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The United Nations has declared October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence. The world has recognised Gandhi as an apostle of peace. A total of 102 countries celebrating Gandhi as a global icon of non-violence and peace have installed his statues. He is one of the 10 outstanding personalities ever born in the last two millennia about whom the highest number of writings have appeared.
Gandhi’s philosophy of satyagraha, emphasising truth, non-violence, and global unity, inspired worldwide movements but is under threat in India by those distorting history for narrow gains
The Prime Minister of our country has stated publicly that Gandhiji is a global icon, and his memorials and abode in Ahmedabad, the Sabarmati Ashram, will be transformed into a world-class memorial. An ambitious plan of Rs 1,200 crores is in progress. The top leadership of India cannot afford to abandon Gandhiji. It is understood clearly that Gandhiji is India’s global face. Hence, he continues to be referred to.
Our Prime Minister has directly referred to Mahatma Gandhi in six out of seventeen speeches at foreign Parliaments from November 2014 to September 2025. He has on umpteen other occasions referred to Gandhiji indirectly. He has used Gandhiji for international branding. Talking about sustainability and equity, he has referred to Gandhiji’s basic principles. Gandhiji’s message of vasudhaiva kutumbakam is often uttered in the Prime Minister’s international addresses. It has been serving him well in his diplomatic purposes.
Manifest and concealed violence with poisonous hatred has taken over the minds and hearts of people
In the country, too, he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on 2 October 2014. Very recently, he has been vocal on swadeshi. Symbolism is at its height. Entering the check-in section in Terminal 3 of Delhi International Airport, one can hardly miss the display of a huge Charkha – the spinning wheel, weighing four tonnes and made of Burma teak. The tablet below the Charkha, installed between gates 4 and 5 clearly mentions Gandhiji's contribution.
The Prime Minister, on the occasion of installation, said that the Charkha would serve to remind travellers at the IGI airport of India’s timeless heritage and the value of sustainability and harmony that it stood for. He has appealed to the citizens of the country to embrace khadi. At Ahmedabad International Airport, a traveller arriving from anywhere in the world cannot miss a small exhibit titled Gandhi-ji ke pad chinha – Gandhiji’s steps marks.
Despite his sharp differences with Dr Ambedkar, who led the struggle for constitutional rights of Dalits, Gandhiji continued his campaign to remove untouchability from the minds and hearts of people
But in the country where he was born and in the nation he lived and died for, a hate campaign has been sharpened during the last 25 years. Gandhiji has become a person to be hated. He is hated for his alleged partiality toward Muslims. His 15 years of relentless action to remove untouchability are mocked.
He is condemned for ignoring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He is made responsible for Bhagat Singh’s hanging. His contribution to the country’s independence movement is marginalised. ‘The Father of the Nation,’ a title given by Bose, is ridiculed. Social media has run amok, destroying Gandhi in the minds of us Indians.
The haters want to make the Muslims in India the ‘lowest caste’, which should be subjugated and relegated to menial work in society
‘Gandhi’s Gujarat’, a popular adage once, is a bad word today. Manifest and concealed violence with poisonous hatred has taken over the minds and hearts of people. The hardliner Hindu mobs move freely with hardly any restraint from the protectors of law. It is unnerving to learn from various quarters that the Navaratri Garba Festival organisers face hardened inquiries by mobs about how many passes and tickets have been issued to Muslims. While the festival Garba dance performance is on, the mob wants to check the Muslim participants.
Earlier this year, rising instances of what was called hate speech were reported -- 1,165 instances in 2024, compared with 668 a year earlier, at events such as political rallies, religious processions, protest marches and cultural gatherings. Hate speech peaked during the election campaign last year, the report noted.
Any direct, concealed and structural violence gives rise to strong sentiments and bitterness that are the root of violence
Gandhiji spent a significant part of his life fighting caste-based violence both manifest and structural. Despite his sharp differences with Dr Ambedkar, who led the struggle for constitutional rights of Dalits, Gandhiji continued his campaign to remove untouchability from the minds and hearts of people. Have we, the Indians, not failed both Ambedkar and Gandhi? The so-called upper and superior caste leave no opportunity to insult, condemn, exploit, rape, injure, and kill Dalits even in 2025.
The hate campaign is orchestrated and politically motivated. The minds behind such a motivated attack are deceitful. The caste mentality plays to the fullest. The haters want to make the Muslims in India the ‘lowest caste’, which should be subjugated and relegated to menial work in society. They should rot in poverty and destitution and leave the country under duress. Do we, the citizens of Bharat, realise that by hating, condemning, discriminating, hurting, and killing, we are creating an atmosphere of animosity? Any direct, concealed and structural violence gives rise to strong sentiments and bitterness that are the root of violence.
The Navaratri Garba Festival organisers face hardened inquiries by mobs about how many passes and tickets have been issued to Muslims
Let us understand that when a section is targeted and boycotted, and when people, directly, and the State, with deceit, play this game, the condemned groups will be driven to the wall. Breadwinners of such communities, when they are not given fair opportunities, will be forced into a corner. This is the breeding ground for a new cycle of hate and violence that can consume India.
Mahatma Gandhi, a global icon of non-violence, dedicated his life to ending caste-based violence and promoting Hindu-Muslim unity, yet his legacy faces vilification in modern India through orchestrated hate campaigns. Despite his efforts to eradicate untouchability and foster equality, Dalits and Muslims continue to face discrimination, exploitation, and violence in 2025, betraying both Gandhi’s and Dr. Ambedkar’s visions.
Social and political forces marginalise minorities, treating them as the "lowest caste" through boycotts and exclusion, fostering an atmosphere of animosity and potential retaliation. Gandhi’s philosophy of satyagraha, emphasising truth, non-violence, and global unity, inspired worldwide movements but is under threat in India by those distorting history for narrow gains. To honour Gandhi’s 156th birth anniversary, India must reject hate, embrace interfaith dialogue, and uphold justice to heal divisions and secure a peaceful future.