Dignity means worthy of honor and respect.

All works should be respected and valued.

There’s dignity in any job done with honor.

*No work is below one’s dignity. In Gandhi’s ashram everyone did any king of work because every job, including sweeping and cleaning, is important. Remember that if a particular ob is left undone, there will be a problem. For example, if the person who sweeps the classroom doesn’t do the work, the classroom will be dirty. Would you like to study in a dirty classroom?

At Sabaramati

Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabaramati Ashram is located in quiet and peaceful place on the banks of the Sabaramati River. Hriday Kunj, the temple simple cottage where Gandhi lived, is now a national monument and kept as it was during the Mahatma’s lifetime.

The ashram was a busy place when Gandhi lived there. It was the centre of India’s freedom movement. Many people came to visit Gandhi. They worked together to free India from the British. Any visitor to the ashram had to follow certain simple rules, such as personally keeping the Ashram, particularly the toilets, clean.

Everyone id the work happily because they saw that Gandhi himself took part in any work that needed to be done –including cleaning the toilets. There were no servants at the ashram. Gandhi said that it was not right for one person to make a place dirty and have another person to clean up. Everyone had to clean their own plates, wash their own clothes and take part in any work there was. Gandhi believed in the dignity of manual work.

• Your classmate accidentally spills her lunch on the floor of your classroom. Some children suggest that she call the servant to clean up. Some children tell her to clean up by herself. Some children offer to help her clean up.