Mahatma Gandhi’s Ideas Will Remain Relevant for Generations, Says Amit Shah

More than seven decades after Mahatma Gandhi’s death, his ideas continue to occupy an important place in India’s social, educational and public life. Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently underscored this continuing relevance while addressing the 72nd convocation of Gujarat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad, the university founded by Gandhi in 1920.

Shah said Gandhi’s message was relevant during his lifetime, remains relevant today and can continue to guide society even a hundred years from now. According to him, the strength of Gandhi’s philosophy lies in its connection with India’s own traditions, values and knowledge systems.

The remarks are significant because they place Gandhi’s philosophy beyond the boundaries of a historical movement. Ideas surrounding education, self-reliance, dignity of labour, ethical conduct, rural development and social responsibility continue to intersect with many of the challenges faced by a rapidly modernising India.

Amit Shah said Mahatma Gandhi's message remained relevant to contemporary society | NDTV

Gujarat Vidyapith: Gandhi’s Experiment With Indian Education

Gujarat Vidyapith provides an appropriate setting for this discussion. Established by Gandhi in 1920, the institution emerged from his belief that education should be connected with Indian society, culture, languages and practical life.

Gandhi did not see education simply as the acquisition of academic information. His approach sought to combine intellectual development with practical skills and character building. Shah described meaningful education as one that develops skill in the hands, sensitivity in the heart and knowledge accompanied by conscience in the mind.

That philosophy has renewed relevance in an era when technology can make information available almost instantly. The challenge today is increasingly not access to information but the ability to use knowledge responsibly, think independently and distinguish between information and wisdom.

Education With Purpose, Not Just Degrees

Gandhi’s educational philosophy placed considerable importance on connecting learning with everyday life. Farms, workshops, villages and society itself could become spaces of learning, allowing students to understand both the dignity of labour and the responsibilities that come with education.

This approach also speaks to a contemporary concern: the need to ensure that education creates capable and responsible citizens rather than focusing exclusively on qualifications. As India seeks to build a knowledge-driven economy, technical expertise, innovation and professional skills remain essential, but they can be strengthened further when accompanied by ethics, social awareness and a sense of responsibility.

Shah's message to the graduating students was similarly centred on purpose. He encouraged young people to set goals that extend beyond personal advancement and contribute to society and the nation.

Swadeshi and the New Meaning of Self-Reliance

Among Gandhi’s most enduring economic ideas was Swadeshi—the belief that local production and economic self-reliance could strengthen communities and provide dignity and opportunity to ordinary people.

The idea has acquired a contemporary dimension as India places greater emphasis on domestic manufacturing, entrepreneurship, local businesses and rural economic opportunities. Khadi is one of the clearest examples of how an idea associated with the freedom movement has evolved into a modern economic and cultural sector.

According to provisional government data, the combined sales of Khadi and Village Industries products reached ₹1.87 lakh crore in 2025-26, compared with about ₹31,000 crore in 2013-14. The sector also recorded employment generation for approximately 2.04 crore people.

The numbers demonstrate that traditional sectors can adapt to modern markets when supported by improved production, technology, entrepreneurship and wider consumer demand.

Gram Swaraj and the Importance of Rural India

Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj was rooted in the belief that villages should have the capacity to participate meaningfully in their own economic and social development. For him, national progress could not be separated from the welfare and empowerment of rural communities.

That principle remains relevant as India works to expand economic opportunities beyond major metropolitan centres. Rural entrepreneurship, small industries, artisan-based businesses, skill development and local manufacturing can all contribute to creating more distributed economic opportunities.

Government programmes supporting village industries and artisans have also sought to combine traditional skills with modern equipment and market opportunities. In February 2026, for instance, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission distributed machinery and toolkits to artisans in Assam as part of efforts to strengthen village industries and self-employment.

The broader lesson is that rural development need not mean choosing between tradition and modernisation. Traditional skills can become economically stronger when combined with technology, infrastructure, finance and access to markets.

