On the surface, little seems to connect a Tibetan spiritual leader, an Indian environmental activist, an activist-journalist, and a Japanese philosopher. Yet across borders, disciplines, and callings, the Dalai Lama, Vandana Shiva, Rajni Bakshi, and Dr Minoru Kasai are bound by a shared moral compass of Gandhi’s philosophy.
As India celebrates the 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2026, here are four figures who have lived their lives drawn to Gandhian ideology.
The Japanese scholar spreading Gandhi’s ideals across the globe
Recognised as one of the leading scholars of Gandhian philosophy, Dr Minoru Kasai’s engagement with the ideology began during his days in India, where he studied in Banaras Hindu University. Dr Kasai was born in 1932 in Japan and experienced the upheavals of World War II and Japan’s post-war reconstruction during his youth.
His time in India transformed his worldview, prompting him to dedicate his academic life to introducing Indian philosophy and Gandhian thought to Japanese academia and global research networks.
For Kasai, Gandhi’s core message is a call to return to the moral and spiritual roots underlying all traditions. In an age of polarisation, Gandhi’s insistence on Satyagraha and Ahimsa provides a practical tool for ethical living. He argued that modern societies are increasingly consumed by materialism and sees Gandhian concepts of self-reliance – Swadeshi and simple living – as essential fixes for unchecked consumerism.
Kasai viewed Gandhian thought as not a localised Indian ideology but as a universal framework for intercultural conversations, spiritual renewal, and development.
Vandana Shiva, the Gandhian eco-activist
Vandana Shiva, often called the “Gandhi of grain”, is an Indian environmental activist and author who has written over 20 books. Born in Dehradun to parents involved in work associated with nature, she brought her scientific expertise and Gandhian principles of non-violence to the front lines of rural villages.
She emerged as a prominent voice in the global ecological movement as a pioneer of contemporary seed saving and through her activism against corporations aiming to privatise environmental resources.
As a key figure in bringing the Chipko Movement to the global stage, the activist amplified the voices of rural villagers, noting that their struggle became an international symbol of ecological activism and one of the earliest modern manifestations of Gandhian action.
In her 2021 documentary, ‘The Seeds of Vandana Shiva’, she described the movement as “the first Gandhian action of contemporary times.”
Through her organisation Navdanya, she found a way to directly adapt Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience to disobey corporate patent laws that criminalised traditional seed-saving practices and launched Bija (seed) Satyagraha.
Drawing a comparison with the ideological terms, Shiva has explicitly stated that corporate bio-piracy and chemical farming are forms of Himsa, or violence against the earth and small farmers, and responded with Ahimsic Kheti (non-violent farming). Her movements, like Bija Swaraj and Anna Swaraj, employ Gandhi’s vision of decentralised, community-driven self-rule to address modern ecological crises.
Think of him as my teacher: the 14th Dalai Lama and his bond with Gandhi
“Through violence you may solve one problem, but you sow the seeds for another,” said the 14th Dalai Lama, according to whom Gandhi showed the world that nonviolence is not weakness but the only path to long-term resolution because it leaves no bitterness behind.
During his first visit to Raj Ghat in New Delhi in 1956, the spiritual leader said that standing at Gandhi’s memorial instilled in him a deep realisation that nonviolent resistance was the only morally viable path to the Tibetan struggle, a conviction he has maintained throughout decades of exile.
Dalai Lama described feeling a “great sadness” during the pilgrimage for not being able to meet his inspirational figure in person but also great joy at the magnificent example of his life. The 91-year-old has frequently described himself as a disciple of ancient Indian thought, merging Buddhist philosophy with Gandhian ideology.
For the Dalai Lama, adopting Gandhian philosophy was not merely an act of spiritual homage but an assertion of political survival as he leads the Tibetan government in exile from Dharamsala in India. Rather than relying on armed resistance or passive submission, he attempted to restructure Tibetan governance around non-violent diplomacy, debt relief, and moral firmness.
Framing Gandhi not as a saint, but a practical guide: Rajni Bakshi
Rajni Bakshi is a Mumbai-based author, journalist, and activist known for her deep engagement with Gandhian political economy and civilisational philosophy.
Bakshi does not view Gandhian thought as a rigid, saintly dogma to be worshipped, but as a practical civilisational framework for addressing modern socioeconomic and ecological crises.
In her work, ‘Civilisational Gandhi,’ Bakshi emphasises that Gandhi offers “not ready solutions but a framework which might help us to forge solutions”. She critiques the tendency to turn Gandhi into a static icon, arguing instead that his principles of non-violence (Ahimsa) and truth (Satyagraha) provide a dynamic methodology for resolving contemporary political and economic conflicts.
Formerly the Gandhi Peace Fellow at Gateway House, she is the author of Bapu Kuti: Journeys in Rediscovery of Gandhi (which inspired the Bollywood film Swades) and Bazaars, Conversations & Freedom: For a Market Culture Beyond Greed and Fear.
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