Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi. Bapu. Father of the Nation. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 156 [2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948]. Gandhi; Gandhian ways, methods, Gandhism; Gandhian Thought, Philosophy are inescapable. Satyagraha. These include his vrata nishtha – Ahimsa, Satyam, Astheyam, Brhmacharyam, Asangraha, Sareerasrama, Aswaada, Sarvatra bhayavarjanam, Sarvadharma samaanatwa, Swadeshi, and Sparshabhaavana. We were taught in the early mornings, before sunrise, in our Gurukulam.
Every day, almost every day, Gandhi writes simple, precise, clear, with ‘no rights reserved’; walks miles and miles; fasts. He was editing: Harijan; Indian Opinion; Young India; Navajivan. His books include: My Experiments with Truth; Hind Swaraj. ‘The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi’ were published – 50,000 pages, 100 volumes. The people who coexisted, followed, have taken/taking his legacy forward. Several world leaders, influencers are considered children and heirs of Gandhi.
Gandhi is described severally as – apostle of non-violence; uncompromising advocate for peaceful co-existence; the little brown saint; role model for the generations to come – generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood; Greatest Indian since the Buddha; Asian of the century; the greatest man of the millennium. Innumerable localities, streets, roads, cities, administrative units, buildings, markets, ashrams, and institutions are named after Gandhi; statues; stamps; prizes/awards; songs, stories, films, and books. In India and outside. An asteroid, Florian 120461 was named Gandhi in his honour. Gandhi’s image is on Indian currency notes, except on one rupee note. Temples have come up. Awarded: World Peace Prize. Political Icon of All Time (Time). Nominated 5 times for Nobel Peace Prize – shortlisted twice. In 1948, the committee chose not to award the peace prize – ‘there was no suitable living candidate’. Much later, the Nobel Committee observed – ‘The greatest omission in our 106-year history is undoubtedly that Mahatma Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace Prize. Gandhi could do without the Nobel Peace Prize, whether Nobel committee can do without Gandhi is the question.’
Shastri. 5’2”. Bharat Ratna Lal Bahadur Shastri, 121 [2 October 1904 – 11 January 1966]. Prime Minister of India – 1964-66. Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan proponent. Promoter of White Revolution, replicating AMULs in India, setting up the National Dairy Development Board idea. With Verghese Kurien and Tribhuvan Kaaka. Promoter of Green Revolution in India with MS Swaminathan and C Subramaniam. As PM, he pursued: Building up of a socialist democracy at home with freedom and prosperity for all, and the maintenance of world peace and friendship with all nations. In the end, when he died, he just owned: an old car, with debt. As a member of the Servants of India society, he shunned accumulation of private property and remained in public life as servants of the people.
Nagarjunasagar dam’s left canal was on his name. Almatti dam was named after him. The Mussoorie National Academy of Administration bears his name. Varanasi Airport too. A ship too. A few stadiums, schools, colleges, roads, streets et al bear his name.
This 2 October, the conclusion and resolution emerging is the mahasankalp for ‘scale-out’, for all of us. Scale deep is going on. Scale-up is on its way. After a critical level, say 30-50%, it becomes default and others follow suit willy-nilly, maybe gradually.
Scale-deep 2035/47: NF 365DGC A++ models; in all farming situations; increased, steady flows in net incomes; Unfallowing; NF to NFFS; Saturating smallholders; Local consumption-nutrition; Local enterprises; crops to crops, trees, animals; N-vegetarian++ to include milk, meat et al; N-fibre, shelter and so on; Farmer, Soil, Consumer, Planet health; Water savings; Resilience, diversity, cooling the planet; Private lands to landscapes; NF to N-living, livelihoods; N-health, education. N-Science, Research, Evidence, Knowledge, and Learning.
Scale-up 2035/47: Saturating Andhra Pradesh – being in all villages, GPs; 75%+ farm families, farmworker families in N-farming, N-living; 40%+ land under 365DGC; 10%+ 365DGC A-models, 10%+ ATM Models; model one peer extension champion per village, per 100 willing farm families; sapta sutra institutions – SHGs, Village Organizations, farmers’ collectives; agency of women and marginalized; health, value-chain triggers; budgets; communities taking charge – practice, data, management; Carbon/eco-credits to communities. Federal collectives, brands. Farmer Scientist, one per 1000 families. AP as a model state, extends supporting seeding outside, world class NF Academy.
Scale-out 2035/47: Towards global movement for N-farming, food, living, and livelihoods. Collectives, enterprises included. Technology embedded. More models, champions, examples, research and learning landscapes; Resource material, packages of practices, notes, pictures, videos, YouTube videos, channels; Literature, stories, songs, campaigns, cultural campaigns, films, books, articles, blogs, podcasts, social media posts, media posts, popular articulations, conversations; curriculums, co-curricular and extra-curriculars in schools, colleges, institutes, universities et al; New institutions, academies, centres of excellence; In the digital space, AI space; Research and Knowledge repositories, case studies, process descriptions, learning courses, master classes, apprenticeship, immersion, induction, internship, fellowships; platforms of research, evidence, knowledge, learning; Resource mentors, trainers, farms, villages, geographies; Schemes, sponsorships, projects, programs, partners, CSR, philanthropic support, competitions, financial products, budgets, decreased two tongues in Governments, civil society, academics, extension systems; NCNF et al support coalitions; evangelists, ambassadors, angel investors, ventures; N-farming, food, living ecosystems for default N-farming, food, living everywhere.
Support S-deep, up, out 2035/47. Akshara, the Livelihoods People, and its network of Livelihoods Support Individuals, Enterprises, Organizations, including ALPL, 7LCx, would adopt ‘scale-out’ mantra intensifying their N-way. For N-Tech, Science, KSTR, Data+MEL, Communications, VCs-Enterprises, Food-Nutrition-Health, Systems, Education, Extension-Capacity, Institutions, Learning-Management-Scaling LMS, Visioning-Strategy, HR/People, Governance, etc. Can we seek an N-fund, not less than INR 100M in the next 1000 days? To begin with, can we think of 5+20+50+50+125+250 top-end N-Team(s), Pools, Circles to offer N-scale-out support; scale-up strategy-tracking; scale-deep piloting. To Governments, Govt Organizations, Civil Society, Collectives, Philanthropies, Networks, Forums, Platforms. These are conceptual, pioneering, on ground micro-macro life-practitioners, learning facilitators; participatory, field-centric, practice-centric; visioning-strategy leadership-management-entrepreneurial Knowledge-Skills-Tools-Resources KSTR handlers. With field stations-models, platforms, forums. Can we be N-support 1? Reliable, authentic.
LF, L-lense, LEAPs, VCs, etc., are e-published. Livelihoods today and tomorrow updates have been coming since 2007. Yogakshemam 2007-2025 is getting ready for a print volume soon. Print or otherwise, can we have more Yogakshemams, L-notes, N-notes, videos, autobiographical accounts, case studies, process documents, books, handbooks, manuals, classes, conversations, travels in various ways, forms? More students, trainees, interns, fellows, and organizations? More projects, programs, and organizations? Can we scale-up L-portal for this scale-out?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. Responding and meeting the needs. In N? sakriyayoga for 7L.