OE 3.2 UNDERSTANDING GANDHI DR.

CHAITRA C

OPEN ELECTIVE 3.2 UNDERSTANDING GANDHI

UNIT I
CHAPTER 1

 An Introduction to Gandhi
 Historical influences- South Africa
 Intellectual influences- Thoreau, Ruskin, Tolstoy

CHAPTER 2
Gandhian Experiments

 Satyagraha
 Non-violence
 Truth
Gandhian Movements
 Champaran
 Bardoli
 Khilafat
 Non-Cooperation
 Salt Satyagraha
CHAPTER 3
Social Movements

 Ahmedabad Mill Strike

 Vaikom Satyagraha
 Forests
 Health & Naturopathy

UNIT II
CHAPTER 4

 Gandhi as a Leader: As a model

 Gandhian Methodology: Prayer, Consensus Building & Fasting

CHAPTER 5

 Gandhi’s views on Politics

 Role of Ethics and Morality
 Religion and service
CHAPTER 6

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OE 3.2 UNDERSTANDING GANDHI DR. CHAITRA C

 Gandhi’s critique on the British Parliament

 Gandhi on nation and nationalism

UNIT III
CHAPTER 7

 Gandhi on Swadeshi and Swaraj

 Critique on Modern Civilization
 Modern Education and Machines

CHAPTER 8

 Gandhi on Violence (Doctrine of Sword)

 Gandhi on Sins
 Gandhi’s views on Women
 Gandhi’s views on Sustainable Development

CHAPTER 9
Gandhi as political strategist

 Views on Hindu-Muslim relation

 Views on Cow protection
 Views on untouchability and caste question

INTRODUCTION TO GANDHI
 Birth: 2 October 1869 in Porbandar (Gujarat)- International Day of Non-Violence
 Death: 30 January 1948- Martyr’s Day
 Brief Profile: Lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who became the leader of the
nationalist movement against the British rule of India.
 Parents: Karamchand Gandhi and Putali Bai
 Wife: Kasturba Gandhi
 Children: Harilal Gandhi, Manilal Gandhi, Devdas Gandhi and Ramdas Gandhi
 Mahatma title was given by: Rabindranath Tagore
 Father of the nation title was given by: Subhash Chandra Bose
 Works of Gandhi: Hind Swaraj (Indian Home Rule)-1909; My Experiments with Truth
(1925)

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 He edited several newspapers including Harijan in Gujarati, Indian Opinion in South Africa,
and Young India in English.
 Influences on Gandhi: Putali Bai, Henry David Thoreau, John Ruskin, Socrates, Leo
Tolstoy, Ralph Waldo Emerson, religious texts of Hinduism (most importantly Bhagvad
Gita), Jainism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism
 His return to India: 9th January 1915- Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
HISTORICAL INFLUENCES- IN SOUTH AFRICA
 In South Africa (1893-1915), he had successfully fought the racist regime with a novel
method of mass agitation, which he called satyagraha.
 The British had colonized and settled in the Natal and Cape provinces of South Africa during
the 1840s and 50s. Transvaal and Orange Free State were independent Boer (British and
Dutch settlers) ruled states. The governance of colonial regions (Natal and Cape) was
controlled by the minority white population which enforced segregation between
government-defined races in all spheres.
 This created three societies- whites (British and Dutch or Boer ancestry), Blacks and
Coloureds (mixed race) which included ethnic Asians (Indians, Malayans, Filipinos, and
Chinese).
 Indian immigration to South Africa began in the 1860s, when whites recruited indentured
Indian labour (Girmityas), especially from south India, to work on sugar plantations. Later
many Indian merchants, mostly meman Muslims also migrated. By the 1890s, the children
of the ex-indentured labourers had settled down in South Africa making up the third group.
 1893: Mohandas Gandhi witnessed extreme apartheid or racial discrimination against Asians
in South Africa. His journey from Durban to Pretoria witnessed the famous incident when he
was thrown out of a first-class compartment by a white man at Pietermaritzburg station. Upon
arriving at Johanessburg, he was refused rooms in the hotels.
 These experiences motivated him to stay in South Africa for a longer period to organize the
Indian workers to enable them to fight for their rights. He started teaching English to the
Asian population there and tried to organize them to protest against the oppression.
 1894: After the culmination of his Abdullah case in 1894, he stayed on there and planned to
assist Indians in opposing a bill to deny them the right to vote. He founded the Natal Indian
Congress and moulded the Indian community into a unified political force. In 1896, he came
to India and gathered 800 Indians to serve along with him in South Africa.
 The Boer War (1899-1902) extended Britain’s control from Natal and Cape Province to
include Transvaal and Orange Free State. During this time, Gandhi volunteered to form a
group of stretcher-bearers as the Natal Indian ambulance corps. It consisted of indentured

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labourers and was funded by the Indian community and helped treatment and evacuation of
wounded British soldiers.
 Gandhi Ji thought that helping the British war efforts would win over the British imperial
government and earn sympathy for the plight of Indians there. He was also awarded the
Queen’s South Africa Medal for serving the British empire.
 Till 1906, it was the moderate phase of the struggle for the Indians in South Africa. During
this time, Gandhi concentrated on petitioning and sending memorials to the legislatures, the
colonial secretary in London, and the British parliament.
 The failure of moderate methods led to the second phase of the struggle, civil disobedience
or the Satyagraha in 1906 against Transvaal Asiatic Ordinance constituted against local
Indians.
 He started two settlements- the Phoenix settlement in Durban and the Tolstoy farm in
Johanessburg for helping the needy and initiate a communal living tradition.
 His first notable resistance was against the law passed by the government, making it
compulsory for Indians to take out certifications of registrations that held their fingerprints
and was compulsory to carry it on the person at all times- Asiatic Registration or the Black
Act. Gandhi formed a Passive Resistance Association against this.
 Gandhi and his followers were jailed. Later the government agreed to withdraw the law if
Indians voluntarily registered. They were tricked into the registrations and they protested
again by publicly burning their certificates.
 1908: The existing campaign expanded to protest against the new law to restrict migrations
of Indians between provinces. Gandhi and others were jailed and sentenced to hard physical
labour. This was the first time that he was imprisoned.
 1910: Gandhi Ji set up the Tolstoy farm in Johannesburg to ready the satyagrahis to the
harsh conditions of the prison hence helping to keep the resistance moving forward.
 1911: Gopal Krishna Gokhale visited South Africa as a state guest on the occasion of the
coronation of King George V. Gokhale and Gandhi met at Durban and established a good
relationship.
 1913: The satyagraha continued against varied oppressive laws brought by the
government. The movement against the law invalidating marriages not conducted
according to Christian rites brought out many Indian women onto the movement.
 He also condemened the Natives Land Act of 1913 which confiscated the land of the
blacks. He also participated in the Universal Races Congress of 1911.
 Gandhi launched a final mass movement of over 2000 men, women, and children. They
were jailed and forced into miserable conditions and hard labour. This caused the whole
Indian community in South Africa to rise on strike.
 In India, Gokhale worked to make the public aware of the situation in South Africa which
led the then Viceroy Hardinge to call for an inquiry into the atrocities.

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 A series of negotiations took place between Gandhiji, Viceroy Hardinge, CR Andrews

(Christian missionary and Indian Independence activist), and General Smuts of South
Africa. This led to the government conceding to most of the Indians’ demands.
 Gandhi supported growth of political organisations among Africans. John Langalibalele
Due, Olive Schreiner, Jean Finot and Walter Rubusana interacted with Gandhiji.
 The African National Congress initially started as the South African Native National
Congress as an awakening for which Gandhiji had contributed.
 Gandhiji’s return to India: 1915
INTELLECTUAL INFLUENCES- HENRY DAVID THOREAU

 While living in South Africa, his commitment to the idea of non-violence was motivated
by reading David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience."
 At the time, the colonial government's "Asiatic Registration Act" was being opposed by
the Indian community in the African nation. Every Indian over the age of eight was required
by law to register with it and have the issued card at all times; failure to do so may result
in a fine, a jail sentence, or expulsion.
 He studied Thoreau's article On the Duty of Civil Disobedience while he led his "Passive
Resistance" protest against the new law passed by the apartheid regime. Henry David
Thoreau was an American naturalist, writer, poet, and philosopher. He was a prominent
transcendentalist best known for his book “Walden” and his essay "Civil Disobedience,"
which was written in 1849 at the age of 32.
 Gandhi was already engaged in civil disobedience in South Africa when he read Thoreau.
He took not only the name of the cause he would later promote but also accepted the
methods of breaking the law to demand its revision. Thoreau's name first appeared in 1907
in Indian Opinion, a newspaper that Gandhi was then serving as editor. Gandhi praised
Thoreau's argument as "incisive" and "unanswerable".
 Thoreau's belief that a righteous man belongs in prison under an unjust regime deeply
affected Gandhi, who called him his "master." He even claimed that the American
philosopher had given his non-violent style of agitation scientific validation.

INTELLECTUAL INFLUENCES- JOHN RUSKIN

 John Ruskin was an English critic of the Victorian era and a campaigner against industrial
capitalism.
 His Unto this Last (1860) had a long-lasting influence on Gandhiji. In June 1904, Gandhi’s
friend Henry Polak gave it in a rail journey from Johannesburg to Durban.
 One of the prime influences- physical labour is considered superior to intellectual wotk and
the life of the tiller of the soil and the handicraftsman is considered the life worth living.
 One other influence- Good of the individual is contained in the good of all. This he adopted
in the idea of Sarvodaya, the upliftment of all sections of society.

