Vartaman Yuga Ko Ek Aur Gandhi Ki Avashyakta

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Vartaman Yuga ko Ek aur Gandhi ki Avashyakta" (The Present Era Needs Another Gandhi) by Yashpal Jain:

This essay argues that the current era desperately needs another Mahatma Gandhi. The author posits that humanity is the fundamental unit of society, which forms nations and ultimately the world. Gandhi recognized this and believed that if individuals reformed themselves, society, nations, and the world would naturally improve. To achieve this, he advocated for and practiced principles like truth, non-violence, non-possession, and celibacy (the eleven vows). He also pioneered revolutionary methods like Satyagraha (truth-force), passive resistance, fasting, and self-suffering in his 21-year struggle for human rights in South Africa, demonstrating the superior strength of spiritual power over physical force.

Upon returning to India, Gandhi applied these same principles to the political arena, leading movements from Champaran in 1917 to the Quit India Movement in 1942, with truth and non-violence at their core. His unwavering commitment to non-violence was evident when he suspended the nationwide non-cooperation movement after the Chauri Chaura incident involving violence, even undertaking a five-day fast. Gandhi envisioned a "Ram Rajya" (ideal rule) in India, valuing human purity and moral values even more than political freedom.

The author notes that India's independence on August 15, 1947, was not a joyous occasion for Gandhi, especially due to the partition of India and Pakistan, which he had vehemently opposed. The ensuing exchange of populations deeply wounded the human values that had fostered brotherhood between communities. While India celebrated independence, Gandhi was in Noakhali, consoling the distressed. He called for prayer and fasting on Independence Day and never abandoned the hope of India and Pakistan reuniting, never accepting the two-nation theory.

Gandhi was a devotee of human values and placed the highest importance on ethical principles, famously stating that politics devoid of morality was meaningless to him. He viewed independence as merely the first step in a long journey, believing the true goal was yet to be reached as long as suffering existed.

In his "last testament," written the day before his assassination, Gandhi highlighted that political freedom had been achieved, but social, economic, and moral freedoms were still to be attained, and these would be harder to achieve due to their lack of fanfare. He proposed dissolving the Congress party and establishing a "Lok Sevak Sangh" (People's Service Organization), a suggestion not well-received by the nation's leaders who believed the Congress, having led the struggle for freedom, should also lead the reconstruction. Gandhi, as a visionary, foresaw the inherent tendency of power to corrupt and sought to shift the nation's focus from power to service, a vision that did not materialize.

After Gandhi's departure, the author observes a significant shift. Gandhi prioritized the individual, while the new leaders focused on governance and alleviating poverty. The colonial rule had hollowed out India internally. The new rulers adopted a policy that replaced the human-centric approach with politics and economics. This led to the erosion of the human axis and the dominance of politics and economics, where power and money became the sole determinants of social existence. Consequently, people chased after power and wealth, devaluing humanity and leading to a shift from moral to material values, which clouded human discernment.

This societal shift gave rise to many ailments, with corruption being the most pervasive, affecting politics, social systems, economic structures, and religious organizations. Politics, in particular, has come to dominate all spheres, with religion becoming subservient to it, a reversal of the historical trend where religion led politics.

Gandhi had established a code of new values for independent India, believing that true servants would be the highest rulers and that there would be no class distinctions. He envisioned citizens prioritizing collective welfare over self-interest. Drawing from ancient Indian wisdom ("May all be happy, may all be free from illness"), Gandhi's philosophy of Sarvodaya (welfare of all) emerged. Key to this was the decentralization of power, as he feared centralized power in an age of atomic bombs. He advocated for a bottom-up governance structure, with Panchayats (village councils) as the foundation. However, the pursuit of power concentrated political authority and associated wealth in the hands of a few.

Gandhi was a proponent of economic equality, understanding that extreme wealth disparity would create equally extreme poverty. He warned that unless the wealthy voluntarily relinquished their wealth and power for the common good, violent revolution would be inevitable. He urged the wealthy to consider their wealth beyond their basic needs as a societal trust, managed by them as trustees.

He also emphasized communal unity, defining it not just as political unity but as an unbreakable friendship. He believed this required Congress members, regardless of their faith, to see themselves as representatives of all communities.

Gandhi's emphasis on the eleven vows included a strong stance against alcohol, which he considered the root of all evils. He lobbied the government for prohibition and organized protests, often involving women, whom he believed possessed greater love, compassion, and sensitivity, to dissuade people from drinking.

Gandhi viewed India as a nation of villages, believing that the prosperity of the cities depended on the villages. He stressed that the upliftment of villages would lead to the upliftment of the nation, and their decline would be inevitable. He urged youth to go to the villages and awaken the rural population, but sadly, cities flourished while villages withered after independence. The author highlights the dire state of villages today, plagued by poverty, illiteracy, superstition, and disease, with city dwellers believing they support the villagers.

The essay reiterates Gandhi's dual emphasis on the purity of means and the end, stating that the means are paramount. He believed that the goal achieved is only as pure as the means employed, asserting that one cannot achieve truth through untruth.

Gandhi considered democracy supreme, prioritizing the "Lok" (people) over "Tantra" (system), meaning people's power. He strived to awaken this people's power through his movements and sought national upliftment through constructive work. He aimed for a social order where everyone was treated equally, seeing this as the key to non-violent self-rule. He believed economic equality, achieved by reducing the wealth of a few and increasing the wealth of the many, was essential for a stable, non-violent state. He envisioned a future where the rich and poor would have equal influence in governance, eliminating the stark disparity between the palaces of New Delhi and the impoverished slums.

Ultimately, the essay concludes that Gandhi's work was centered on truth and non-violence, which were the basis for his vision of nation-building. The country is currently facing a severe crisis of values, with corruption, inflation, terrorism, violence, and sexual assault eroding moral principles. The author laments that in a land once flowing with milk and honey, rivers of alcohol now flow, black markets dominate legitimate trade, and people are eager to seize power and amass wealth by any means. Truth and non-violence are being stifled, and violence is escalating because non-violence has become weak, while immorality flourishes because ethics have become ineffective.

Therefore, the essay concludes, "The Present Era Needs Another Gandhi." However, it clarifies that the Gandhi who led the nation towards human values is gone and will not return. Yet, he left behind a legacy that, if collectively implemented, can revive his spirit. The author calls for a resolute effort to achieve this.