Birth Anniversaries come and go. We celebrate, we sing a song, and we indulge in merrymaking. In the case of famous individuals, we think about their life and work and re-appraise their achievements. In the case of nations, anniversaries provide an opportunity to reflect on the past and chart out a future course of action. Canada 150 (1867-2017) was such an Anniversary. It provided Canada an opportunity to reflect on its past, particularly its treatment of the Indigenous people. Canada has come out as a stronger and more caring nation as a result of it.

What about Gandhi 150? How do we celebrate it?

While Gandhi’s life will keep attracting well-wishers and critics, Gandhi 150 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It should not be wasted and it should focus on Gandhi’s message.  The anniversary can serve as a reminder to reflect on our codes of conduct, in private as well as public life, and realign them with our values. Without a set of universal values, nonviolence becomes a meaningless word.

Gandhi 150 has arrived at an opportune time and we should seize on this opportunity. The world is being engulfed by the fire of hatred and exclusivist extremism. Canadians will be marking Gandhi 150 all over the country. In Hamilton and at McMaster University we plan to focus on fighting hate, eliminating violence against women, and starting a national conversation on values. Our aim should be to try to reach out to all segments of society and work with them on challenging local problems such as climate change, poverty, reducing the use of plastics, stopping the wastage of food, etc.

Gandhi 150 is going to be an exciting year. We hope to be engaged in a number of ways locally and nationally to mark Gandhi 150 and hope that you will do the same.