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INTELLECTUAL INFLUENCES- LEO TOLSTOY

 “Leo Tolstoy's life has been devoted to replacing the method of violence for removing
tyranny or securing reform with the method of non-resistance to evil. He would meet hatred
expressed in violence by love expressed in self-suffering.”
 Gandhi was greatly influenced by Tolstoy's concept of "simplicity of life and purity of
purpose." The most exemplary author of this era, Tolstoy, was a Russian nobleman with
wealth and serfs who had participated in the Crimean War.
 However, he understood the pointlessness and injustice of violence and wealth. To
concretise the lost teachings of Jesus, of early Christianity, and the Sermon on the Mount,
he released his serfs, began working like them, and authored some literary works on
theological, social, and political philosophy in his later years.
 Tolstoy's writings were infused with the idea of "love as the law of life" and the non-violent
ideas that are built on love for all people. MK Gandhi was deeply inspired by Leo Tolstoy's
critique of institutional Christianity and belief in the love of the spirit.
 He came across Tolstoy's article, “A letter to a Hindu”, which promoted a nonviolent
strategy over the violent one that the Indian youth were seeking to use to free India. In a
letter, Gandhi informed Tolstoy of the struggle of the Indians in Transvaal (South Africa).
In addition to naming his ashram “Tolstoy Farm”, Gandhi communicated with Tolstoy.
“The Kingdom of God Is Within You” by Leo Tolstoy, published in 1894, is regarded by
Gandhi as being on par with “A Plea and Civil Disobedience”.
 Gandhi and Tolstoy both used the concept of love to resolve conflicts in their lives. Thus
began their connection during Tolstoy's final year on earth. Gandhi continued to look up
to Tolstoy as one of his primary influences. It was the result of this influence of Tolstoy's
ideas that helped Gandhi to remain firm on the philosophy of truth and non-violence even
after continuous atrocities by the Britishers.
 Gandhi and Tolstoy have been the two greatest exponents of non-violence as a way of
life and means of resistance. According to Gandhi, Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God is
Within You (1893) "left an abiding impression" on him and the Russian's idea of “love
as law of life” and care for entire mankind greatly moved him. Gandhi named his second
ashram in South Africa after Tolstoy where he experimented with methods of
Satyagraha.
 While being taken to the court in handcuffs following an agitation in Transvaal, he
carried with him a copy of The Kingdom of God is Within You. Tolstoy's concept of
"Bread Labour" was included among Gandhi's "Ashram vows" and resulted in the
formation of the Gandhian principle that makes earning a livelihood by the sweat of the
brow mandatory for inmates. The duo had exchanged a few letters before the great writer
passed away in 1910 at the age of 82.

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GANDHIAN EXPERIMENTS-SATYAGRAHA

 The idea of satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to search for truth.
 It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical
force was not necessary to fight the oppressor. Without seeking vengeance or being
aggressive, a satyagrahi could win the battle through nonviolence. This could be done
by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor.
 People – including the oppressors – had to be persuaded to see the truth, instead of being
forced to accept truth through the use of violence. By this struggle, truth was bound to
ultimately triumph.
 The supreme idea of truth naturally leads to the Gandhian ideology of Satyagraha.
Protecting the standards and tenets of truth is essential if it is the ultimate reality. God, who
is the utmost truth and reality, requires a votary who is completely compassionate and not
selfish.

 The ancient Indian philosophy of ahimsa, or “non-injury,” which is rigorously practised by

Jains, many of whom reside in Gujarat, where Gandhi was raised, is the inspiration behind
Satyagraha.

 Gandhi also drew inspiration from the works of Leo Tolstoy and Henry David Thoreau,
the Bible, and the Bhagavad Gita, on which he produced a commentary, to modernize the
notion of ahimsa and give it broad political implications as Satyagraha.

 Mahatma Gandhi believed that the dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians.

 Gandhi first conceived Satyagraha in 1906 in response to a law discriminating against

Asians that was passed by the British colonial government of the Transvaal in South
Africa.
 In 1916 he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle
against the oppressive plantation system.
 In 1917, he organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district
of Gujarat. Affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic, the peasants of
Kheda could not pay the revenue, and were demanding that revenue collection
be relaxed.
 In 1918, he went to Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha movement
amongst cotton mill workers.
 In 1919, he decided to launch a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed
Rowlatt Act, 1919. The Act gave the government enormous powers to repress
political activities, and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for
two years. On 13th April, 1919 the infamous Jallianwalla Bagh incident took

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place. Seeing violence spread, Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement
(18th April, 1919).
Satyagraha is a means to resist evil and all forms of injustice and oppression. It implies love,
voluntary suffering, self-purification, vindication of truth and opposition to coercion. A
satyagrahi cannot hurt others without hurting oneself. The techniques of Satyagraha are as
follows-
1. Non-Cooperation- refuse to cooperate with the government. It
includes-
 Hartal- stop work as a mark of protest
 Social ostracism- boycott people who don’t cooperate
 Picketing- persuading others not to enter work place
2. Civil Disobedience- open protest against laws.
3. Hijrat- voluntary exile from one’s permanent place of residence as
a mark of protest when self-respect is hurt.
4. Fasting- forgo consumption of food. Starvation to draw attention
5. Strike- voluntary suffering to win over erring opponent. Learn
manual craft amidst this.
GANDHI ON SARVODAYA
Sarvodaya means upliftment of all sections of the society or welfare of all. It was first proposed
by Vinobha Bhave. The principles of Sarvodaya are as follows-
1. Service and sacrifice
2. Emphasis on moral values
3. Bhoodan, Gramdaan, Shramdaan and Sampathidaan
4. Decentralisation of power
5. Partyless democracy
6. International fraternity
7. Synthesis of materialism and spiritualism
8. Blend politics and ethics
9. Equality of women
10. Agricultural and rural development
GANDHIAN EXPERIMENT- TRUTH AND NON-VIOLENCE
 These are generally considered to be the two key ingredients of Gandhian thought.
 It is possible to pursue one without the other. Thus, seeking the truth can be done violently.
Nations enter conflicts assuming they are on the side of truth or that the truth is on their
side.
 Those who are more sensitive and think the truth is on their side demand that a just war
should be fought instead of one that is avoided at all costs.

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The most sensitive were the pacifists among them. By avoiding violence altogether. But it
could be argued that in doing so they have gone too far and abandoned truth, especially
when interpreted as justice.
 Even Mahatma Gandhi argued that although he was opposed to war, the two parties
engaging in it may not stand on the same plane: the cause of one side could be more just
than the other so that even a nonviolent person might wish to extend his or her moral
support to one side rather than to the other.
 Thus, just as it is possible to pursue truth without being nonviolent, it is also possible to
pursue nonviolence without pursuing truth.
 It could be proposed that such a disjunction between the two runs the risk of cowardice
being mistaken for, or masquerading as nonviolence.
 The point becomes clear if we take the word “truth” to denote the “right” thing to do in a
morally charged situation.
 Truth and non-violence are the weapons of the brave.
GANDHI ON TRUTH
 God is an omnipresent fundamental spiritual reality. He equates truth to God.
 A pure and disciplined life will enable us to experience truth by which we can experience
God.
 There is no god higher than truth. When there is violence, there could be no truth. All
life forms are a manifestation of God and harming others means to harm God.
 Non-violence or ahimsa is the heart of all religions. Purity in thought, word and action is
being spiritual and helps get close to god. It is to do good to fellow-beings.
 Satyameva Jayathe- Truth alone triumphs.
 Turth in thought (manayekam), word (vachayekam) and deed (karmaneykam).
 Selfless service and love to fellow beings and upliftment of the needy with equal respect
for all religions.
GANDHI ON NON-VIOLENCE
 Nonviolence or Ahimsa means non-injury, but to Gandhi non-violence was much more
than the absence of violence. He used it to mean non-injury in thought, word and deed.
Ahimsa, Satyagraha and Tapasya were the basic principles that guided his life. Truth and
Ahimsa are intertwined terms.
 To Gandhi truth is that "which determines the spirit in which one lives or the religious and
ethical criteria which governs the way in which he thinks and acts." He believed that truth
can be achieved only by means of non-violence. It affords the fullest protection to one's
self-respect and sense of honor. If truth is the highest law, then non-violence is the highest
duty. Gandhi claimed that truth was the most correct and fully significant term that could
be used for God.
 To practice Ahimsa is to realize truth and to realize truth is to practice Ahimsa. The concept
Satyagraha gave practical expression to the religious and ethical ideals of truth and non-

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violence. Tapasya or self-sacrifice is necessary to achieve the highest truth. It involves

freedom from fear and a willingness to die. Gandhi believed that Satyagraha is nothing,
but tapasya for the truth. The suffering that has to be undergone in Satyagraha is tapasya
in its fullest form.
Gandhi explained his concept of non-violence in the following terms.
1. Non-violence is the law of the human race and is infinitely greater than and superior to brute
force.
2. Non-violence affords the fullest protection to one's self-respect and sense of honor.
3. Individuals and nations who practice non-violence must be prepared to sacrifice everything for
the welfare of the whole world.
4. Non-violence is a power which can be wielded equally by all - children, young men and women
or grown up people, provided they have a living faith in the God of love and therefore have equal
love for all mankind. When non-violence is accepted as the law of life it must pervade the whole
being and not merely applied to isolated acts.
5. It is a profound error to suppose that whilst the law is good enough for individuals it is not for
masses of mankind.
Satyagraha is an active form of non-violence. Gandhi considered it as truth force or soul force.
Satyagraha is based on the idea that the moral appeal to the heart or conscience is more effective
than an appeal based on the threat or bodily pain or violence. Satyagraha itself originates from the
belief that while violence to persons and property diverts the minds of the parties concerned from
the real issues involved, non-violent action invites the parties to a dialogue about the issues
themselves.
The ecological scope of non-violence is unlimited. Gandhi's faith in non-violence and
vegetarianism made him a votary of conservation of all diversity including all forms of life,
societies, cultures, religions, and traditions.
 Self-realization presupposes a search for truth
 All living beings are one
 Himsa (violence) against oneself makes self-realization impossible.
 Himsa against a living being is himsa against oneself
 Himsa against a living being makes complete self-realization
impossible
 At personal level, ahimsa means no physical violence, remove hatred and jealousy and not
harming fellow beings. Violence leads to more violence
 At social level, to create a society where there is no anti-social act and hence there is no
need for any punishment. For this, the economic differences between various classes must
be narrowed down.

