On his 156th birth anniversary, Mahatma Gandhi’s life and philosophy reverberate across India and the world. While the nation observes Gandhi Jayanti, the international community commemorates the International Day of Non-Violence, a United Nations observance proclaimed in 2007 with the support of more than 140 countries. This dual recognition captures both India’s deep reverence for the Father of the Nation and the global embrace of his timeless ideals.
Gandhi Jayanti Meets a Global Cause
October 2 has become more than just a national remembrance. At the United Nations, the day is marked by official statements and cultural events linking Gandhi’s belief in peace, tolerance, and truth to today’s geopolitical realities. Recent UN messages have invoked Gandhi’s conviction that non-violence is “more powerful than any weapon,” urging nations to confront conflict, inequality, and environmental crises through dialogue and compassion rather than hostility.
In India, tributes at Raj Ghat, educational programmes, and community campaigns reinforce Gandhi’s relevance. Beyond ceremony, Gandhi Jayanti has inspired transformative national initiatives, from Swachh Bharat Mission, launched on his birth anniversary in 2014, to the promotion of Khadi and village-based industries symbolising self-reliance.
The Birth of Satyagraha
Gandhi’s journey toward global statesmanship began with personal indignities. In 1893, while travelling on a first-class train in South Africa, he was ejected for being “coloured.” The humiliations he endured—whether being forced to sit on a coachbox or denied dignity in public spaces—sparked a lifelong fight against discrimination.
Out of these struggles emerged satyagraha—the philosophy of truth and non-violent resistance. Gandhi applied it in India through the Dandi March of 1930 and the Quit India Movement of 1942, mobilising millions without raising a weapon. His ideas became a moral compass for leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States and Nelson Mandela in South Africa, proving that non-violence could transform entire societies.
Mahatma Gandhi at the United Nations
The Ahimsa Lecture series at the UN, organised by UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), has become a platform to revisit Gandhi’s message. The Fifth Lecture in 2022, themed “Education for Human Flourishing”, even used a life-size hologram of Gandhi to communicate his reflections on moral learning. Eminent participants, including Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., and global youth leaders, reaffirmed Gandhi’s relevance for building inclusive, compassionate societies.
Gandhian Ideals in Modern India
Independent India has woven Gandhi’s philosophy into large-scale programmes:
* Swachh Bharat Mission (launched in 2014): Declared India open-defecation free in 2019; more than 12 crore toilets constructed.
* Self-Help Groups under DAY-NRLM: Over 10 crore women mobilised; ₹11 lakh crore in cumulative loans disbursed.
* SVAMITVA Scheme: Enabled property cards for 65 lakh households across rural India.
* Khadi and Village Industries: Over 1.94 crore employed; Khadi sales grew fivefold in a decade, with women forming 80% of the artisan base.
* PM Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan: Launched in 2024 to empower 5 crore tribal citizens across 63,000 villages.
* MGNREGA: Provided work to 3.8 crore households in 2025–26, generating over 106 crore person-days.
Each reflects Gandhi’s emphasis on dignity of labour, rural empowerment, sanitation, and equality.
Global Recognition
The Mahatma’s message has left its imprint far beyond India:
* Belgium: Memorials in Brussels and Antwerp serve as spaces for public tributes.
* United States: A bronze statue near the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., symbolises Gandhi’s moral influence.
* Spain: Multiple statues across Madrid, Valladolid, Burgos, Gran Canarias, and Barcelona keep Gandhi’s ideals alive.
* Serbia: A bust in New Belgrade draws annual tributes.
* Switzerland: Statues at the Indian Embassy commemorate his legacy.
* Thailand and Kazakhstan: Cultural programmes and commemorations mark Gandhi Jayanti.
* Netherlands: In 2017, The Hague hosted the largest Gandhi March, with over 800 participants.
Even in the realm of international diplomacy, Gandhi’s influence is evident. At the G20 Summit in New Delhi (2023), world leaders gathered at Raj Ghat to honour him, underlining his role as a beacon of peace and inclusivity.
Honouring Mahatma Gandhi Through Railways
In September 2024, a restored railway coach was inaugurated at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, in New Delhi by the Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The exhibit celebrates Gandhi’s iconic journeys by train, where he travelled third class to understand India’s pulse and unite its diverse people. “The railways were more than just a means of transportation for Gandhi,” said Gandhi Darshan Vice Chairman Vijay Goel, “they were a vehicle for understanding India in its entirety.”
Mahatma Gandhi’s Global Call
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has frequently noted that Gandhi’s ideas foreshadowed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from sanitation and maternal health to gender equality and hunger reduction. Gandhi’s philosophy, he stressed, is not a relic but a living strategy for tackling modern crises—whether climate change, violent conflict, or inequality.
Conclusion
The International Day of Non-Violence is both a national homage and a global appeal. Gandhi’s message continues to light the way in an era marked by conflict and polarization, reminding humanity that peace, dialogue, and non-violence are not signs of weakness but revolutionary tools of transformation.
As the world celebrates Gandhi Jayanti, his life remains a bridge between India’s history and humanity’s future – proving that his message is as urgent today as it was a century ago.