Mumbaikars muse over the meaning behind the Mahatma

Mahatma Gandhi means different things to different people — the face of the country's Independence movement, the father of modern India or the pop icon of the 21st century. Over the years, Bapu and his teachings have often been followed, debated upon and, at times, forgotten, only to make a comeback leave an impact on public consciousness.

"The Father of the Nation symbolises simple living and high thinking. He inspired and shaped the mind of the post-Independence generation," says historian and writer Rajendra Upadhyay who has scripted a recently launched television serial on Gandhiji's life.

Upadhyay laments that the relevance of the Mahatma's ideology was lost on the youth who grew up in later years and did not have a connect with the freedom struggle.

"But as globalisation and consumerism gripped the country at the turn of the century, the Mahatma and his teachings made a comeback in popular culture through films, fashion and even video games," he added.

Public interest, again, died soon after, only to be revived during activist Anna Hazare's recent anti-corruption drive where symbols such as the Gandhi topi and Bapu's thoughts on honesty and upright living came up.

"We may ignore Gandhi at our own risk," Martin Luther King Jr once said. And Gandhians in the city agree that Bapu and his values will remain relevant to Indians of all ages.

"We may not remember his name at every step of the way but a lot of us have adopted his principles of harmony, non-violence and civil liberty in our day to day lives," says out Usha Thakkar, honorary secretary of the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sanghralaya.

Thakkar points out that Indians and foreigners want to know more about Gandhi since his values are more relevant now, when the world is gripped with violence and uncertainty.

"Every cynic who believes that Bapu and his teachings have been forgotten should visit Mani Bhavan to witness how popular he still is," she adds.

Gandhians also feel that the Bapu has always been the patron saint of those looking for meaning and direction in life. "There are numerous examples of convicts and criminals getting reformed after being introduced to Gandhian thought and writing," says Tulsidas Somaiya of the Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal, an NGO that propagates the Gandhian way of living.