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Quote of the day by Mahatma Gandhi: ‘Persistent questioning and healthy inquisitiveness are the first requisites for acquiring learning of any kind’
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Mahatma Gandhi's quote reminds us that education is much more than assimilation of relevant information; to truly learn, one needs to keep questioning.
Today is October 2, the day that is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti across the nation. As such, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi hardly requires any introduction. The anti-colonial nationalist was one of the leaders at the forefront of India’s freedom struggle and became a trailblazer across the globe for choosing non-violence as his weapon against imperialism.
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The lawyer hailing from Gujarat started his fight for civil rights in South Africa, where he practised his profession through his youth. Upon his return to India, he started movements for issues such as equal rights, removal of untouchability, and, above all, swaraj, of freedom from British imperial rule.
Gandhi’s leadership in the Indian freedom movement alongside the Indian National Congress went on to inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. While there are many popular quotes of the Mahatma, today's quote of the day is his epigram, “Persistent questioning and healthy inquisitiveness are the first requisites for acquiring learning of any kind.”
What is the meaning of Mahatma Gandhi’s quote?
Mahatma Gandhi held strong views on education and how it should be implemented as a tool for character building. He believed that education should open up the path to holistic development for individuals across the different sections of society. He felt that it should be something that brings out the best in individuals.
But that sort of education is not simply the assimilation of useful facts. It needs individuals to seek both inwards and outwards as they learn, and teachers who would encourage them to do so. Thus, true learning, according to Gandhi, requires a “healthy inquisitiveness.” It is through persistence that real knowledge is acquired, as one fearlessly questions their experiences to get to the truth.
What is the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s quote?
Despite the political turmoil that his ideas may continue to evoke, the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as his quote, will remain forever in Indian society. Today’s quote highlights the pillars on which education, and by extension, society, stands.
At a time when the world is rapidly advancing into a post-literate era, and syllabuses are frequently revised, there are a few basics that keep education truly grounded and an honest search for greater truths. It is only with an open and inquisitive mind that students can embark on such a task, and it falls to teachers to encourage and inculcate such mindsets.
