this nation with patriotism and non-violence.

Gandhi’s unique method of Satyagraha or peaceful non-cooperation has secured him universal fame. When it comes to peaceful protest, Gandhi’s philosophy and strategies have given a lead to the world. While the country is preparing to celebrate Mahatma’s birthday on 2October 2021, here is a list of famous quotes from Gandhi.

Gandhi’s philosophy of Sarvodaya

One of Gandhi’s biggest contributions to nation building was Sarvodaya. Once Mr. Polak, Gandhi’s intimate friend introduced Gandhi to Ruskin Bond’s ‘Unto This Last’, which gandhiji read during his train journey from Johannesburg to Durban. The biggest impact left by the book on Gandhi made him paraphrase the concept of this book into the term ‘Sarvodaya’. Gandhi's thoughts on Sarvodaya can be summed up in three of his quotes namely,

“The good of the individual is contained in the welfare of all.”

“All have the same right of earning their livelihood from their work.”

“That life of labour is the life worth living.”

Gandhi on self-respect

Most of Gandhi’s teachings stemmed from his idea of self-respect. Self-respect according to Gandhi is the product of every man’s feeling of self-dignity and confidence in one’s potentials, abilities and goodness. Gandhi always insisted on being true to one’s own conscience and also the need of man’s thoughts, words and actions to always get aligned with his deepest convictions meaning the unity of thought, word and deed. Gandhi’s quotes on self-respect can inspire anyone with a renewed perception of one’s own self.

“I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one’s self-respect.”

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”

Gandhi on non-violence

Gandhi strongly recommended a non-violent protest for India’s freedom against foreign rule and oppression. Gandhi’s massive victory in South Africa against the racial injustice had made the Satyagraha or non-violent non-cooperation movement highly popular in India before he arrived on the national scene. Gandhi spoke so much on non-violence and he shaped the freedom struggle closely in alignment with his principles of non-violence or Ahimsa. A few of Gandhi’s thoughts on non-violence are indeed awe-inspiring.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

“A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave”.

“Permanent good can never be the outcome of untruth and violence.”

“We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it.”

“When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible.”

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”

Gandhi on love and service

Gandhi believed that individual and social transformation can ensue only from love and selfless service. He advocated that the highest good is to be able to love all unconditionally and be bent on the largest good for the largest number. Gandhi’s quotes on love and service have inspired millions in the path of non-violence and a peaceful protest for achieving greater goals in addition to refining one’s one self.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.”

“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”