Every day, during my time working with the Government of India, I would walk into my office, passing by a 10-foot portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the Chief Minister's camp office. It became more than a routine — it was a powerful reminder of how Gandhi’s vision still watches over modern India. For over two years, I had the privilege to work with the government and witness firsthand the political, policy, and grassroots challenges of our country.
Public service opened my eyes in many ways, the impact is far reaching and the vantage point of viewing the other sectors and the world was entirely different. I am deeply grateful for the inspirational leadership and vision of CBN that set up legislation that offered youth of the country an opportunity to bring fresh energy into the system.
I have always admired more tha Gandhi's scientific and systematic approach to understanding our multi-dimensional and diverse society, its communities, and politics. He meticulously experimented with ideas, striving to grasp the realities of India at every level — from grassroots villages to bustling urban centers from the snowcapped Himalayas to varied blue peninsular waters of Kanyakumari from the sand-filled deserts of west to the marshy Sundarbhans in the east. His movement for independence was deeply rooted in the essence of India, shaped by observing its social fabric and fostering unity from the ground up. The thoughts, the ideas and the methods were truly and uniquely ours.
If you ever encounter any political narratives or complexity in India that confuses you or makes you question or go in search of finding the roots of modern India, look no further that at the life and journey of Gandhi along with countless other freedom fighters, that unified us around shared values, ideas, ideals as Indians to get what is ours.
India that is and was and will be Bharat is shining, and we have over decades come to become our own selves. but being our own collectively for our own independence came from Gandhi. Our collective fight for independence defined who we are and who we will be as a nation.
As we reflect on Gandhi’s profound influence today, let’s remember that he remains and will always remain the political anchor for post-independence India, guiding us with his timeless principles of unity, non-violence, and truth. Hold on tightly to that as we are embarking on a phenomenal growth journey because, more than ever,clarity of our collective identity and our core roots as a nation become ever more important, especially when we are growing strongly and steadily in this new century.
Let no one tell you what being Indian is. Follow Gandhi’s approach of experimentation, look around at the society, see everything that India is and you’ll truly discover what it is to Be an Indian.🇮🇳