'Re-imagining Gandhi in 2022' First Prize winner: DIVYA RAJESH KARDILE

The story of a viral picture


Crazy things go viral on social media. From hilarious videos or creative artists being raised to the fore, no one knows when their fates may turn overnight. While viral things come and go, this viral picture came only to create a lasting impact on society.

An old, bald man having a lean body wearing round spectacles, a simple white shawl and a white dhoti, sat on the floor with an idyllic smile to himself, his eyes lowered as if in a deep thought. In contrast to the glamorous world shown on social media, people were baffled to see a rather austere picture gone viral. Who was this man? Why had he suddenly come in the limelight? What does his presence on social media mean? People wanted to know all.

Soon the stalking ensued, his profile discovered and finally a bit was known. His profile name on Instagram was “MKGandhi” and his bio read “Being the change”. He already had 4,375 followers. But
what was so special about him? From his posts, one could gather that he was an activist talking about cardinal issues. He had voiced strong opinions endorsing the #BLM (Black lives matter) movement. And more recently, he had vehemently condemned the Russia-Ukraine war and underscored the need as well as significance of peace and non-violence especially in today’s world which is increasingly turning radical.

After his austere picture gone viral, he gained some followers and then he gained some more when he was interviewed. Firstly, he was lauded for being vocal and then he was asked if he had purposely dressed up in a certain way for gaining popularity. He said, “My agenda is to stress upon the many problems brought by consumerism. Today, we produce 13 million tons of textile waste each year globally and yet fast fashion and trendy clothes continue to thrive. I had never thought that my presence on social media would be noticed but I am glad it did.”

“But do you think your attire alone can put forth the negative aspects of consumerism and do you think you can convince the youth in this manner?” asked the interviewer.

Gandhi ji nodded, “I must touch their (youth) hearts and I must take along the right channel to spread the word. When I talk against consumerism, I am asking the youth to consume mindfully and sustainably keeping in mind our carbon footprint. And as far as my attire is concerned, consider that I am walking the talk.

Yes, my attire alone won’t help but it is symbolic of what I am advocating. I am learning to use social media strategically so that I can convince the youth. You can find several links for thrift stores on my ‘Instagram guide’ through which I try to emphasize “Reuse and Reduce”. Similarly, through my reels, I have promoted a gamut of clothing brands which make biodegradable clothes from natural fabrics, free of chemicals and synthetics having the capacity of being recycled.”

The interviewer shoots another question. “What are you planning to do next? Do you aim at increasing your followers through similar such endeavours?”

“My aim is to bring a change in the society and gaining followers can be one of the means to achieve it and not the other way round. Now that I have gained thousands of followers, I feel more responsible and accountable to them, most of whom are young. Since my actions will be closely watched and followed by many, I am planning a trip to Kutch where I will live stream my meeting and conversations with the handicraft workers to promote their creations. This would be a small step by my side to endorse the ‘Vocal for local’ campaign. I cannot stress the eminence of Micro, small & Medium Enterprises enough for our country. I imagine them exponentially contributing to our growth and exports as well as having the potential of creating jobs.”

After he posted his picture that went viral, this interview too was watched by many. Gandhi was surely at the threshold of embarking a journey where he had a lot to offer to the country and the world. He also gained popularity as a crusader of animal rights. Furthermore, his peace-making efforts saw a progress and his hashtag campaign called #Pacifism gained momentum. Love, compassion and non-violence had become buzzwords. Gandhi ji was very close to gain a million followers.

As his hustle by way of a social reformer continued, one day he received a call from Dr. Hoesung Lee, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) asking him to be one of the speakers at the 57th session of IPCC at the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG), in Geneva, Switzerland, from 27-30 September 2022. It was a thrilling moment for Gandhi ji and he quickly accepted the invitation. This was an opportunity to create an impact at the international level, he thought to himself.

As a champion of the Earth, he talked about changing the way we live, produce and consume. The international community was looking at him as an epitome of personal practice of sustainable consumption and production. He concluded his speech by an incredible quote winning many hearts and the applause won’t stop- “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” His work for noble causes went on and he continued working to make this world a better place. Though he didn’t care about it, Gandhi ji did hit more than a Million followers!

—Divya Rajesh Kardile, FY MAMC