Time for leaders to practise 'Gandhigiri'

PATNA: To most ministers today it will sound 'Gandhigiri'. For, Mahatma Gandhi had once advised ministers of Bihar to strictly adhere to simplicity and austerity, get rid of caste and religious bias and wear khadi, avoid spacious bungalows and misusing car and remove security ring around them. This advice was given in Patna about 60 years ago, on April 19, 1947 — a few months before India won freedom. At a time when the undivided India was on verge of celebrating freedom but communal frenzy had reached new heights particularly in Noakhali and later in Patna, Gaya and other places of Bihar, Gandhi camped here for about 45 days. "Bihar is my state. The people of Bihar have made me what I am today," he had said. It was during that long stay at the house of Dr Syed Mahmood, Gandhi could feel the pulse of Bihar in his veins. In Gandhi's diary, penned by his shadow and grand-daughter Manu Behn Gandhi and authenticated by him, he lashed at partymen and people in his public discourses for the Partition riots. "Some people complained that Congressmen too had their hand in the violence. As a matter of fact, I can see a black spot on the bright name of Bihar. Even if Congressmen have no role, they can't escape responsibility. That no Congressman was involved in this craziness will be a lie," he said at Bankipore Maidan (exactly the same ground which was later renamed as Gandhi Maidan) in the presence of all top leaders of that period. During one of the sessions with members of the Bihar ministry headed by Sri Krishna Sinha, Gandhi had outlined the face and character of governors and ministers in Independent India. He told them: "Ministers should not make an iota of discrimination on caste and religious line. They should treat their own son or brother and common citizens alike. There is no need of car and bungalow. They should use vehicle only when going to far off places. Their personal life and living style should be so simple that it influence people." He advised them to "use country-made products and wear khadi so that crores of poor people could earn their bread and keep the wheel of non-violence always moving." Regarding decoration of offices, Gandhi said: "When crores of people do not have anything to sit on, costly furniture are not advisable. The simple-looking and pure-minded 'servants of people' will be protected by the people. Six or more securitymen deputed around ministers look 'behuda' (absurd) in a political order built on non-violence." He was, however, fully aware that neither Congressmen nor ministers would listen him. He did say, "Who will like my views? Still I can't stop myself saying all this because I don't believe in remaining a silent spectator. If Bihar alone adopt this, it will become an ideal not only for India alone but for the whole world, and I have no doubt about it." Gandhi had warned Congressmen and the people to mend their ways and stop violence or else, "... either I will do something or die. I would not like to die in Sevagram or Delhi. I will prefer to die in Bihar, or in Noakhali."