Opportunities without Discrimination is a modern day campaign on inclusion and diversity. This article aims to discuss the concept of inclusion and diversity about the work of Mahatma Gandhi. Inclusion and diversity are two very distinct words, and as the world moves towards equity agenda, it is essential to discuss how the two concepts would exist simultaneously. Because, everyone wants to be unique and express their own diversity, but at the same time, they also want to be included in everything.
Here lies the struggle in fitting in when one is different.
So let’s first discuss Gandhi’s view on inclusion. What is it about Gandhi that inspires others to take action? Gandhi was hardly twelve when his mother Putlibai told him not to touch Uka, the untouchable boy, who cleaned the toilet in the house. Gandhi often struggled with this and told his mother courteously that she was entirely wrong in considering physical contact with Uka as a sin, yet he tried to obey her by having a cleansing bath.
The above example demonstrates Gandhi’s struggle from a very young age to morally comprehend how people were to be treated differently based on their caste, religion or creed. However, this was only the beginning of what was yet to come.
As an aspiring Barrister in South Africa in 1896, Mohandas had come face to face with racial discrimination based on the colour of his skin. It made him understand that he was not alone in facing this kind of ill-treatment, prejudice and discrimination at the hands of the white rulers. There were 30,000 Indians, countless Chinese, Malays and others who were regularly subjected to a life of humiliation. At the age of 24, Gandhi organised the Indians by asking them to unite as Indians in spite of their status in the society if they wanted justice from discrimination. He had gone to South Africa for one year but stayed on for twenty years to lead a unique nonviolent resistance called Satyagraha. He asked the nonviolent resisters to turn the searchlight inwards to weed out their defects.
There are some claims that support that Chinese and Malays also endorsed this movement. Gandhi was fighting against discrimination and promoting inclusion at the same time not just for his own kind but for those that were having the same plight as Indians. He was not scared of carrying the weight of these responsibilities on his shoulders.
After Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915, from South Africa he untiring worked till his last breath for the removal of the blot of untouchability for the elimination of discrimination and injustice towards the suppressed classes or untouchables. Gandhi was a principled man that mobilized many and fought hard for inclusion and diversity.
The question then begs what Gandhi’s stance on OWD would be if he were alive today.
Gandhi was convinced in his belief despite enduring harsh and brutal treatment meted out him in South Africa in his nonviolent resistance against racial discrimination ( Satyagraha). He continued his Satyagraha fearlessly in the pursuit of restoring justice and dignity for the Indians. Satyagraha combined self-suffering and sacrifices through forgiveness and fairness for instilling lasting changes. The legacy he left behind through his beliefs and respectful behaviour became a benchmark for others.
We all need to be a Gandhi and Mandela, to continue to confront the system, whatever the system represents so that we can all live and work with dignity and respect. Our lives are not just about trivial personal pursuits; it is about attaining worthwhile goals that make a lasting difference.
Interestingly, one hundred and sixteen years after Gandhi, the young Fijian Arish Naresh was born on the same day. He continues the spirit of Gandhi in his unique way to achieve equality in society. OWDSOCKS movement started when the founder of the brand, Arish Naresh wore odd pairs of socks by mistake to an event and it was noticed by many. Intrigued that people pay so much attention to odd socks, Arish started the social moment of using odd pairs of socks to highlight inequalities within the world. The brand OWD now makes its own socks and uses the profits to further their education and anti-bullying projects in schools.
Recently, Arish Naresh workshopped for twenty-five teachers from the government primary schools in Delhi. These teachers had earlier taken part in the campaign against abuse and discrimination launched by the National Coalition for Education in Delhi. Arish Naresh used OWD SOCKS -Opportunities without Discrimination as a medium for creating a conversation about discrimination with the main focus on improving gender equality. As a result, the participants have signed up to #100daysofaction . They will educate children and their peers about the message of #owdsocks #inclusion #diversity
In the 150th Birth Anniversary of Gandhi all need to continue his legacy by turning the searchlight inwards and ask ourselves what difference we can make for less fortunate persons.
As Arish Naresh said, ‘ PRIVILEGED people have a moral and ethical responsibility to help disadvantaged children in the world’ in an interview with the Gisborne Herald before coming to India.
This article has been written by Shobhana Radhakrishna (Chief Functionary, Gandhian Forum) after conducting a brief interview with Arish Naresh (Founder of Opportunities without Discrimination-OWDSOCKS)
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