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SEVEN SOCIAL SINS BY MAHATMA GANDHI

Seven Social Sins by Mahatma Gandhi were first published in his newspaper Young India in 22
October 1925. Those are a comprehensive list of behaviours that cause serious harm to society. He
opines by avoiding these sins, one can avoid a bad life or violence. These sins are the cause of all
forms of violence. Avoiding these social sins make us selfless and enrich the spirit of
interdependence.

 Wealth without Work: It depicts making wealth by unfair means, by taking shortcuts.
Examples: Black Money, Tax evasion, scams, insider trading, etc.
 Pleasure without Conscience: Earning happiness at the expense of others is equivalent to
sin. Selfishness compels a person to disregard the needs of others. Without moral
justification, it would promote bad practices. Additionally, it would lead to a rise in drug
and alcohol abuse as well as mindless shopping.
 Knowledge without character: A person with character possesses attributes of honesty and
integrity. A person who commits this vice may end up like Osama Bin Laden, while a person
with moral character may end up like Swami Vivekananda.
 Business(commerce) without morality(ethics): One particular segment of the community
would end up being overworked at the expense of another. Social friction and community
conflict would rise as a result of this. Examples of this sin include unsafe working
conditions, adulteration, and lack of security.
 Science without humanity: The huge pharmaceutical companies keep prescription prices
high, making them unaffordable for the poor and those in need. If nuclear power is utilized
to generate electricity, that is great, but using it to destroy nations like Hiroshima and
Nagasaki by bombing is utterly immoral.
 Religion without sacrifice: Today’s religion consists merely of rituals and activities. Sin is
when we fail to live out the moral precepts of brotherhood, compassion, and affection.
 Politics without principle: Criminalization of politics, unaccounted money, and use of
muscle power shows politics without principle.

GANDHI ON VIOLENCE (THEORY OF SWORD)

 Non-violence is a powerful and just weapon. He explains why non-violence is superior to

violence by equating non-violence to a sword which cuts without wounding and ennobles
the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.
 In a choice between cowardice and violence, Gandhi offers to choose violence because
strength is not just physical capacity but indomitable will.
 Forgiveness is more manly than punishment.
 The only way for India to revolt and sustain a passing legacy is by peaceful and non-
violent protest.

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GANDHIAN MOVEMENT- CHAMPARAN

 Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was the first civil disobedience movement organized by
Gandhiji.
 Champaran, a district in the state of Bihar where tens of thousands of landless serfs,
indentured labourers and poor farmers were forced to grow indigo and other cash crops
instead of the food crops which were necessary for their survival. These goods were bought
from the farmers at a very low price. Suppressed by the brutal militias of the landlords,
they were given negligible compensation, leaving them in extreme poverty. Even in the
throes of a devastating famine, the British government levied a heavy tax on them and
insisted on increasing the rate.
 Without food and money, the situation was growing progressively unbearable and the
peasants in Champaran revolted against the government in indigo plant cultivation in 1914
(at Pipra) and in 1916 at (Turkaulia).
 Raj Kumar Shukla who was an indigo cultivator persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to go to
Champaran and hence, the Champaran Satyagraha began.
 Gandhiji arrived in Champaran on 10 April 1917 with a team of eminent lawyers i.e.
Brajkishore Prasad, Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Acharya Kripalani who
had volunteered to fight for the Indigo farmers in court for free.
 The European planters had been forcing passengers to grow Indigo on a 3/20 of the total
land called the tinkatiya system. The farmers were suffering under heavy taxes and an
exploitative system.
 Gandhi organized passive resistance or civil disobedience against the tinkatiya system.
Finally, the authorities relented and permitted Gandhi to make inquiries among the
peasants. The government appointed a committee to look into the matter and nominated
Gandhi as a member.
 He was asked to leave the place but he refused.
 He was able to gather support from the farmers and masses.
 When he appeared in court in response to a summons, almost 2000 locals accompanied
him.
 The case against him was dropped and he was allowed to conduct the inquiry.
 After peaceful protests against the planters and landlords led by Gandhi, the government
agreed to abolish the exploitative tinkathia system.
 The peasants also received a part of the money extracted from them as compensation.
 Champaran struggle is called the first experiment on Satyagraha by Gandhi
 It was during this time that Gandhi was given the names ‘Bapu’ and ‘Mahatma’ by the
people.

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GANDHIAN MOVEMENT- BARDOLI

The Bardoli Satyagraha, 1928 was a movement in the independence struggle led by Sardar
Vallabhai Patel for the farmers of Bardoli against the unjust raising of taxes.

 The Bardoli Taluk in modern-day Gujarat was hit by floods and famines in 1925, which
adversely affected crop yield. This affected the farmers financially.
 Ignoring the plight of the farmers, the Bombay Presidency increased the tax rates by 22%.
 Despite petitions and appeals from civic groups and farmers to review this unjust hike in
tax rates in lieu of the grave situation, the government decided to go ahead with tax
collection.
 In 1927, the local Congress Party published a report to show that the farmers could not
carry the burden of the enhanced assessment. But the authorities did not budge.
 In January 1928, farmers in Bardoli invited Vallabhai Patel to launch the protest movement
wherein all of them resolved not to pay taxes.
 They also assured Gandhiji of their commitment to non-violence.
 Patel agreed to take on the leadership role only after getting assurances from the farmers
of their resolve to the movement. He informed them of the possible consequences of their
move such as confiscation of land and property and imprisonment.
 Patel got in touch with the government and apprised it of the situation. He got the reply
that the government was unwilling to make any concessions.
 Gandhiji also lend support to the movement through his writings in ‘Young India’
magazine.
 Patel was an exemplary commander of his non-violent ‘army’ in Bardoli.
 He divided the taluk into camps and organised hundreds of men and women under the
camps.
 The volunteers came from Hindu, Muslim and Parsi communities also.
 From the camps, volunteers issued news bulletins, campaigns and also made speeches
educating the masses about the need to be disciplined and prepared for austerity.
 Door-to-door campaigning was also done.
 A large number of women took active part in the movement. It was these women who gave
Patel the moniker ‘Sardar’.
 Peasants were asked to take oaths in the name of god that they would not pay the taxes.
 Those who paid taxes or were supportive of the British were socially boycotted.
 They also worked for the betterment of the Kaliparaj caste (farmers who worked as landless
labourers).
 They refused non-essential goods to government offices in the area.

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 They resisted eviction and confiscation (jabti) in unique ways. They had informers in the
government offices who would give prior information as to if and when a jabti notice was
going to be carried out. The whole village would then move to another place and the
officers would be faced with an empty village when they arrived to confiscate the property.
 K M Munshi and Lalji Naranji resigned from the Bombay Legislative Council.
 Although the movement was local, it received nation-wide attention and support.
 Fearing things could go out of hand, the government set up the Maxwell-Broomfield
commission to look into the matter.
 The revenue was reduced to 6.03%.
 The peasants were returned their confiscated land.
 Patel emerged as a national leader after the success of the Bardoli Satyagraha. He showed
his remarkable organising skills.
GANDHIAN MOVEMENT- KHILAFAT
 During World War I Gandhi sought cooperation from the Muslims in his fight against the
British by supporting the Ottoman Empire that had been defeated in the world war.
 The British passed the Rowlatt act to block the movement. Gandhi called for a nationwide
Satyagraha against the act.
 It was Rowlatt Satyagraha that elevated Gandhi into a national leader. Rowlatt Satyagraha
was against the unjust Rowlatt Act passed by the British.
 On April 13th, 1919 the Jallianwala Bagh incident took place. Seeing the violence spread
Mahatma Gandhi called off the civil disobedience movement on the 18th of April.
Turkey’s Alliance against British: The Muslims all over the world, including India, regarded
the sultan of Turkey as their spiritual leader, Khalifa (Caliph).
During the First World War, Turkey had allied with Germany and Austria against the British.
Turkey lost to the British in World War I
Discontented Indian Muslims: The Indian Muslims supported the government during the First
World War with an understanding that the sacred places of Ottoman Empire would be in the
hands of Khalifa.
However, after the War, the Ottoman Empire was divided, Turkey was dismembered and the
Khalifa was removed from power. This angered the Muslims who took it as an insult to the
Khalifa. The Ali brothers, Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali started the Khilafat Movement
against the British government. This movement took place between 1919 and 1924.
Khilafat Committee: In early 1919, the All India Khilafat Committee was formed under the
leadership of the Ali brothers, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani, to
force the British Government to change its attitude to Turkey. Thus, the grounds for a country-
wide agitation was prepared. An All India Khilafat Conference was held in Delhi in November
1919 and the call was made to boycott the British goods.

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 Demands of Indian Muslims: In India, the Muslims demanded from the British that:
The Khalifa’s control over Muslim sacred places should be retained.
 The Khalifa should be left with sufficient territories after territorial arrangements.
Congress’ Initial Stand: The support of the Congress was essential for the Khilafat movement to
succeed. Although Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of launching Satyagraha and non-cooperation
against the Government on the Khilafat issue, the Congress was not united on this form of
political action. The Congress, later, felt inclined to provide its support as it was a golden
opportunity to unite the Hindus and Muslims and to bring Muslim participation in such mass
movements. The Muslim League also decided to give full support to the Congress and its
agitation on political questions.
The central theme of the agitation, the Khilafat question, dissipated soon.
 In November 1922, the people of Turkey rose under Mustafa Kamal
Pasha and deprived the Sultan of political power. Turkey was made a secular
state.
 A European style of legal system was established in Turkey and extensive rights
were granted to women.
 Education was nationalised and modern agriculture and industries developed.
 In 1924, the Khilafat was abolished.
GANDHIAN MOVEMENT- NON-COOPERATION
The Non-Cooperation Movement was the beginning of the Gandhian Movement
against the British. Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and started organising
peasants and labourers protests, such as those
in Kheda, Champaran and Ahmedabad, against the atrocities that were being inflicted
upon them.
 Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22): At the Calcutta session of the Congress in
September 1920, Gandhi convinced other leaders of the need to start a non-cooperation
movement in support of Khilafat as well as for swaraj.

