Humanity is not about maintaining a gracious
relationship between one another in the society but it is
about building a bond amongst the society with the
help of a sustainable values. Humanity is not about
showing passion and empathy to each other at times of
need but about regarding love in high esteem and
kindness in all walks of life. Humanity is not just a word
for symbolizing the human compassion and civilization
but it goes beyond the horizons of human nature and
his creations. It is all about using hearts along with the
minds in all the endeavours of human kind.
Human kind has come a long way in learning the ways of
building relations and creating civilizations in order to
inhabit this world with livelihood full of love and
harmony. Every human has a part in doing this great
task of taking ahead the human race to a dignified and
noble place on this planet. And this is where we all have
to be proud of ourselves and pass this message on to
the future generations.
Humanity, in general, is perceived as a charity. As the
old saying goes, it begins at home. It spreads across
the roads we travel, places we dwell, and people we
meet. Humanity, not as many criticise, is scarce today.
It is very much available in plenty. In fact, it has grown
and evolved much better than centuries ago. From the
individualistic aspect to a social, or even in a much
larger perspective, humanity has thrived well in
embracing and supporting the human race in many
different forms. Nevertheless, more and more people
are still out there who are not that fortunate to live the
humanity in its central point of its existence; they are
out there to seek the rays of hope and love and brace
the traces of passion and kindness.
In Young India (1924) Gandhiji wrote, "I want to identify
myself with everything that lives." He had an incredible
experience with the people, their lives not only in India
but across South Africa and England as well. He believed
that the salvation of his life is through serving the
nation and people whom he loved beyond anything else
in the world. His communication and connection with
the people was so splendid that the whole world could
visualize in him the love and care revealed by Jesus
Christ and Buddha. The rich or poor, literate or
educated, Indian or a foreigner, Gandhiji did the service
to all and his principles stand even today as a bond
connecting people belonging to various communities,
nations and races. He remains dispelled every where
around the world as the tallest symbol of humanity.
Today's' world, when we look at it in a social point of
view, is full of greed, commotion, distress and distrust.
Besides becoming more civilized and learning about the
intricacies of human race and development, we humans
are mired by the new wave of modernization and
outcomes of transformation due to technology
innovations and cultural incursions. As a result, we are
preoccupied with our television, mobile phones,
computers, etc., spending less time with the fellow
humans. Our direct interactions with our children,
neighbours, and friends are taken away by this massive
modern hi-tech living style. We do realise many times a
day the importance of humanity, love and kindness to
other living beings but could not divulge them directly
upon any one. We keep humanity in high regard in
principle but have no time to give it a meaning in our
own life. We do not expend even a little time, a few
seconds in the service of humanity, in the form of
prayers or meditation or by any deeds. Throughout his
life, Gandhiji was a humble servant of India and
humanity.
I believe in absolute oneness of God and, therefore, also
of humanity. What though we have many bodies? We
have but one soul. The rays of the sun are many
through refraction. But they have the same source. It
comprehends the whole of humanity. Its realization
would thus mean the establishment of the Kingdom of
Heaven on earth."
All humans are one and only one, regardless of caste,
creed, religion and race. This oneness would bring the
world full of peace and harmony. The future of humanity
lies in this oneness. As we narrow down the differences
amongst us, broader the outlook on humanity arises;
out of which the whole human race can live unto peace.
For centuries, the world was gripped with the evils of
untouchability, religious conflicts and the affluent's
dominance over the poor. In battling against the
untouchability, Gandhiji had a vision of no less than a
complete regeneration of humanity. His ideology of
non-violence itself is the mirror of humanity. In Harijan
dated 20-7-1935, he wrote "Every murder or other
injury, no matter for what cause, committed or inflicted
on another is a crime against humanity."
