By: Express News ServiceOctober 3, 2025 09:23 AM IST 3 min readMaharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi ( Gandhi Bhavan) illuminated on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (Express photographs by Arul Horizon)Written by Viraj ParanjapeEvery Gandhi Jayanti, the nation revisits the man who led India’s freedom struggle armed not with weapons, but with truth and non-violence. Yet, in a world scarred by wars, global polarisation, and unrest in India’s own neighbourhood, what do young Indians really make of Gandhiji and his ideals? Conversations with Pune’s youth reveal both reverence and admiration for Gandhi’s philosophy, but also share their doubts about its practical application in 2025.For Harsh Naik, 21, Gandhian values remain timeless, but not without limits. “Not every problem has one solution. In today’s world, ahimsa alone may project weakness from a nationalist point of view. India has always been a land of peacemakers, but we cannot ignore attacks,” Naik says. Yet, he insists Gandhi’s triad — truth, simplicity, non-violence — are tools that youth can still apply in modern arenas like social media, to counter trolling and digital hate. His message on Gandhi Jayanti is simple: “Read and understand his philosophy, but accept that times have changed.”Shreyasi Sevekari, a 21-year-old law student, connects with Gandhi through her legal training. “The first thing I recall is satyagraha, but just non-violence wasn’t enough against oppressors who refused dialogue. Gandhi’s ideals feel romantic and symbolic – difficult, but not outdated. If practised personally, they can ripple into society,” she says. Linking Gandhi’s assassination to political extremism today, she argues that non-violence must begin with respecting differences of opinion. Interestingly, she imagines a modern Gandhi championing Aatmanirbhar Bharat and advocating simple living in an era of consumer excess.Vedant Karwande, 24, has a different view as he says Gandhi was “a politician, not an extraordinary man. “For me, values like truth and ahimsa lie in India’s cultural DNA. I don’t think they were solely Gandhi’s invention,” Karwande says.Yet he does draw from Gandhian ideas of trusteeship and transparency in his professional life – proof that even critics cannot wholly dismiss him.Tanushree Lohokare, 22, a student of geopolitics, highlights the elective course on Gandhian Thought at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), but remains doubtful.Story continues below this ad“Gandhi is an icon in schools, not a toolkit in real life. In today’s world, truth itself is relative,” she remarks. If alive today, Lohokare imagines Gandhi taking up farmers’ rights, caste reservation debates, and even protesting global conflicts like those in Russia and Israel.For Soham Pasalkar, 20, Gandhi is deeply misunderstood. “Ten percent of controversial actions don’t disqualify 90 per cent of true efforts,” he says, dismissing simplistic criticisms. To him, Gandhi’s relevance lies in transparency and integrity — especially in politics and media. Recalling his stint as a college CR, he claims to have applied Gandhian principles in his campaign. His Gandhi Jayanti message: “India’s youth are a spectrum of colours. Keep that integrity alive through humanity and equality.”For India’s young, then, Mahatma Gandhi is a figure of contradictions – revered, critiqued, reimagined. Gandhi still provokes thought. And perhaps that, in itself, is his lasting relevance in the 21st century.(Viraj Paranjape is an intern with The Indian Express)Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:gandhi jayanti