 At the Congress session at Nagpur in December 1920, the Non-Cooperation programme

was adopted.
 In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation
Movement after the Chauri-Chaura incident.
During the Movement:

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 Spread of Non-violence Message: Millions of the countrymen stopped their

work on that day as a mark of their support to Gandhi and as antipathy
towards the Government.
 Gandhi along with Ali-brothers made extensive tours to preach the message
of national unity and non-cooperation with the government.
 Boycott of British Titles and Goods: The programme of non-cooperation
consisted of a surrender of British titles and honours, boycott of British
Courts, Legislatures and educational institutions as well as the boycott of
foreign-made goods.
 People lit public bonfires of foreign cloth. The imports of foreign cloth fell drastically
between 1920 and 1922.
 Promotion of Swadeshi: The boycott led to the promotion of Swadeshi goods especially
hand-spun and hand-woven Khadi cloth, the removal of untouchability, the promotion
of Hindu-Muslim unity and abstention of alcoholic beverage. Charkha became a
household article.
 Maximum Extent of the Movement: With the Non-Cooperation Movement, nationalist
sentiments reached every nook and corner of the country and politicised every strata of
population: the artisans, peasants, students, urban poor, women, traders etc.
 Establishment of Swaraj and Swadeshi Institutions: National institutions like Gujarat
Vidyapith, Kashi Vidyapith, Bihar Vidyapitha, the Bengal National University, Jamia
Milia Islamia and the National Muslim University were established. It gave birth to the
strongest idea of having Swaraj, the love for the use of Khadi and becoming a Swadeshi.
 Instilling Unity among Indians: The country had been united by specific anti feelings,
grievances against the British projecting Gandhi as the only unchallenged leader of the
century. The Khilafat issue was not directly linked to Indian politics but it provided the
immediate declaration to the movement and added advantage of cementing Hindu-
Muslim unity against the British.
 Impacts on the Economic Front: Foreign goods were boycotted and the import of foreign
cloth halved between 1921 and 1922.
o In many places merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or
finance foreign trade.
People’s Response to the Movement:
o Students: Students in thousands left schools and colleges established by the
Government and joined the movement in large numbers.
o Middle Class People: They initially led the movement but later showed a lot of
reservations about Gandhi’s programme.

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o Businessmen: The economic boycott received support from the Indian business
group because they had benefited from the nationalists’ emphasis on the use of
swadeshi.
o Peasants: There was a massive participation by the peasants. However, it further
led to the confrontation between the ‘lower and upper castes’.The movement
gave an opportunity to the toiling masses to express their real feelings against
the British as well as their Indian masters and oppressors.
o Women: Women participated in large numbers, gave up purdah and offered
their ornaments for the Tilak Fund. They took active part in picketing before the
shops selling foreign cloth and liquor. The Tilak Swaraj Fund was announced
by Mahatma Gandhi after one year of the beginning of the Non-Cooperation
movement. The Fund was a homage to Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his first death
anniversary, aimed at collecting Rs 1 crore to aid India’s freedom struggle and
resistance to the British rule.
o Government’s Response: The police resorted to firing which took the lives of a
number of people.
 Congress and Khilafat Volunteer Organizations were declared
unlawful and illegal.
 Public meetings were banned and most of the leaders barring Gandhi
were arrested.
 Important Personalities Involved:
o Eminent persons like C Rajgopalachari, Vallabhbhai Patel, Gopabandhu Das, Ajmal
Khan, Subhash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru joined the movement.
o Motilal Nehru and Chitranjan Das also joined the movement by giving up their legal
profession.
 Withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement: In February 1922, at Chauri Chaura, Uttar
Pradesh, twenty two policemen were brutally killed by the violent mob after the conflict
between the mob and the policemen of the Thana.
o The news shocked Gandhi too much. Not happy with the increasingly violent trend of
the movement, he immediately announced the withdrawal of the movement.
o Most of the nationalist leaders including C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru, Subhash Bose,
Jawaharlal Nehru, however, expressed their disagreement at Gandhi’s decision to
withdraw the movement.
o In March 1922, Gandhi was arrested and sentenced to six years in jail.

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Causes of Non-Cooperation Movement

 Resentment at the British after the war: Indians thought that in return for the extensive
support of manpower and resources they had provided to Britain during the First World
War, they would be rewarded by autonomy at the end of the war. But the Government of
India Act 1919 was dissatisfactory. In addition, the British also passed repressive acts like
the Rowlatt Act which further angered many Indians who felt betrayed by the rulers despite
their wartime support.
 Home Rule Movement: The Home Rule Movement started by Annie Besant and Bal
Gangadhar Tilak set the stage for the non-cooperation movement. The extremists and the
moderates of the INC were united and the Lucknow Pact also saw solidarity between the
Muslim League and the Congress Party. The return of the extremists gave the INC a
militant character.
 Economic hardships due to World War I: India’s participation in the war caused a lot of
economic hardships to the people. Prices of goods began to soar which affected the
common man. Peasants also suffered because the prices of agricultural products did not
increase. All this led to resentment against the government.
 The Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre: The repressive Rowlatt Act and the
brutal massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar had a profound effect on the Indian leaders
and the people. Their faith in the British system of justice was broken and the whole
country rallied behind its leaders who were pitching for a more aggressive and firm stance
against the government.
 The Khilafat Movement: During the First World War, Turkey, which was one of the
Central Powers, had fought against the British. After Turkey’s defeat, the Ottoman
caliphate was proposed to be dissolved. Muslims regarded Sultan of Turkey as their Caliph
(religious head of the Muslims). The Khilafat movement was launched under the leadership
of Ali Brothers (Maulana Mohammed Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali), Maulana Azad,
Hakim Ajmal Khan, and Hasrat Mohani. It got the support from Mahatma Gandhi to
persuade the British government not to abolish the caliphate. The leaders of this movement
accepted the non-cooperation movement of Gandhiji and led a joint protest against the
British.
GANDHIAN MOVEMENT- SALT SATYAGRAHA OR DANDI MARCH

Dandi March, or the Salt March, was an act of the nonviolent Civil Disobedience
Movement led by Gandhi. It is also known by the name of Dandi Satyagraha. Gandhi
started the movement on 12 March 1930 from his Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi beach, a
coastal town of Dandi on the Arabian Sea. His 78 selected followers accompanied him.
Gandhi and his followers broke the law by manufacturing salt from the sea. The
historic Dandi March Several years after the Non-cooperation Movement ended, Mahatma

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Gandhi focused on his social reform work.

In 1930, Gandhiji declared that he would lead a march to break the began the Civil
Disobedience Movement in India. It began on March 12, 1930, and Gandhi broke the salt
law by picking up a lump of salt at Dandi on April 6, 1930.

 According to this law, the state had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt.
 The march was over 240 miles, from Gandhi's ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati coastal
town of Dandi, where they broke the government law by gathering natural salt found on
the seashore, and boiling sea water to produce salt.
 This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
In 1931, Gandhi accepted a truce (the Gandhi-Irwin Pact), called off civil disobedience,
and agreed to attend the Second Round Table Conference in London as the sole
representative of the Indian National Congress.
 After returning from London, Mahatma Gandhi relaunched the Civil Disobedience
Movement. For over a year, the movement continued, but by 1934 it lost its momentum.
 The 1882 Salt Act gave the British a monopoly on the collection and manufacture of salt,
levying a tax in the process. The violation of this act was a criminal offense. Even though
salt was freely available to those living on the coast, Indians were forced to buy it from the
colonial government
 Initially, Gandhi’s choice was met with incredulity from Congress. Even the British
themselves were finding it hard to take such a measure seriously with the Viceroy, Lord
Irwin, himself stating that “At present, the prospect of a salt campaign does not keep me
awake at night”.
 Gandhi provided sound reasons for his decisions, however. He reasoned that an item of
daily use would resonate better with citizens of all classes than a broad demand for greater
political rights. Since the salt tax accounted for more than 8.2 % of the British Raj tax
revenue and hurt the poorest Indians the most significantly. He reasoned that this would
hurt the British even more significantly.
 Gandhi felt that this protest would dramatize Purna Swaraj in a way that was meaningful
to every Indian. He also reasoned that it would build unity between Hindus and Muslims
by fighting a wrong that touched them equally.
 On 5 February, newspapers reported that Gandhi would begin civil disobedience by
defying the salt laws. The salt satyagraha would begin on 12 March and end in Dandi with
Gandhi breaking the Salt Act on 6 April. On 12 March 1930, Gandhi and 80 satyagrahis,
set out on foot for the coastal village of Dandi, Gujarat, over 390 kilometers (240 mi) from
their starting point at Sabarmati Ashram.
 The first day’s march of 21 kilometers ended in the village of Aslali, where Gandhi spoke
to a crowd of about 4,000. At Aslali, and the other villages that the march passed through,

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volunteers collected donations, registered new satyagrahis, and received resignations from
village officials who chose to end cooperation with British rule.
 As they entered each village, crowds greeted the marchers, beating drums and cymbals.
Gandhi gave speeches attacking the salt tax as inhuman, and the salt satyagraha as a “poor
man’s struggle”. Each night they slept in the open. The only thing that was asked of the
villagers was food and water to wash with. Gandhi felt that this would bring the poor into
the struggle for sovereignty and self-rule, necessary for eventual victory.
 Thousands of satyagrahis and leaders like Sarojini Naidu joined him. Every day, more and
more people joined the march until the procession of marchers became at least two miles
long.
 Gandhi arrived at the seashore on April 5th. The following morning he raised a lump of
salty mud and declared, “With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.”
He then boiled it in seawater, producing illegal salt. He implored his thousands of followers
to likewise begin making salt along the seashore, “wherever it is convenient” and to instruct
villagers in making illegal, but necessary, salt.
 Mass civil disobedience spread throughout India as millions broke the salt laws by making
salt or buying illegal salt. The Salt Satyagraha had galvanized the Indian population into
action. Salt was sold illegally all over the coast of India. A pinch of salt made by Gandhi
himself sold for 1,600 rupees (equivalent to $750 at the time). In reaction, the British
government arrested over sixty thousand people by the end of the month.
 What had begun as a Salt Satyagraha quickly grew into a mass Satyagraha. British cloth
and goods were boycotted. Unpopular forest laws were defied in the Maharashtra,
Karnataka, and Central Provinces. Gujarati peasants refused to pay tax, under threat of
losing their crops and land. In Midnapore, Bengalis took part by refusing to pay the
chowkidar tax.
 The British responded with more stringent laws, including censorship of correspondence
and declaring the Congress and its associate organizations illegal. None of those measures
slowed the civil disobedience movement.
 British documents show that the British government was shaken by satyagraha. The
nonviolent protest left the British confused about whether or not to jail Gandhi. John Court
Curry, a British police officer stationed in India, wrote in his memoirs that he felt nausea
every time he dealt with Congress demonstrations in 1930. Curry and others in the British
government, including Wedgwood Benn, Secretary of State for India, preferred fighting
violent rather than nonviolent opponents.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT AND CIVIL

DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

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 Civil Disobedience Movement and Non-Cooperation Movement were two crucial

movements that occurred during India’s struggle for independence. The
fundamental difference between Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience is that Civil
Disobedience Movement was established on 12th March 1930, whereas Non-Cooperation
Movement was embarked on 5th September 1920.
 A few differences between Non-Cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience
Movement are illustrated below.

