Seeking the Gandhi within----- Reflections on Ikeda- Radhakrishnan Dialogue

Seeking the Gandhi within

Reproduced below are the responses  Dr.N.Radhakrishnan  offered  at  a question and answer session with the correspondent of  Value Creation Times  on  the book Walking With the  Mahatma : Gandhi for Modern Times { Dialogue between Dr Daisaku Ikeda and Dr N.Radhakrishnan).

Correspondent:  Why do you feel this dialogue has relevance today?

 Radhakrishnan: The title itself is an indicator – ‘Walking with the Mahatma’ and ‘Gandhi for Modern Times’. The message is very clear — it is to awaken a consciousness and knowledge of the life and times of a truly revolutionary social activist. Unfortunately the common perception of Gandhi is that of a benign pacifist. What is not known and what is crucial to recognize is his very dynamic persona and the revolutionary ideals he held. So, the idea here is to introduce these aspects and enable the reader to truly ‘explore’ Gandhi .

The big difference between Gandhi and many other advocates for good is that he never advanceda theory that he did not practice himself. In the span of 53 years,from his South Africa days to the period of the national movement, he continuously validated his beliefs through his actions.He never wanted people to accept what he or others said blindly but rather to first analyse and examine what was being put forward first. Walking with Gandhi is really understanding and exploring the Gandhian paradigm in the context of contemporary times.

The book will also, I hope, motive people to seekthe Gandhi within — the value-creator in society and the one that makes the world a richer and nobler place.

Correspondent:  You have covered many topics in your dialogue. Which of these do you feel are the most crucial?

 Radhakrishnan:  First, I would say, is recognizing the crucial role that women play in creating a better world. For Gandhi,  the empowerment of women of utmost importance.  Both in South Africa and in India, he did not stop at making them equal partners but went a step further and put them forward as frontline workers.  President Ikeda respects women 

Correspondent:  Is there a synergy between Gandhian and Buddhist thought?

Radhakrishnan:  I think both are premised on what is universally acceptable. The most obvious connection is in the area non-violence. Gandhi and Shakyamuni have left an indelible impression on the minds of people of all religions and nationality. Both hone onto and amplify a core humanity, a respect for individuals.                                        

leader. He has a deep concern for the ordinary person and has influenced the lives of so many. Most importantly, I believe he is a person whom one can trust implicitly, there is a pristine purity about him. I have not seen these traits in any other world leader. He rises above national and religious issues and is truly a global prophet of harmony and good sense.

Correspondent: You have spoken at length about President Ikeda. Why do you feel his contribution is so unique?

 Radhakrishnan: I have always sought a mentor in my life. Though I never met Gandhi (though my father was very close to him) I imbibed his beliefs and values because I was brought up and educated in Gandhigram, where G. Ramachandran mentored me.

Through the years, I have met many world leaders but even in my first meeting with President Ikeda, I  felt that in him I could find what I had been searching for all my life. For me he is a living Gandhi.He has a noble vision of a unified world, he has created a liberating education system and he is a truly inspiring deeply and gives them important leadership roles.

The second is understanding that the future belongs to the youth. Therefore it’s important to enablethem to becomeinstrumentsof change.I believe that President Ikeda’s book, A Youthful Diary should be essential reading for all youth. It certainly is for me. It’s like a bible to me and is one that of the two books I always carry— the other is Gandhi’s My Experiments with Truth.

The third important area  we  covered is education. This is because it shapes our lives and determines what the world will be like. Therefore education must go beyond knowledge and information; it must be designed to create value. And that is something both Gandhi and President Ikeda emphasise.

When one puts emphasis on the role of education, youth and women – then the new social order really emerges.