The Relevance of Ethics in Public Life

Shah also drew attention to Gandhi’s emphasis on ethical conduct. Gandhi’s well-known reflections on the “seven social sins” addressed concerns such as politics without principles, wealth without work, business without morality, knowledge without wisdom and science without humanity.

These ideas remain relevant because economic and technological progress alone cannot determine the quality of a society. Development also raises questions about how power is exercised, how wealth is created, how scientific discoveries are used and how individuals treat one another.

Gandhi’s emphasis on truth, restraint, responsibility and humanity therefore offers an ethical dimension to discussions about progress. These principles can be interpreted in contemporary ways without requiring society to reproduce the exact circumstances of the early twentieth century.

Cultural Confidence in a Globalised World

Another important element of Gandhi’s thinking was his emphasis on Indian languages and cultural confidence. Shah highlighted the importance of learning other languages while retaining confidence in one’s mother tongue.

This question has become increasingly relevant as India’s young population participates in a global economy. English and other international languages provide access to education, technology and global employment, while Indian languages preserve cultural expression and provide access to the country’s vast literary and intellectual traditions.

The challenge is therefore not choosing between globalisation and cultural identity. It is about developing the confidence to participate globally while remaining connected to India’s own cultural foundations.

Gandhi’s Message in an Age of Technology

The continuing relevance of Gandhi becomes particularly interesting when viewed against the backdrop of artificial intelligence, automation and rapid technological change. Technology can transform the way people work, communicate and learn, but it cannot by itself determine what constitutes responsible action. Gandhi’s emphasis on conscience, humanity and restraint provides a useful framework for considering how technological progress should serve society.

In an age when machines can increasingly perform tasks once considered uniquely human, qualities such as empathy, judgment, responsibility and moral reasoning become even more significant. Gandhi’s idea that knowledge should be accompanied by wisdom therefore acquires a distinctly modern meaning.

A Message for India’s Youth

The audience at Gujarat Vidyapith also gave Shah’s message a generational significance. Around 900 students received degrees at the convocation, and Shah urged young people to think beyond purely personal goals and consider how their education could contribute to society and the country.

For a young population entering an increasingly competitive global economy, the message is particularly relevant. Personal ambition and national development do not have to be competing objectives. Innovation, entrepreneurship, professional success and public service can all contribute to a larger national purpose.

Gandhi’s legacy can therefore be viewed not merely through the lens of the freedom struggle but also through the questions faced by today's generation: What should education achieve? How should economic growth benefit society? How can local communities participate in development? And how should technological progress be balanced with human values?

The MGMM Outlook 

Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas continue to hold relevance in a rapidly changing India, particularly in areas such as education, self-reliance, dignity of labour, rural development and ethical public life. Amit Shah’s remarks at Gujarat Vidyapith highlight how Gandhi’s philosophy can be understood beyond the freedom movement and applied to contemporary challenges. His emphasis on education that combines knowledge with practical skills, character and conscience is especially significant at a time when technology has made information widely accessible. The growing importance of entrepreneurship, domestic manufacturing, village industries and local production also gives a modern dimension to Gandhi’s idea of Swadeshi and self-reliance. The expansion of Khadi and Village Industries, along with efforts to strengthen artisans and rural enterprises, shows how traditional economic strengths can be connected with modern technology, markets and opportunities.

Gandhi’s emphasis on Gram Swaraj, cultural confidence and ethical conduct also offers useful lessons as India pursues faster economic and technological development. Rural communities, artisans and small entrepreneurs can become important contributors to broader national growth when supported with skills, infrastructure, finance and market access. At the same time, India’s engagement with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies makes the connection between knowledge, wisdom and responsibility increasingly important. For the younger generation, the larger message is that personal success and national progress can advance together through innovation, entrepreneurship, professional excellence and social responsibility. Gandhi’s ideas need not be reproduced exactly as they existed a century ago; their enduring value lies in adapting principles such as self-reliance, human dignity, education and ethical responsibility to the needs of a modern and confident India.

(Sources: NDTV, The Indian Express, Times of India)