Non-Cooperation Movement Civil Disobedience Movement

The movement was limited to specific areas Several leaders across India actively
of the country. participated in this movement.

Its primary aim was to offer complete

Its primary aim was to discontinue
dispassion toward British officials ruling
cooperation with the British Government.
India.

The movement declined after it eventually

The movement declined after Mahatma
became warlike during the Chauri Chaura
Gandhi signed a pact with Irwin.
incident.

GANDHIAN MOVEMENT- QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT

 With the outbreak of World War II (1939-45), the nationalist struggle in India
entered its last crucial phase.
 The failure of the mission of Sir Stafford Cripps, a British cabinet minister who
went to India in March 1942 with an offer that Gandhi found unacceptable, the
British equivocation on the transfer of power to Indian hands, and the
encouragement given by high British officials to conservative and communal forces
promoting discord between Muslims and Hindus impelled Gandhi to demand in the
summer of 1942 an immediate British withdrawal from India—what
became known as the Quit India Movement.
GANDHIAN SOCIAL MOVEMENT- AHMEDABAD MILL STRIKE
 This was Gandhi’s first hunger strike. He intervened in a dispute between Mill owners of
Ahmedabad and the workers over the issue of discontinuation of the plague bonus.
 The workers were demanding a rise of 50% in their wages while the employees were
willing to concede only a 20% bonus.

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 The striking workers turned to Anusuiya Sarabai in quest of justice and she contacted
Gandhi for help. He asked the workers to go on a strike and to remain non-violent and
undertook a fast unto death to strengthen the workers’ resolve.
 The mill owners finally agreed to submit the issue to a tribunal and the strike was
withdrawn in the end the workers receive a 35% increase in their wages.
 In 1917, a heavy monsoon destroyed the crops of the season and led to an epidemic (plague),
claiming more than 10% of lives in Ahmedabad
 The duration of the epidemic ranged between August 1917 and January 1918
 During this phase, employers gave plague bonuses to the workers of the textile factories to help
the workers and dissuade them from fleeing to some other place
 However, in January 1918, after the plague subsided, the mill owners declared their intention to
stop the plague bonuses. It made the workers demand DA or dearness allowances (cost of living)
of 50% of their salaries for their livelihoods to sustain the wartime inflation due to the involvement
of Britain in World War I
 The whole incident soured the relationship between the mill owners and workers. Also, the former
dismissed the latter randomly and hired new from Bombay. It agitated the workers even more
 The frustrated mill workers turned to Anusuyya Sarabhai, a famous social worker, for help
 Anusuyya Sarabhai then requested Mahatma Gandhi to intercede and help fix the ongoing dispute
between the owners and the workers Ahmedabad Mill Satyagraha 1918.

 Following the Champaran Satyagraha movement in 1917, the Ahmedabad mill strike became the
biggest civil disobedience movement of its time. In this strike, Gandhi used the tools of non-
violence in the form of a hunger strike and satyagraha for the first time
 Under British rule, Ahmedabad was part of the Bombay presidency. It was a prominent
commercial centre at that time. The cotton industry in Ahmedabad grew during British governance
 In 1918, there was an industrial dispute between the workers and owners of a cotton mill located
in Ahmedabad
 The owners of the mill wanted to take back the plague bonus that was entitled to the workers
 On the other hand, the workers demanded a 50% hike in their wages. However, the mill owners
were ready to only give a 20% hike
 Gandhi organised a peaceful strike where he also went on a hunger strike to protect the rights of
the workers
 When Gandhi took the responsibility to lead the protests, he wanted to find a way that would not
harm the self-respect and interests of both the parties – workers and owners of the mill
 He then started demanding a 35% wage hike for workers. It was between what workers demanded
(50%) and what mill owners were willing to give (20%)
 Gandhi organised protests in a non-violent way. If he had not been there as a leader during the
strike, it is believed that many shops would have been picketed
 However, the protests were completely non-violent, which resulted in a 35% wage hike for
workers

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 This was in the Ahmedabad mill strike Gandhi used the means of hunger strike for the first time.
His fast created a stir amongst the mill owners, and they finally had to submit to the demands that
were put forward.

GANDHIAN SOCIAL MOVEMENT- VAIKOM SATYAGARAHA

Vaikom Satyagraha was a movement in Travancore (modern-day Kerala) for temple entry of the
depressed classes. It took place near the Shiva Temple at Vaikom, Kottayam district, Kerala during
1924-25. Vaikom was at that time a part of the princely state of Travancore.

 According to the prevalent caste system in Kerala and the rest of India, low-caste Hindus
were not allowed to enter into the temples.
 In Kerala, they were not allowed even to walk on the roads that led to the temples also.
(Kerala state was formed in 1956; earlier it was broadly divided into Malabar (North
Kerala), Cochin and Travancore kingdoms).
 In the Kakinada meet of the Congress Party in 1923, T K Madhavan presented a report
citing the discrimination that the depressed caste people were facing in Kerala. In Kerala,
a committee was formed comprising people of different castes to fight untouchability.
 The committee chaired by K Kelappan, comprised of T K Madhavan, Velayudha Menon,
K Neelakantan Namboothiri and TR Krishnaswami Iyer.
 In February 1924, they decided to launch a ‘Keralaparyatanam’ in order to get temple entry
and also the right to use public roads for every Hindu irrespective of caste or creed.
 The movement began on 30th March 1924.
 At the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple, there was a board that denied the entry of “lower caste”
people (avarnas).
 The Satyagrahis made batches of three and entered the temple. They were resisted and
arrested by the police.
 Gandhiji, Chatampi Swamikal and Narayana Guru supported the movement.
 The movement gained prominence in the whole of India and support came from far and
wide.
 The Akalis of Punjab supported by setting up kitchens to provide food to the Satyagrahis.
 Even Christian and Muslim leaders were in support of the movement. However, Gandhiji
was not entirely convinced by this as he wanted the movement to be an intra-Hindu affair.
 On Gandhiji’s advice, the movement was taken back temporarily in April 1924.
 After discussions with caste Hindu people failed, the leaders again started the movement.
Leaders T K Madhavan and K P Kesava Menon were arrested.
 E V Ramaswami Naicker (Periyar) came from Tamil Nadu to support the movement and
then he was arrested.

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 On 1st October 1924, a group of savarnas (forward castes) marched in a procession and
submitted a petition to the Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bai of Travancore with
approximately 25000 signatures for allowing entry to the temple for everyone.
 Gandhiji also met with the Regent Maharani. This procession of savarnas was led by
Mannath Padmanabhan Nair. Beginning with about 500 people at Vaikom, the number
increased to approximately 5000 when the procession reached Thiruvananthapuram in the
month of November 1924.
 On 23rd November 1925, all the gates of the temple were opened to Hindus except the
eastern gate. In 1928, backward castes got the right to walk on public roads leading to all
temples in Travancore.
 This was the first time that an organized movement was being conducted on such a massive
scale for the basic rights of the untouchables and other backward castes in Kerala.

GANDHI ON HEALTH AND NATUROPATHY

 Gandhi founded the All India Natural Care Foundation Trust in 1945 which later became
the National Institute of Naturopathy, Pune.
 Conservation of nature has positive impact on public health
 Psychological and social healing influence political implications of Satyagraha
 Non-violence is a healing balm
 Gram swarajya and gram arogya are complementary to each other
 Compassionate lifestyle and a minimum life assures peace and well-being
 Gandhian virtues are relevant to healthy life
 Gandhian meal, ethnic cuisine based on local, seasonal food prescribe healthy
combinations.
 Gandhi states, Health is the biggest wealth, not the golds and silvers.
 Poverty is the worst form of violence so nutritious diet and access to food to all and
eradication of hunger is important.
 Food, exercise, cleanliness, education, clothing, housing, agriculture, work, employment
all have a bearing on the health of an individual and, even more importantly, an individual's
engagement with the community and God. Hence, selfless work and prayer were made an
integral part of the daily routine in his ‘ashram life’.
 His health determinants dictated him to adopt nature cure and recommend to all others as
it emphasizes self-responsibility and provides self-reliance. According to him, so long as
people depend on drugs, doctors and hospitals for their health needs, they are not truly
liberated.
 Doctors should adapt themselves to many indigenous systems.