Gandhiji always held the service in high regard and in his
own words, "I am endeavouring to see God through
service of humanity; for I know that God is neither in
heaven, nor down below, but in everyone." Service to
humanity has taken many forms in today's society. From
individuals to self-interested groups, small charity
organizations to a larger corporate houses, private
entities to non-governmental organizations, humanity
has been served with a wide range of services that
include education, food, health measures, housing,
accessibility assistance to the physically challenged, re-
orientation programmes to the socially excluded,
mentally challenged and victimized people from all sects
of the society. People nowadays get more access, than
yesteryears', to the schemes and plans meant for the
deprived and under-privileged.
One shall have the courage to face the hard-times in
life. Human kind, right from its birth, always try hard to
survive doing all sorts of work. There is no divide
between the poor and the rich in doing the hard work.
The rich works hard to become richer; poor works hard
to earn his days' bread. By whatever means we divide
the humanity based on caste, creed, religion or colour,
the hardship remains the same. But, social inequalities
often tend to instil a divide among the people even in
sharing the hardships. An ailing man may perhaps be
seen as a social iniquity or a starving child may well be
seen as a social illness. Our views on the society draw a
major attention in today's world. A sect or a group shall
not be neglected for any grounds that thrash them
down to pitiable conditions. Overlooking on any such
issue would be a social disharmony and disorder. Every
human born on this planet do have all the rights what
he ought to have. The dignity of the human kind lies in
equality and justice for all. As Gandhiji put it "Dignity of
human nature requires that we must face the storms of
life."
As the life is getting hard day by day, it is natural for
any human to disregard the needy impoverished; it is
natural for us to go with the business of the world
everyday, not giving enough to the deprived; it is
natural for us to forget the fact that it is our obligation
to help the destitute. Very rarely we turn to what the
others do or want. As we focus more and more on our
self, the social tensions and imbalance arouse and lastly
the peace is getting disturbed. We must remember
Gandhiji's words, "Not to believe in the possibility of
permanent peace is to disbelieve in the godliness of
human nature. " We shall have to see god within
ourselves and strive to believe others too in our selves.
When we see everyone as a single embodiment of the
God, peace would emerge within us; slowly, we would
realize that such calmness getting inducted in our
surroundings as well. And, thus could the whole society
see the all within it in unison.
Needless to say how religious harmony takes an
essential place in the nations' peaceful conditions. Had
we look in to the colour, race and religious sentiments
of each and every person we meet every day, our living
conditions would have worsened to an unbelievable
amounts. Differences among ourselves had hurt us in
the past. Divisiveness had cost us social inequality and
economic disparity. It was only during the rigorous
freedom struggle led by Gandhiji and the leaders like
Nehru, Patel, Netaji, had we realized the need for
oneness. Not only the nation's liberty and integrity
commanded the oneness. The whole of humanity lies in
the oneness of all and the oneness of every caste, creed,
religion and culture. While leading the freedom
movement for India, Gandhiji had to face so many social
evils such as Casteism, Atheism, Untouchability, Hindu-
Muslim conflicts, Sati etc. that endanger the very
existence of humanity. He was determined to forbid all
these barriers and led the country to freedom. He was
persistent in his ideology of oneness and service to
humanity as a whole. "I can neither serve God nor
humanity if as an Indian I do not serve India, and as a
Hindu I do not serve Indian Muslims." On this particular
issue of conversion from one religion to another, he was
very much ardent in maintaining humanity and its real
spirit. At one time, he said, "I hold that proselytizing
(religious conversions) under the cover of humanitarian
work is, to say the least, unhealthy."
What... does Jesus mean to me? To me, He was one of
the greatest teachers humanity has ever had." These
words from Gandhiji were not just for soliciting votes
from various religious sects. They do not mean that he
was propping up for the British rulers either. But, they
signify the true purpose of the birth of Jesus who left
(?) the world with the message of love and
brotherhood. His life was a perfect example for how
humanity has both the lighter and darker sides through
which the whole of humanity and its nature can be
adjudicated.