Today has two celebrations—Gandhi Jayanti and Dasara—both point us to the same lesson: the fight for freedom and the triumph of good over evil.

But before we burst firecrackers or garland Gandhi’s statues, let’s pause and ask a small but piercing question: What did the Mahatma actually fight for?

“Freedom!” you will chorus. Right answer. But what kind of freedom? Just freedom from the British? No, my friend. It was freedom to choose who governs us, freedom to worship the way we wish, freedom to live with equality and justice, no matter which God we bow to—or even if we bow to none.

Now ask yourself, are those freedoms secure?

Or are they slowly being bartered away for sweet-sounding slogans? One Nation, One Language, One Religion—sounds neat, doesn’t it? Like a hot gulab jamun dipped in syrup, warm, sweet, and irresistible. But eat too many and you’re left with indigestion, diabetes, and regret. Gulab jamun democracy is dangerous—it looks tempting, feels satisfying, but in the long run, it leaves us sick and hollow inside.

Our fathers and mothers fought so that you and I can stand up and say: “I don’t like the way you worship, but I will fight for your right to worship the way you want.”

That is Gandhian freedom.

That is what we expect for ourselves when we are minorities in other countries. That is what our people cry for when they are targeted abroad. And yet, here at home, do we have the moral courage to give the same freedom to our fellow Indians?

Strange, isn’t it? We hated the British bully, but lately we have started to imitate his ways.

We loved Gandhi’s nonviolence, but today our WhatsApp forwards are filled with venom, not peace.

So on this Gandhi Jayanti, before you post another smiling photo of the Mahatma on social media, ask yourself if you are truly living his ideals. Before you tie that Dasara toran on your door, ask whether the good in you is defeating the evil around you—or are you letting evil win in the name of nationalism, in the name of religion, in the name of convenience?

Dasara is about the triumph of good over evil. But good doesn’t just win by accident. It wins because men and women decide to stand up, speak up, and live up to what is right. Gandhi didn’t just preach nonviolence, he practiced it.

Ram didn’t just slay Ravana with weapons, but by standing for dharma.

Today, the choice is in our hands. Do we celebrate Gandhi with garlands or by guarding our freedoms? Do we celebrate Dasara with firecrackers or with courage?

Happy Gandhi Jayanti. Happy Dasara. And my wish to each of you is ‘may the good, this day stands for, fight the evil that’s being spread’..!

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