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 “India does not need imported drugs from the West when she has an inexhaustible stock of
a variety of drugs grown in the villages themselves. But more than drugs they have to teach
the people the right mode of living.”
 In 1897 and 1900, he assisted his wife in delivering Ramdas and Devdas by reading
obstetrics manuals in Durban. And, later, treated his children only with naturopathy.
 He and his volunteers used naturopathy modalities to treat Boer War-wounded soldiers as
well as during a plague outbreak in South Africa.
 Gandhiji's introduction to nature cure began with his conviction in vegetarianism. For him,
vegetarianism is in spiritual harmony with the rest of Nature. He insisted that man didn’t
have to kill to eat. Vegetarian food is the healthiest, most economical, makes efficient use
of land and fosters values of non-violence and humanitarianism.
 He had written many articles and books on nature cure. To name a few: Key to Health,
Nature Cure, Diet and Diet Reforms, Prayer and Vegetarianism.
 He initiated a nature cure hospital in a small village near Pune, Urlikanchan, to provide
medical services to the rural poor. This was an offshoot of the Nature Cure Clinic and
Sanatorium at Pune which was serving only the urban rich at that time. To this day, it is a
standing testimony to the values cherished by Gandhi.
 Mahatma Gandhi founded the All India Nature Cure Foundation trust on November 18,
1945; with the Institution – the Nature Cure Clinic and Sanatorium, Poona – as its nucleus.
Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India has declared November 18 as Naturopathy Day
and it is celebrated by all Naturopaths and Naturopathy enthusiasts all over the country and
across the globe.
 According to Gandhi, nature cure means a change for the better in one's outlook on life
itself. It means regulation of one's life in accordance with the laws of health. It is not a
matter of taking free medicine from the hospital or for fees.
 “The man who accepts nature cure never begs. Self-help enhances self-respect. He takes
steps to cure himself by eliminating poisons from the system and takes precautions against
falling ill in the future…”
 Gandhiji writes in Hind Swaraj on doctors: “The business of a doctor is to take care of the
body, or, properly speaking, not even that. Their business is really to rid the body of
diseases that may afflict it. How do these diseases arise? Surely by our negligence or
indulgence. I have indulged in vice, I contract a disease, a doctor cures me, the odds are
that I shall repeat the vice. Had the doctor not intervened, Nature would have done its work,
and I would have acquired mastery over myself, would have been freed from vice and
would have become happy… A continuance of a course of medicine must, therefore, result
in loss of control over the mind.
 “In these circumstances, we are unfit to serve the country. To follow modern (English)
medicine is to deepen our slavery.”
 Gandhiji worked to end the social stigma associated with the disease of leprosy and to bring
about the reintegration of leprosy patients in the mainstream of society.

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 Self-reliance (Swawalambana) is possible only when there is self-health-reliance

(Swasthawalambana). Nature Cure provides self-health-reliance by teaching ‘how to live
healthy lives’ without medicines and doctors.
 “I hold that where the rules of personal, domestic and public sanitation are strictly observed
and due care is taken in the matter of diet and exercise, there should be no occasion for
illness or disease. Where there is absolute purity, inner and outer, illness becomes
impossible. If the village people could but understand this, they would not need
doctors, hakims or vaidyas…”
 “The man who eats to live, who is friends with the five powers – earth, water, ether, sun
and air – and who is a servant of God, the Creator of all these, ought not to fall ill. If he
does, he will remain calm relying on God and die in peace, if need be.

There are many instances to show that Mahatma Gandhi was more than convinced that to
depend on external sources for our needs is to deepen our slavery that included health
needs. Thus he strongly recommended the practice of nature cure, which lays a lot of stress
on the individual's responsibility. And he firmly believed that doctors should also have to
be teachers and mentors and not just therapy dispensers. Cure without reform will make
people irresponsible and make them immoral. Not only will there be a drain on resources,
but the dependence continues.

GANDHI ON FORESTS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development is the organizing principle for meeting human development goals
while simultaneously sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural
resources and ecosystem services upon which the economy and society depend. Gandhi
was a thinker with a profoundly ecological sensibility. He has influenced Chipko
movement, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Silent valley movement and many other
environmental movements in India and the world (German Greens).

 Gandhi- What we are doing today to the forests of the world is but a mirror
reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to the one another.
 Gandhi- There is enough on this earth for man’s needs but not his greeds.
 Gandhi- “I need no inspiration other than Nature's. She has never failed me as
yet. She mystifies me, bewilders me, sends me to ecstasies.”

 In 1908, Gandhiji showed us the path for sustainable development through sustainable
consumption. In his Hind Swaraj, he outlined the threat to the common future of humanity
from our relentless quest for material goods and services.
 An avowed follower of Gandhiji, Nanaji worked in the most backward districts of the
country with a holistic approach, encompassing all aspects and dimensions of human life

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including education, life sciences, livelihood, technology, and social consciousness. This
model can be seen in action in Chitrakoot, Gonda, Beed and Nagpur.
 Like Gandhiji, Nanaji also felt that villagers are the trustees of the country’s resources. But
at the same time, Gandhiji agreed that with technological advancement and changing
aspirations of the people, the tools may have to be different.
 However, he cautioned against unnecessary consumption. Nanaji adopted the same
approach while developing his model. Both believed that harmonious growth can be
achieved by employing cultural practices.
 They had an unshakeable faith in the native’s wisdom and intelligence. They strongly
believed that it could be achieved only by employing local resources and local talent.

 Talking of sustainable development without understanding the true meaning of sustainable

consumption will be mere rhetoric. Unless we practice restrained consumption, we cannot
avoid exploitation of natural resources, and cannot achieve sustainability in production
patterns.

 Gandhi had cautioned the world, much before any modern day environmentalist, about the
problems of large-scale industrialization, which we are confronting today. Gandhi
visualized that mechanization will not only lead to industrialization, to massive
urbanization, to unemployment, but will also lead to the destruction of environment.
 His seminal work, Hind Swaraj, written a hundred years ago in 1909 warned of the dangers
the world is facing today in the form of environmental destruction and the threat to the
planet. The Gandhian idea becomes still more relevant when sustainable growth and
development is to be achieved because he emphasized on production by the masses instead
of mass production.
 According to him this will result in the development of an economic system that can
minimize environmental degradation and achieve sustainable development. His idea of
Swaraj or self-rule enables a practical sustainable development that can be implemented
without compromising the quality of life.
 Regarding urbanization, Gandhi expressed his views as follows: “It is a process of double
drain from the villages. Urbanisation in India is a slow but sure death for her villages and
villagers. It can never support 90 per cent of India's population, which is living in her
7,00,000 villages” (number of villages in 1934). He was against the concept of removing
cottage industries from small villages as he felt that this would remove whatever little
opportunity was still there for making skilled use of the hand and head. “And when the
village handicrafts disappear, the villagers working only with their cattle on the field, with
idleness for six or four months in the year, must be reduced to the level of the beast and be
without proper nourishment either of the mind or the body, and, therefore without joy and
without hope”

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 As a matter of historical record, Gandhi was acutely aware of environmental pollution and
of its consequences to human health. He was especially concerned about the appalling
working conditions in industry, with workers forced to inhale contaminated, toxic air. He
expressed those concerns in Indian Opinion on May 5, 1906: “Nowadays, there is an
increasing appreciation among enlightened men of the need for open air.”
 The Gandhian idea of non-violence, if adopted at various levels from international politics
to local levels, can be useful to reduce carbon footprints caused due to wars and production
of missiles. Gandhi had emphasized the importance of natural resources and its
conservation. This has a direct bearing on the man-and-environment relationship. The
importance of Gandhian philosophy is well-felt in the present period in which the lifestyle
of human beings has been developed in a direction of high consumerism and generation of
waste. This has a two-way impact on nature.Firstly, the rate of depletion of resources has
increased tremendously, and secondly, the presence of toxicity in air, water and soil has
increased.

 Gandhi was influenced by Jainism, which looks at nature as a living entity and exhorts
human beings to continually purify themselves by respecting diverse life forms. The
Gandhian idea of Satya and ahimsa can be useful to reduce the greed of the individual and
society. His concept of non-violence thus encompassed all living beings and embodied the
eternal values of life in his thought and actions. He insisted on the eternal sacredness of
life that included a tree, plant or a cow. Reportedly, the English historian Edward Thomson
once remarked to Gandhi that wildlife was rapidly declining in India, to which Gandhi
replied with sarcasm, “Wildlife is decreasing in the jungles, but increasing in the towns.”
According to him reckless and limitless pursuit of industrialization by all nations has posed
serious problems for the very existence of not only man but also for all living creatures and
all kinds of species on our planet.

 The concept of Sarvodaya is also similar to that of a sustainable development and forms a
part of environmental ethics. Gandhi's vision of Sarvodaya, implies a healthy development
and environment that can be evolved by man to ensure his harmonious existence with
nature and other living beings. Gandhi did not recognize separate rules for separate spheres
of human life, but saw all spheres in an integrated manner, which exemplifies best the
human ecological perspective. What he preached and practised corresponds to what we
today call eco-friendly measures and living in harmony with nature.

 Forest satyagraha was a unique feature of Gandhian movement in Chattisgarh in 1930. The
forest laws of the British of 1930 restricted entry of animals for fodder inside the forest.
Tribals were harassed and the cattle confiscated by the British. The people started to
disobey forest laws and started grazing in prohibited areas and collected wood without

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permission. Social boycott of forest and revenue department employees began. Satyagrahis
passed last resolution to break forest laws.s

The green thoughts of Gandhi give us a new vision to harmonise nature with the needs of people.
As an early environmentalist, his ideas relating to Satyagraha based on truth and non-violence,
simple life style, and development reveal how sustainable development is possible without doing
any harm to nature and our fellow beings. His idea that "nature has enough to satisfy every one's
needs, but not to satisfy anybody's greed" became one- line ethic to modern environmentalism.
GANDHIAN METHODOLOGY: PRAYER, CONSENSUS BUILDING, FASTING
Gandhi did fasting and prayers at his Phoenix farm during his civil disobedience against racial
discrimination in South Africa. He employed the same as part of passive resistance in his struggle
for India’s independence. Sabarmati Ashram or Gandhi Ashram in Gujrat and Sewa Gram in
Maharashtra were his residences. The Bhagvad Gita was recited as part of daily schedule in the
ashrams. Vaishnav Janatho, Raghupathi Raghava Rajaram remain important prayers associated
with Gandhi. It was at Sabarmathi ashram that Dandi march began in 1930.

