Every citizen of India has the liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship .Indian Constitution has given to every individual the liberty to profess, practice and propagate religion so long as he/she does not injure the conviction of other people. Indian culture which is like an invincible fortress, is supported by very strong pillars and of all those mighty pillars, the most significant one is secularism.

Indian society is a secular society. Secularism is not being irreligious. It is respecting the faith and beliefs of other people. This secular aspect is not new to India. It has its roots in ancient Indian culture and is significantly found in the ancient texts too. In fact, the most ancient proclamation that inspired Indian culture and religion is contained in the Rig Veda, which says, ‘Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti’– ‘Truth is one, sages call it by various names’. This noble thought got reinforced by the preaching of subsequent preceptors like Lord Sri Krishna. His celestial song, the Bhagavad Gita, supports the absolute freedom of every religion to unfold ,develop in its own and to take each individual to the highest stage of self-realization.

Religion in India, which has a broad connotation, lends its support to practice toleration. These secular views were not merely expressed by saints, seers, sages and philosophers in India, but they found place in shaping State policies .For Ashoka, a Mauryan emperor, religious tolerance and acceptance became the principal policy. This secular thought contained in ancient India has certainly strengthened Indian culture and nourished it through ages. People therefore, who believe in religious tolerance as an experience of truth and as an encounter of the reality will never quarrel about the names which they give to God. This is the most important secular view of our culture.

India is multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural state .Yet, the most fascinating component of Indian culture is its catholicity.  Indian culture has the power and vigor to embrace, assimilate and synthesize varied cultures. We find the most amazing unity in diversity in our country. Swami Vivekananda received a thunderous applause at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893 when he addressed the gathering as ‘Sisters and brothers of America’. This young monk from India got a standing ovation for these simple yet striking opening words and this is a classic example of catholicity and universal brotherhood that Indians display.

Besides Swami Vivekananda, Gandhiji is yet another powerful leader of modern India, who upheld secular views. He ardently believed that all men are his sisters and brothers. His religion was service to man. To a question asked by a foreigner, “How is your family?” Gandhiji’s reply was, “All of India is my family”. A noble thought indeed! In fact, not just India, but the whole humanity is his family and he belonged to all of them. He is not bound by narrow restrictions of caste, creed and religion. Talking about the great qualities of Gandhiji, Louis Fischer said, “He was too religious to serve one land, one race, one caste, one family, one person or even one religion. His religion was humanity.” How very true! India alone does not have monopoly over Gandhiji .He belongs to the entire world. His family is one big family and this unique idea springs from the splendid thought which lends support to the Upanishadic concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. He did not preach anything which he did not practice. He propagated the idea of brotherhood and strongly believed that religious tolerance strengthens our country .Therefore, he worked for religious harmony all through his life.

Gandhiji always had trust in the innate spiritual strength of man. When he undertook the tedious task of training the youngsters at Tolstoy Farm, he understood the significance of training the spirit. He realized that character building is the first step in developing the spirit. Any training without culture of the spirit is of no use and also might even prove harmful. People generally believe that acquiring spiritual knowledge is possible only in the last stages of life, i.e. sannyasa. However, Gandhiji did not agree with this superstition and wanted youngsters to focus on spiritual training quite early in life. Therefore, he made the children memorize and recite hymns and made them read holy texts. But this did not satisfy him. He recognized the fact that just as physical training was to be imparted through physical exercise and intellectual through intellectual exercise, even so the training of the spirit was possible only through the exercise of the spirit. And the exercise of the spirit greatly depended on the life and character of the parents and teachers. Gandhiji opined that teachers should always be mindful of their behavior whether they are in midst of their students or not. Parents are equally responsible for the moral training of their children.

A student once went to Gandhiji to seek his valuable advice. Gandhiji was observing a vow of silence. Hence, he took a piece of paper and wrote the following 10 Golden Rules (1) Talk less (2)Hear what others say but do what is right (3)Be punctual and don’t waste time (4)Be as simple as the poor (5)Account for every pie spent by you (6)Prayer should be a regular habit (7)Do physical exercise (8)Eat less(9)Write a diary(10)Heart is greater than intellect. If we read his autobiography, The Story of My Experiments With Truth, we find many such wonderful gems culled from his sharp intellect. They are ever fresh and are even more relevant to the present generation and the generations to come. This classic book is a must read for everybody. He would also ask students to develop the feeling of brotherhood and erase all distinctions. His dream was to see a united India and dedicated his entire life for the sake of this ideal.

He has a word of advice to teachers too. According to Gandhiji, a teacher who is cowardly cannot make his students valiant. A teacher who tells lies cannot ask his students to be truthful. Similarly, a teacher who does not have self-restraint cannot teach its value to the students. Therefore, teachers should set an example and be role models so that the students emulate them. If we take the life of any great man, we find that three things play an important role in shaping his character. They are – a mother’s training, a father’s example and a teacher’s inspiration. So, it is the bounden responsibility of parents and teachers to mould the children as worthy citizens of the country.

When a man went and requested Gandhiji to give his message, he said , “My life is my message”. What a profound truth! Truly, Gandhiji’s life carries a message for people of all walks of life .Especially for parents, teachers and students he is a guiding force and a beacon of light. Don’t we have to learn a lesson or two by emulating this noble soul !On this very auspicious day of Gandhi Jayanthi, let us all take him as an inspiration .He is the greatest teacher of all times and let us be worthy of his ideals.