GANDHIGIRI ALWAYS works, wether it was Mahatma Gandhi, the movie “Lago Raho Munnabhi” or the Gandhian Anna. The Gandhian principles were so framed that they always united the common man.

The four basic principles Gandhi that are taught are Satya (truthfulness); Ahimsa (non violence); Sarvodaya (welfare for all), and Satyagraha. The word Dharma means to hold together. All the above four principles can hold people together and hence form the backbone of dharma.

Yoga-shastras as well as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali propagate truthfulness as one of the main components for living a disciplined life or to start yoga. Satya means oneness in your thoughts, speech and actions. Bapuji’s three monkeys also had truthfulness represented in one of the monkeys who talked about ‘bura mat bolo’.   In fact, Gandhi believed that “there is no religion higher than truth”

Gandhi preached the concept of “experimenting with truth” — a phrase that formed the subtitle to his autobiography. He taught how to learn through trial and error, often admitting to mistakes and changing one’s behaviour accordingly.  Non-observance of truthfulness is the root cause of any corruption in the society.

Ahimsa is the next principle and teaches us the path of non-violence. Again, it has to be practiced not only in actions but in thoughts and speech also. It also forms the basis of Jainism and Hinduism as a religion.

Sarvodaya or welfare for all is the third Gandhian teaching. Vedic philosophy also emphasizes on the welfare for all. It talks about “bahujan hitay-bahujan sukhay” (‘the good of the masses, the benefit of the masses. Gandhi found in it a composite concept of social welfare and economic justice. Any action, which is aimed and seems to be aimed at the welfare of the people will e accepted by every one in the society.

Satyagraha is the protest based on satya (path of truthfulness) and non-violence and includes peaceful demonstrations, prolonged fasts, etc.  It’s a non-violence based civil resistance. Satyagraha is formed by two Sanskrit words Satya (truth) and Agraha (holding firmly to or firmness). Gandhi said “Satyagraha is a weapon of the strong; it admits of no violence under any circumstance whatsoever; and it ever insists upon truth”. Gandhi said if you are firm in the truth in the long run you are going to win. It is base on the law of persistence.

The current Satyagraha by Anna Hazare is using all the principles of Gandhigiri and is already in its way to success.