Gandhiji had enumerated eleven vows for his Ashram inmates at Sabarmati and Seva Gram. These
were-
 Satya-truth
 Ahimsa-Non-violence
 Brahmacharya-celibacy
 Asteya-non-stealing
 Aparigraha-non-possession
 Sharira shrama-physical labour or bread labour
 Asvada- control of taste
 Abhaya-fearlessness
 Sarva Dharma Sadhbhavana- equal respect for all religions
 Swadeshi- duty towards neighbour
 Asprishyatha nivaran- abolition of untouchability

It was 1918, Gandhi had settled in Ahmedabad, had established a commune on the banks of
Sabarmati, and was active in the Indian National Congress. In March that year, the workers in the
textile mills of Ahmedabad asked their masters for a 35% increase in wages. The owners offered
a 20% increase. Gandhi, an independent outsider, advised the workers to go on a strike. It was the
first strike in Ahmedabad’s textile history; the mill owners retaliated by declaring a lock-out. After
a 2-week impasse, the lockout was raised and workers were told they could come back to work if
they took a 20% raise. Many returned. It was then that Gandhi stood in front of those workers who
remained striking and said, “Hereby I renounce food till such time as you get a 35% raise.” Or,

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words to that effect. Those who had broken ranks returned; those who had remained striking were
bolstered. Four days later, the workers got a 35% increase and Gandhi broke his fast.

He undertook another, a year later, as atonement for the furious protests against the Rowlatt Act.
Not only did he go on a 72-hour fast, he also asked his countrymen to follow suit for at least 24
hours. It was 14 April 1919; Jallianwallah had happened a day earlier but, evidently, Gandhi had
not heard about it. Four days later, Gandhi withdrew the satyagraha that he called against the
Rowlatt Act. The country had to wait another 3 years before it saw Gandhi fast again.

Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement in support of Khilafat movement. The Moplah
rebellion happened as an offshoot of the Khilafat movement; the brunt of the Moplah ferocity was
borne by the Hindus who constituted a majority of the population in Malabar. The violence at
Chauri-Chaura took place. It stunned Gandhi, who believed in non-violence at all costs, into
immediately calling off the non-cooperation movement and into a 5-day fast to repent for the
violence. It was February 1922. His calling off of the non-cooperation movement was so sudden
that Gandhi’s popularity plummeted, so much so that a few weeks later, an emboldened
government arrested him and threw him in jail, where he was to stay till February 1924.

India had let the Gandhi motif slide. Not only was his principle of Satyagraha – passive resistance
through self-humiliation – no longer hot, his aspiration of Hindu-Muslim unity lay in peril. The
two years that Gandhi was in jail saw, inter alia, communal riots all over the country, notably in
Calcutta in 1923. A year later, the riots in Lucknow and Gulbarga, and especially in Kohat,
prompted Gandhi to undertake a 21-day fast. His fast prompted several formal and informal
conferences for a communal settlement but all these efforts came to naught. People all over the
country continued to riot all through 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, and beyond. Gandhi went into a self-
imposed political exile till 1928.

In January 1932, a few days after he returned from England from the Round Table Conference,
Gandhi was arrested and sent to jail. It was from the jail in September that year that he announced
the second of his fasts unto death. He wouldn’t eat, he said, as a protest against the separate
electorates that were reserved for untouchables in the legislature. The last time that he had
undertaken a fast unto death, it was for the striking mill workers at Ahmedabad for whom he had
won their desired pay hike. This time, it was for nobody and everybody – he wanted the
‘untouchable’ candidates to be elected by a general, and not a separate, electorate. On the sixth
day, Gandhi and Ambedkar agreed upon the Poona Pact and the fast ended. Gandhi got his joint
electorate, the untouchables got double the number of seats reserved for them in the legislature
and, more importantly, a separate electorate in a modified form of primary elections. Gandhi’s
second fast-unto-death had nothing of the victory of his first.

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A large section of people felt cheated, the budding social reforms hit a roadblock of indignation,
and a year later, Gandhi undertook a 21-day fast as a means of self-purification – he was,
admittedly, distressed over the continuing practice of untouchability. This was when he declared
that the terrible earthquake in Bihar, on a scale not often seen in India, was divine retribution for
the sins of the upper castes. In the same vein, a few weeks later, on being denied facilities in his
jail cell for continuing his anti-untouchability campaign, Gandhi began a protest fast. His health
took a turn for the worse. He was released from jail and diagnosed with appendicitis. Gandhi then
embarked upon an all-India tour, collecting funds for the untouchability cause but he faced
opposition from many Hindus. It was around this time that Lalnath, a Hindu leader, was attacked.
In reparation, Gandhi fasted for a week.

Five years later, when the ruler of Rajkot went back on his promise of carrying out administrative
reforms in his kingdom, Gandhi started a fast to induce the Viceroy to intervene. The fast ended
four days later with the dispute being referred to the Chief Justice of India.

Thereafter, in 1943, a year after the Quit India movement started, Gandhi undertook a 21-day fast.
This was in response to the Viceroy’s insistence that the Indian National Congress was responsible
for the disturbances of 1942 and that Gandhi admit to it; in response, Gandhi fasted.

Five years later, India became free of the British. The ensuing charnel houses that erupted all over
the country tested Gandhi’s cherished dream of Hindu-Muslin unity. He wasn’t in Delhi when the
tri-colour went up on the ramparts of the Red Fort. He was touring in Bengal trying to fight the
raging fires. Ultimately, in Calcutta in September, Gandhi, who was now almost 78 years old,
started his third fast unto death, declaring he’d eat only if the carnage stopped. The city was
shocked and four days later, people from various parties handed Gandhi a signed declaration
forsaking rioting and violence.

It was a short-lived respite; troubles started again. Three months later, in the coldness of January
1948, the Mahatma declared his fourth and last fast unto death. This one lasted six days and was
broken after people promised they would not quarrel and kill.

A few days later, Gandhi was killed. He had led the country to freedom, and he had watched it
turn determinedly away from his ideals of Satyagraha. His four fasts unto death were all
undertaken not against the government of the time but to persuade his countrymen to adhere to
social justice.

Dateline of the fasts unto death

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1. In 1918. For an increase in the wages of mill workers in Ahmedabad. Lasted four days.
2. In 1932. For joint electorates for the entire Hindu populace rather than separate electorates
for untouchables. Lasted six days.
3. In 1947. For communal harmony. Lasted four days.
4. In 1948. For communal harmony. Lasted six days.

Dateline of all fasts

1. July 1913, South Africa. As atonement for a moral fall of two Ashram inmates. Fast for 1
week; thereafter, 1 meal a day for 20 weeks.
2. Late 1913, South Africa. During the Miners March. When striking indentured labourers
were killed by policemen, Gandhi ate one meal a day for some time and asked others to
follow suit. The first of his public fasts.
3. 15 March 1918 to 19 March 1918, Ahmedabad. For raising of wages of mill workers.
Resulted in an arbitration mechanism being put in place for labour disputes, and in the
formation of the first of Gujarat’s labour unions, the Ahmedabad Labour Association.
4. 14 April 1919, Ahmedabad. A 72-hour fast, as atonement for the violence during the anti-
Rowlatt Act protests. Asked countrymen to fast for 24 hours.
5. February 1922, Bardoli. A 5-day fast to atone for Chauri Chaura.
6. 17 September 1924, Delhi. A 21-day fast against the anti-Hindu violence in Kohat in the
North West Frontier Provinces.
7. 12 September 1932, Yerwada jail. A fast unto death against separate electorates for
untouchables. It culminated in the Gandhi-Ambedkar Poona Pact where a common
electorate for all Hindus was agreed upon, provided the untouchable had seats reserved for
them in the legislature and provided there was a primary election – before the main election
– where the untouchable would vote for other untouchable who would then stand for
elections on the reserved seats.
8. May 1933, Yerwada jail. A 21-day fast for self purification and over his distress at the
continuing practice of untouchability. Released from jail after a few days, he continued to
fast until the 21 days were over.
9. 16 August 1933. Facilities in his jail cell for Harijan work. Released from jail.
10. 7 August 1934, Wardha. A 1-week fast in reparation for the attack on Lalnath, a sanatanist;
the sanatanists were opposed to Gandhi’s untouchability cause.
11. 3 March 1939, Rajkot. A fast against the breach of faith by the ruler of Rajkot who had
promised to carry out administrative reforms in his territory but retracted on his
promise. The fast ended four days later when the dispute got referred to the Chief Justice
of India.
12. 10 February 1943, Poona. A 21-day fast as a response to the Viceroy’s insisting that Gandhi
admit to being responsible for the disturbances of 1942 and give an assurance that they
would not recur.

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13. September 1947, Calcutta. A fast unto death for communal harmony. Ended when Gandhi
received a signed declaration from several parties.
14. 13 January 1948. A fast unto death for communal harmony. Ended on January 18 after
assurances from various groups.

GANDHIAN VIEWS ON POLITICS

 In the Middle Ages politics was never free from the influence of religion. It is only in the
Modern Age that politics is being looked upon as a secular activity i.e. politics must be
completely free from religion. Gandhi, on the other hand, has spiritualized politics.

 He is opposed to separating religion from politics. He condemned politics which is

divorced from religion. His view in that politics should rest on the foundations of religion.
One should not get irreligious in the name of politics. Devoid of religious influence, the
modern politics has turned more corrupt, selfish, unreliable, materialistic and opportunistic.
This politics which has been separated from religious influence is nothing but the politics
of force and fraud.

 Politics without religion is lifeless. Those who maintain that religion has no relationship
with politics, do not understand the connotation of religion at all. There could be no politics
without religion; politics must be subordinated to religion.

 Politics without religion is a death trap because it would kill the soul. Therefore, Gandhi’s
politics is a religion-oriented science. His concept of religion being a broad one, it is neither
Hinduism or Islam nor for that matter any specific religion. It is morality, pure and simple,
the search for Truth and God.

