“The Gandhi Legacy Tour, led by Gandhi’s grandson, Arun Gandhi, and great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, for the past several years is unusual in that it does not focus on places of tourist interest but places of human interest. It is designed to educate …
” … in the essence of Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence and how individuals can apply it to bring about socio-economic change. The tour visits rural India and urban slums to see and compare projects helping to make the change we wish to see in the world. Gandhi believed in creating a “Sarvodaya” society — a society where everyone would enjoy a reasonably good standard of living with attendant rights and privileges.
“This can be created by compassionate citizens constructively helping the less fortunate gain the ability to make it good. His final Talisman to the citizens of the world was: Whenever you are in doubt or when the Self-becomes too much apply the following test: Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest person you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to the person. Will the person gain anything by it? Will it restore control over her/his life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj “Independence of self” for the hungry and the spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your Self-melt away!
“Join the tour and … Become the Change You Wish to See in The World!”
Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence is like that of the iceberg – what is visible to the eye is only a fraction of what is hidden. “Nonviolence is a lifestyle that one has to adopt.”
Scholars have analyzed over and over the part that deals with political conflicts and independence of nations, because they insist that nonviolence is simply a strategy of convenience. (Mohandas) Gandhi said:
This philosophy is not like a jacket that you wear when necessary and discard when not. Nonviolence is a lifestyle that one has to adopt which means allowing all the love, understanding, respect, compassion, acceptance and appreciation to emerge and dominate one’s attitude. Then we will be able to build good relationships not only within the family but outside of the family. We will no longer be selfish and greedy but magnanimous and giving.
It is no longer a secret that official India had abandoned Gandhi’s philosophy upon gaining independence. However, there are many at the grassroots level, young and old, who are still inspired by his philosophy and have put it into action to bring about a qualitative change in the Indian society. Many have started projects to bring solace to the poor of whom there are more than 500 million in India.
The Gandhi Legacy Tour of India explores these projects in the cities and in the villages to see first hand how people have used Gandhi’s philosophy in everyday life. How they are trying to deal with conflict situations constructively. It is an unusual tour in as much as we visit places where normal tourists do not go, we are hosted by the poor in city slums and in traditional India.
Among the many diversities in India the one that divides the westernized urban India and the traditional rural India is the most odious. Urban India is not India at all and we shall explore this on the tour, while the traditional India is the true heart of India. The experience of traveling with the Gandhi Family is both educative and enjoyable. Come and experience it for yourself. Arun Gandhi also leads the Satyagraha Tour of South Africa.
Books: Recommended Reading
Let’s Kill Gandhi! by Tushar Gandhi
Kusturba, The Forgotten Woman by Arun Gandhi
An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth by MK Gandhi