Mahatma Gandhi and The Tipping Point
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The pioneer for the Independence of India. There will be very few people who do NOT know about him. Mohandas Gandhi came back from South Africa to India in the year of 1915. That point of time, few leaders from the Congress and perhaps few people from other places knew about him. Then what led him to be called the father of the nation in merely 30 years? What was that “something special” in him and not in other leaders which were so captivating? Obviously everyone would give an answer like, “his values and virtues led him to be like this.” Absolutely. That is a fact.
Now, a new question arises. How did Mohandas Gandhi manage to float his ideas to every corner of the nation when that time had very less resources to communicate with other people? Here comes the theory. The Theory of social Epidemics that drives the change. How little things leads to bring BIG changes. According to the theory, there’re some people in the society who helps to create the change and to start the epidemics. They’re called as Connectors, Mavens and The Persuaders.
When Mohandas Gandhi came to India, He first travelled through whole country. He tried to connect with the people everywhere in the nation. He connected with the wealthiest person of the society till the bottom of the pyramid. Sometimes before 1915, Mohandas Gandhi was the man who wore blazer, hat which depicted him as a perfect barrister. But after some years he was the man who wore dhoti. Why this sudden change in wardrobe of a so highly intellect person (a barrister after all)? The reason behind this according to the theory is, the qualities (rather properties) of being a Connector. The connectors are usually more sociable, they’re more energetic or influential or knowledgeable than others. The dhoti was the thing which made Mohandas Gandhi a person among the poor Indians. From the energy and knowledge, he had influenced the large bunch of people during his travelling round the nation. He was the connector of the information. His other actions, such as Satyagraha movement needed the participation of the people and in earlier stages, these connections he made while travelling made his actions and virtues successful.
Mohandas Gandhi was very knowledgeable. He carried an idea. A belief that had to change the nation’s fate. And to apply this Idea, he used the accumulated information of how the poor Indians are being controlled by the British. Mohandas Gandhi wasn’t just a networker. And during this also, he was engaged in collecting information about British. And this leads Mohandas Gandhi to be called as a Maven. The word Maven comes from Yiddish which means the one who accumulates knowledge. Mohandas Gandhi, being a maven, accumulated the information to create strategies against the British.
Everyone says that with his all great qualities and virtues, Mr. Gandhi had one more thing which was not so good. Mohandas Gandhi was a stubborn person. He wanted things to happen as he wished them to be. This so called bad quality of Mohandas Gandhi makes him different than others. This what Social Scientists call it as, “The power to Persuade” This stubbornness had a positive impact on society. He was able to articulate his thoughts and beliefs among the peers as well as the people. That was something making him special. He was a persuader. He articulated his idea of Satyagraha, Ahinsa, so beautifully that it changed the way of thinking of people.
So according to the Theory, Mohandas Gandhi was a special person born on earth with all three qualities to bring the social epidemic. He had the power to persuade, the excitement to articulate and the eagerness to connect with the people which made him Mahatma. I hope, the modern society adopts the ideas and virtues of Mahatma Gandhi which changes the thinking again.
