On the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we pay tribute to the Father of the Nation, whose courage, moral conviction and unwavering commitment to truth and nonviolence shook the foundations of an all-powerful British Empire and ultimately helped India achieve its freedom.
Gandhi confronted an empire not with armies or weapons but with truth, courage and the moral force of ordinary people. He taught us that political power without justice cannot endure and that human dignity cannot be permanently suppressed. His struggle was not merely for the transfer of power from the British to Indians. It was for freedom, equality, justice and the right of ordinary citizens to have a voice in their own destiny.
Today, India once again stands at a crossroads. Our hard-won freedom should never be taken for granted. There is growing concern about the concentration of political power, the weakening of institutional checks and balances, restrictions on dissent and, most importantly, the credibility of the electoral process itself. Recent controversies over voter-roll revisions have left millions of names off initial draft rolls. At the same time, reports of repeated objections from within the Election Commission have raised serious questions about transparency and public confidence. The Election Commission, under growing scrutiny, ordered a review of its voter-roll software on September 26, 2026, following reports of internal objections concerning changes to voter-registration procedures.
Whatever our political affiliation, elections cannot become a matter of suspicion. The voter must have confidence that their name will remain on the roll, that every legitimate vote will be counted and that the constitutional institutions supervising elections will operate independently and fairly.
Gandhi believed that truth was inseparable from freedom. That principle is badly needed today. We need honesty in public life, truth-telling from those who govern and courage from those entrusted with protecting our democratic institutions. The answer to political disagreement cannot be intimidation, suppression or hatred. Gandhi’s answer was always peaceful resistance, moral courage and the willingness to speak truth to power.
It is significant that on this very Gandhi Jayanti, a new generation of young Indians is again taking to the streets, raising questions about voter rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission. Reuters reported today that youth-led demonstrations have begun in several cities demanding greater electoral accountability. Whatever one thinks of the organizations involved or their political demands, the involvement of young Indians in questions concerning the integrity of democracy should not be dismissed.
A new generation appears determined to make its voice heard. Some may even see in this awakening the beginnings of a second struggle for independence, not independence from a foreign empire, but independence from fear, institutional decay and the loss of faith in democracy. That struggle, if it is to honor Gandhi, must remain peaceful, truthful and constitutional.
The Indian diaspora also has a responsibility. During the original freedom movement, Indians overseas raised their voices, mobilized public opinion and kept the cause of India's freedom before the world. Today, the diaspora should once again stand for the enduring principles that made India respected across the globe: democracy, pluralism, religious freedom, human dignity and equality before the law.
This is not about one political party or one election. Governments will come, and governments will go. Gandhi’s legacy belongs to India, not to any party. The Constitution belongs to every citizen.
On this Gandhi Jayanti, we should therefore do more than garland his statues or repeat his words. We should have the courage to live by the values for which he sacrificed his life: truth, nonviolence, justice and freedom.
India won its freedom through enormous sacrifice. We should not allow that freedom to be diminished through complacency or silence. We must hope, pray, and work peacefully and constitutionally so that democracy, freedom, and human dignity will survive for generations yet to come.
That would be the real tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
George Abraham, Vice-Chairman, Indian Overseas Congress, USA
