The late Indian peace icon Mahatma Gandhi left us behind in 1948, when he was killed by a Hindu fundamentalist in Delhi, India.

His teachings, emphasizing the importance of non-violent passive resistance and civil disobedience, however, remain everlasting. They have been passed down to members of India’s Generation Z living in Jakarta, thanks to lessons passed down by their Indian schoolteachers working in Jakarta. Social scientists define Generation Z as individuals born in 1995 and later.

These students, both studying at Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School (GMIS), expressed their concerns about the global escalation of violence, such as terrorist attacks, hate crimes and horizontal conflicts.

“It’s sad to see members of society starting to lose their humanity,” Soham Pansare, 17, said.

They also expressed their concern over hate speech, particularly through social media, which helps fuel the tension.

“In times of changing values like this, the relevance of Gandhi’s teachings remains constant,” Mouli Bakshi, 16, said.

They joined the International Day of Non-Violence commemoration ceremony, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth, on Oct. 2 in the GMIS in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in 1868 in Porbandar, in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat, Gandhi worked as a lawyer and activist in South Africa for nearly 20 years before returning to India. Revered the world over for his philosophy of non-violent passive resistance, he was known as Mahatma, the “great-souled one”. 

The ceremony was also attended by ambassadors from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Venezuela, as well as a deputy chief of mission from the Iraqi Embassy in Jakarta.

The Indian Embassy in Indonesia, meanwhile, celebrated the occasion by hosting a video mapping art installation projecting images showcasing aspects of the Mahatma’s struggle and activism at Prambanan Temple’s Ramayana Ballet Amphitheatre in Yogyakarta on the evening of Oct. 2. 

"Allow the wind of all cultures to blow in my house, I will keep the windows of my house open. I allow the wind of all the cultures to come in and I respect that. But I keep my feet firmly planted on the ground because I don’t want to be blown away by any cultures.

Outdoor art installation: The Indian Embassy in Indonesia celebrates the International Day of Non-Violence by hosting a video mapping art installation projecting images showcasing aspects of Mahatma Gandhi’s struggle and activism at Prambanan Temple’s Ramayana Ballet Amphitheatre in Yogyakarta. The embassy held the art program on the evening of Oct. 2. (Courtesy of the Indian Embassy in Indonesia)

Gandhi is known for his ascetic lifestyle — he often dressed only in a loincloth and shawl — he was imprisoned several times during his pursuit of non-cooperation.

He is also a proponent of cultural understanding: “Allow the wind of all cultures to blow in my house, I will keep the windows of my house open. I allow the wind of all the cultures to come in and I respect that. But I keep my feet firmly planted on the ground because I don’t want to be blown away by any cultures,” Gandhi once wrote.

To honor his legacy, a United Nations General Assembly resolution on June 15, 2007, established Gandhi’s birthday as the International Day of Non-Violence to disseminate his message, including through education and public awareness campaigns. The commemoration also seeks to promote a culture of peace, tolerance and understanding.

Gandhi’s principles of equality and tolerance also influenced other leaders of movements, such as United States civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. and anti-apartheid leader and former South African president Nelson Mandela.

“I think more people in this world should be emulating Gandhi; people who can reiterate his values,” Bakshi said.

She added she believed performing arts could help people become more compassionate and understanding of cultural differences. “Performing arts impact people viscerally,” she said.

Pansare said people should also think about creating multimedia online content promoting Gandhi’s messages on peace and non-violence, to reach out to Generation Z, particularly those who did not read a lot.

“Following his adage ‘be the change you want to see in the world’, I try to apply his teachings to myself, by reporting hate messages on social media while posting more positive things along the way,” Pansare said.

They added they would like to change the world through their own ways: while Bakshi said she aspired to become a psychologist who helped people overcome modern ailments such as depression and anxiety, Pansare said he wanted to start his own business.