'Bapu lives in our religious, linguistic pluralism'

AHMEDABAD: At the 63rd convocation of Gujarat Vidyapith, on Tuesday, historian and political commentator Ramachandra Guha said that Mahatma Gandhi instilled the ideas of religious pluralism and pluralism of language into India. Guha said that the value created a harmonious society in the country. He was speaking on aspects of Gandhiji's legacies that few recognize.
Guha was speaking at the convocation ceremony in which 580 students were awarded diplomas, and bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.More than 50 students were aged above 40. Kaushik Raval, a professor at the law department, had completed his master's in Gandhi studies. "I wanted to know the Mahatma up close and personal," he said.
Talking of Gandhian philosophy, Guha said: "Had it not been for the living memory of Gandhiji, we would have treated Muslims and Christians and other religious minorities as second-class citizens." He went on to say, "We would have gone the Pakistan way. Gandhi also recognized the importance of diversity of languages, which Pakistan or Sri Lanka did not and suffered civil wars." He said had that happened in India, there would have been 22 civil wars after Gandhiji's death.
Another important Gandhian quality was "transparency" of personal life, Guha said. "We know of Gandhiji's follies, anxieties, insecurities, and weaknesses because he wrote about them," he said. "We know how he ill-treated his wife and his problematic relations with his children because he wrote about them too. How many modern leaders have laid bare their personal lives before the world?"
Guha said that Kashmiris, tribals, and Manipuris have not been dealt with properly by the Indian government since Independence. "The Kashmir problem has existed since we arrested Sheikh Abdullah," he said. "Why have we stopped engaging them in dialogue without the RSS in the background."
Guha said Gandhiji had observed that the violent revolutions of Russia and China had only led to bloodshed. "Had naxalites or Maoists practised non-violence, they would have probably succeeded," Guha said. "But once they picked up guns, the conflict escalated. This is true for Kashmir, Manipur or Bastar." He said dalits, women and tribals deserve reservation but did not favour its benefits for Jats, Marathas and Patels, whom he called "prosperous" communities.
The chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith, Ela Bhatt, advised graduating students to think of ways to raise employment opportunities for the poor and to make waste recycling, green energy, and sustainable development "profitable" propositions.