The young and the satyagraha | Gandhi’s motto was truth and non-violence, and so is Gen Z’s
An educator reflects on the shifting moral landscape of students, noting instances of hostility toward historical figures like Gandhi. The piece contrasts this with the potential for modern non-violent protest, citing the recent farmers' movement in India as a successful example of Gandhian principles.
Why it matters
It explores the challenges of teaching historical ethics to younger generations and the enduring relevance of non-violent civil disobedience in contemporary politics.
As an educator who has taught high school students for the past three decades, I often say that teachers observe shifts in societal morality more closely than most. Young people, after all, are often the ‘canary in the coal mine’ of society, and usually the first to reflect the deeper changes taking place around them.
I caught a disturbing glimpse of one such shift three years ago, when I showed an auditorium full of Class IX students Richard Attenborough’s 1980 film, Gandhi . The movie begins with Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, and as Godse pumps three bullets into the frail old man, the students in the darkened hall begin clapping, cheering, and whistling, leaving me stunned.
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