Keeping Gandhi's Spirit Alive

Manav Sadhna: Keeping Gandhi's Spirit Alive

(Published by Happy News, a newsmagazine dedicated to publishing positive news stories from around the world.)

An interested visitor to Ahmedabad, Gujarat in India might be dismayed at the few remaining traces of Gandhi's world-transforming spiritual and political philosophy. The city that once brought to mind the life and ideals of one of the greatest men the world has seen is, in recent times, being remembered for its communal violence and gigantic urban wealth divide.

One ominously recalls the words of renowned American political activist Martin Luther King Jr., who warned, "We may ignore Gandhi at our own risk." Though it may seem that India is treading the risky path of indifference, a trip to Manav Sadhna, which sits directly adjacent to the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, demonstrates that Gandhi's message is still resonating and continues to transform the lives of many.

A small, unassuming gateway near the end of the Ashram grounds leads one to a sign which reads in small letters, "Manav Sadhna: Service for All." The richly painted walls dance with the exuberant colors of traditional art forms; Gandhi's sayings are splayed across the walls. Children engaged in making Diwali cards of dazzling design sit in the verandah.

According to Manav Sadhna's Web site, the organization is a charitable institute, which works by the Gandhian principles of truth, non-violence, uplifting the poor and oppressed, promoting health and sanitation and educating the poor masses. It works in the area of education, nutrition, alternatives to child labor and medical aid to women and children living in the slums.

Through Manav Sadhna's Earn-and-Learn program, these children—who would ordinarily be earning money by scavenging, boot-polishing or ragpicking—are able to earn money, attend educational classes and leave with a nutritional meal in a positive environment.

When asked what he likes best about Manav Sadhna, a 12-year-old boy named Nagchi said he liked everything. "I like what I learn, I like how I am treated, and most of all, I feel happy being here."

Nagchi, who used to push a vegetable cart, heard about Manav Sadhna through a friend and decided to join. True to its Gandhian ethos, Manav Sadhna is cherished by many as a champion of the poor.

Established in 1992 by a group of three dedicated young individuals with the intention of eradicating child labor, Manav Sadhna has blossomed into a powerhouse of service activity with over 26 programs in domains as diverse as health care, nutrition, employment, vocational training and education.

Yet the emphasis in all programs, co-founder Jayesh Patel explained, is on serving with love. Love, he stresses, has the power to transform individuals to an extent that is unmatched by material giving. It also has the power to reach out to a vast number of people, both beneficiaries and donors.

From 70 beneficiaries at its inception, the organization now provides daily meals and support for over 600 children and 1,100 pregnant, lactating and widowed women. Empowerment of women is at the core of many of the organization's programs, Patel added, given the variety of injustices that are afflicted upon the health and dignity of women, especially in slums.

Many sit around Patel, waiting for a few minutes to speak with this man who exudes a spiritual goodness. He greets a woman named Anandiben and asks her how she is faring. Anandiben's husband threw acid upon her and her children five years ago; she was left blind and with only a thin layer of skin.

Through Manav Sadhna, she learned how to walk and slowly began to rebuild her life. Upon being addressed, a radiant smile lights up her face, and she replies that she has been doing well ever since she encountered Manav Sadhna.

Manish Barod, a 26-year-old who runs a number of programs including the street school, explained the positive sentiments experienced by many who associate with the organization.

"Here, one receives not only a future but a family, as well."

Barod was brought as a child by Patel, who found him, with burnt hands and a runny nose, selling acid near the Tekra slums. Health and hygiene have been cornerstones of the organization since its inception. Children's nails are routinely checked to make sure they are kept short. If the stray long nail is spotted on anyone he encounters, Patel will pull out his nail cutter and cut it himself.

"We may not have a pen," said a worker who develops innovative designs for the handicrafts made by the children, "but every Manav Sadhna worker always has a nail cutter in their pockets."

The importance of maintaining basic personal hygiene and good nutrition is woven into every program's daily curriculum and is regularly impressed upon the children. The results of this meticulousness have been far-reaching. Growth charts show that the children both acquire diseases at a slower rate than other slum inhabitants and also spread the hygiene lessons to other family members.

"It is not enough that our ears be feasted, that our eyes be feasted, but it is necessary that our hearts have got to be touched and that our hands and feet have got to be moved," Gandhi once said, articulating his support for the marriage of action and spirituality, a philosophy for which he has been forever immortalized.

Indeed, if he were to ever again walk down his hallowed grounds and catch a glimpse of the sublime radiance emanating through a tiny gate at the end of the ground, Gandhi would be pleased.