| Work Is Worship! | | | | birthday should remain a tribute to his values and not |
| Mahatma Gandhi mantra was ‘work is | | | | degenerate into hollow symbolism’ |
| worship’ and throughout his life he faithfully | | | | People have commented differently on shashi’s |
| followed the mantra. Post independence, this mantra | | | | sentiments and have suggested that the holiday on |
| lost its relevance and we Indians yet remember | | | | Gandhi Jayanti is a tribute to the Father of the Nation |
| Mahatma Gandhi, popularly known as ‘Father of | | | | by rededicating to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. |
| the Nation until today by observing Gandhi Jayanti on | | | | Savita Singh Director Gandhi Darshan Samiti |
| his birthday. We offer nation’s reverence and | | | | echoed’ Schools and Colleges should remain open |
| pay homage and floral tributes to him. However, | | | | so children can learn respecting Gandhi means |
| what about his ‘mantra’? Have we | | | | working extra hard. They should try to adopt one of |
| inculcated this mantra in our living? | | | | the 18 constructive principles of work he believed. Of |
| The answer seems to lie in the negative. On the | | | | course, we can have prayer meeting in the |
| contrary, the day, Gandhi Jayanti’, is observed | | | | evenings’. |
| by declaring it a national holiday. Holidays as usual are | | | | Savita’s comments seem more relevant. |
| spent in gossips, shopping or other such activities. | | | | However, in my opinion this should work in all the |
| Recently India’s Minister of foreign affairs Shri | | | | spheres, offices, colleges, institutions, government, |
| Shashi Tharoor posed a question before the nation. | | | | corporations et al. It is time that Gandhi ji’s |
| The Question raised by Shashi Tharoor is whether | | | | Principles of work are included in the working |
| we should holiday on Gandhi Jayanti or work on this | | | | principles of the country by us. His work should be |
| day to uphold the mantra ‘work is worship’. | | | | our guiding force. Gandhi led us to attain |
| Tharoor suggested that ‘let’s find a better | | | | independence. This great sacrifice of Gandhi should |
| way to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation than | | | | not be history only, but a guiding force in all times to |
| taking the day off’. He suggested that even | | | | come. |
| Gandhi would have approved wholeheartedly that his | | | | |
