Published on October 2, 2023
Ahmedabad: In a classroom in Ahmedabad, students are divided into groups of five. The teacher then distributes chocolates among them – but there is a small problem.
Some groups get four chocolates, others get six. The challenge for the students is to resolve the ‘issue’ amongst themselves.
“We see many solutions to this problem. Some decide to cut the excess chocolate equally for fair distribution, some are okay to forgo their share for others, some decide via a coin toss, while some simply snatch their share. What is important is, they get to know that there are no standard methods to resolve a problem,” said Kartikeya Sarabhai, trustee at the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust (SAPMT).
The exercise is carried out as part of the ‘Learning Non-Violence’ course designed and disseminated by SAPMT and Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in collaboration with other stakeholders. This Gandhi Jayanti, the ashram trust will expand its reach to all parts of the state.
Sarabhai said that the initiative started in 2016 in limited capacity. “In 2019, when the world was celebrating 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi, the pedagogy was expanded to 300-plus schools in 14 districts of Gujarat. So far, we have covered over 30,000 students. Two years of Covid slowed it down, but this year we are expanding it to other schools,” he added. “A textbook ‘A Ahimsa no A: Learning non-violence’ is also prepared.”
Can non-violence be taught? Atul Pandya, director of Sabarmati Ashram, said that two key concepts are communication and negotiation. “Like the chocolate-sharing, the course primarily works with practical examples and teaches how to deal with various situations. But it is not just about ending physical or verbal violence – it is to make the students more empathic. It is done through examples, games and case studies,” he said.
The trust officials said that the popular activity of writing to Mahatma Gandhi is also being reintroduced.
The activity entails writing a postcard to the Mahatma on any issue close to the student’s heart. An exhibition of such postcards was held at the ashram in 2019.
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