 Gandhi's vision for India went beyond political independence from colonial rule. He aimed
for social emancipation, economic empowerment, and a shared sense of solidarity across
different language, religion, and cultural backgrounds.

 Gandhi was a strong advocate of non-violence and believed that it was the most powerful
weapon in the struggle for justice and freedom. He also believed that non-violence should
be a way of life, not just a political strategy, and that it would lead to lasting peace and
social harmony. Gandhi was a leader who inspired and empowered the people
through love and compassion.

 Against Discrimination: Gandhi travelled all over India and saw the different cultural parts
of the country. He brought people together by highlighting the common things that united
them, like their faith. Gandhi strongly believed in treating everyone equally, regardless of
religion or caste. He was against discrimination and the practice of untouchability.

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 Secular Outlook: Gandhi was a Hindu but believed in a secular India, where all religions
could exist peacefully together. He was very upset about the partition of India, which was
based on religion. Today, it is important to remember Gandhi's values of peace,
inclusiveness, and harmony as these values are still relevant.
 Communal Harmony: Gandhi was a firm believer in the unity of all communities and worked
tirelessly to promote communal harmony. He believed that India's strength lay in its diversity
and that this diversity should be celebrated, not feared.
 He was deeply troubled by the Hindu-Muslim divide and worked to bring the two
communities together.
 Self-Reliance: Gandhi believed in the importance of self-reliance and encouraged Indians to
become self-sufficient in as many ways as possible. He encouraged the use of local
resources and traditional skills and the development of cottage industries. He also believed
that the people of India should take responsibility for their own development and not rely on
external support.

GANDHIAN VIEWS ON ETHICS AND MORALITY

Gandhi is considered as one of the greatest moral philosopher of India. The major principles of
Gandhian ethics are:
1. Ends and Means: Gandhi always emphasised on pure means and ends. Improper means cannot
be adopted to achieve proper ends. As a wrong path cannot take you to right destination.

2. Satyagraha: It is the continuous realisation for truth. It mainly includes self-sacrifice, peace and
non-violence. Only a person with will and determination can follow satyagraha. Gandhi called his
overall method of nonviolent action Satyagraha. It means the exercise of the purest soul-force
against all injustice, oppression and exploitation. It is a method of securing rights by personal
suffering and not inflicting injury on others.

3. Trusteeship: Trusteeship is a socio-economic philosophy that was propounded by Gandhi. It

provides a means by which the wealthy people would be the trustees of trusts that looked after the
welfare of the people in general.

4. Concept of seven sins: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without
character, Commerce without morality, Science without Humanity, Religion without Sacrifice,
Politics without Principle are seven sins in a society that should be rectified.

5. Sarvodaya: It means upliftment of all. By inclusiveness many evils of the society can be removed.
It is a term meaning 'Universal Uplift' or 'Progress of All'. The term was first coined by Gandhi as
the title of his translation of John Ruskin's tract on political economy, "Unto This Last".

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6. Dignity of Labour: Gandhi tried to established equality among all by making bread labor
compulsory to all.
7. Truth and nonviolence: They are the twin cardinal principles of Gandhian thoughts.

1. For Gandhi, truth is the relative truth of truthfulness in word and deed, and the
absolute truth - the ultimate reality.

2. Nonviolence is understood by Mahatma Gandhi to denote active love - the pole

opposite of violence, in every sense. Nonviolence or love is regarded as the highest
law of humankind.
8. Swaraj: Although the word swaraj means self-rule, Gandhi gave it the content of an
integral revolution that encompasses all spheres of life.
For Gandhi, swaraj is much more than freedom from all restraints, it is self-rule, self-
restraint and could be equated with moksha or salvation.
9. Swadeshi: Swadeshi is the focus on acting within and from one's own community, both
politically and economically. It is the interdependence of community and self-sufficiency.

Ends and Means

 Individual should give importance to means and not the end or goal.
 The state, Ram Rajya, the ideal state had the goal or end of Ahimsa. An ethical state should
be established by moral, non-violent means.
 He emphasised spiritualisation of politics.
 True swaraj and true democracy can be established only by fair means.
 Politics without religion and ethics is futile.
 The end of politics should be to attain freedom by fair means such as satyagraha, swaraj
and swadeshi instead of violence and blood-shed. The state should work for upliftment of
all sections of the society.
Role and relevance of Gandhian ethics in conflict resolution:
1. The Gandhian technique of conflict resolution is through satyagraha which has been interpreted as
passive resistance, nonviolent resistance etc. Satyagraha according to Gandhi is holding on to
Truth.

2. A satyagrahi enjoys a degree of freedom not possible for others, for he becomes a truly fearless
person. Once his mind is rid of fear, he will never agree to be another’s slave. Having achieved
this state of mind he will never submit to any arbitrary action.

3. Satyagraha is more than a method of conflict resolution that lends itself easily to scientific analysis.
It is in fact an ethical system that places heavy emphasis on the quality of the relationship between
individuals.

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4. According to Gandhian ethics the sense of mutual satisfaction with the outcome, need to be
stressed for conflict resolution.

5. Nonviolent action is the most important method in the process of conflict resolution. The technique
of nonviolent action conducts protest, resistance and intervention without physical violence by:

6. Acts of omission- the participants refuse to perform acts which they usually perform, are expected
by customs to performs, or are required by law or regulation to perform.

7. Acts of commission- that is, the participants perform acts that they usually do not perform, are not
expected by custom to perform, or are forbidden by law or regulation from performing.

8. Modern world is full of multidimensional and multidisciplinary conflicts involving use of physical
and psychological violent tools. Gandhian approach addresses the issue of conflict at individual
level. Gandhi’s approach is still very relevant in modern complex resolution and there is a need to
revive and resurrect the philosophy at the level of institutions that are working for conflict
resolution.

 Gandhian philosophy’s objective is to transform the individual and society simultaneously, in

accordance with the principles inspired from various sources like Bhagvad Geeta, Jainism,
Buddhism, Bible, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Tolstoy, John Ruskin among others.
 Gandhian thought cannot altogether be separated from ethics. His ideas are generally expressed in
moral categories or terminology. Ethical theories provide the underpinnings for Gandhian thought
in any sphere.

Application of Gandhian ethics:

 Functioning on the basis of voluntary cooperation and dignified & peaceful co-existence was
replicated in several other modern democracies.
Also, his emphasis on political tolerance and religious pluralism holds relevance in
contemporary Indian politics.
 The ideals of truth and nonviolence, which underpin the whole philosophy, are relevant to all
humankind, and are considered as universal by the Gandhians.
 More than ever before, Gandhi's teachings are valid today, when people are trying to find solutions
to the rampant greed, widespread violence, and runaway consumptive style of living.
 Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence was a great weapon used by him during the freedom
movement of India against British Raj. Normally, people say that non-violence is the weapon of
weak but in reality non-violence and tolerance require a great level of courage and patience.
In world that is moving through the phases of war marred by violence and the menace of terrorism
there is a significant requirement of Gandhian idea of Non- violence more and more today than
the past days.

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 Dalai Lama said, "We have a big war going on today between world peace and world war, between
the force of mind and force of materialism, between democracy and totalitarianism." It is precisely
to fight these big wars that the Gandhian philosophy needed in contemporary times.
 Gandhi's Seven Sins are an integral part of the Gandhian ethics and needed to be adopted in the
society and in governance. Gandhian ethics shaped the creation of institutions and practices where
the voice and perspective of everyone can be articulated, tested and transformed.

GANDHIAN CRITIQUE OF BRITISH PARLIAMENT

How the British rested their claim through western superiority?

 Britain always tried to justify their imperialism in the name of protecting democratic values,
freedom, and justice and as if they were doing it selflessly by taking pain themselves for the
betterment of the people they mastered.
 British have ruled by creating the myth that British rule “is not only benevolent for the subjects
but also is invincible.”
 Britain, being the earliest nation to modernize and industrialize, considered its citizens as the most
civilized of all men.
 Even the common man of England took pride in being a modern ‘white’.
 It is this arrogant pride of being white that threw Gandhiji out of his train in South Africa.
 Hence Britain justified imperialism by saying that in occupying third world countries in Asia and
Africa it is actually civilizing the inhabitants who are uncultured and barbaric (white Man’s
Burden- Rudyard Kipling)
 It was said to be the White Man’s burden, his additional responsibility, to bring the dark men to a
civilized society.
 Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule gives an account of Gandhi’s critique of British Parliament
 He refers to British Parliament as a sterile woman and a prostitute.
 The British Parliament is made of elites, they in turn enslave common people
 British Parliamnet is composed of royal families, political parties, religious heads who instead of
being an institution of political representation are instruments of self-promotion.
 Indians are direct victims of modern civilization and our ancient civilisation and intellectual roots
are suppressed by the British.

GANDHI ON NATION AND NATIONALISM

 Mahatma Gandhi wished to develop a more Indian-centric nationalism which would be far
more welcoming and rooted to Indian -traditions, and cultures rather than being influenced
by the west

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 Mahatma Gandhi in his book “Hind-Swaraj” criticized both the moderate and extremist
nationalists of the Indian National Congress as he believed that both their methods were
insufficient to give a unique identity to a uniquely Indian-form of nationalism
 Mahatma Gandhi argued that the type of nationalism favoured by freedom fighters
everywhere was too violent in its nature and approach and it would only lead to future
conflicts.
 Mahatma Gandhi advocated that the role of a ‘lingua franca’ (common language between
speakers whose native languages are different.) will play a crucial role in fostering
nationalism in a country that has different languages and dialect groups.
 In conclusion, Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of nationalism was to be based on self-sufficiency
at all levels of society
 Gandhi’s nationalism seems simple and straightforward: he wanted an independent Indian
nation state and freedom from British colonial rule. But in reality his nationalism rested on
complex and sophisticated moral philosophy. He sought a tolerant and unified state that
included all communities within a ‘Mother India’.

GANDHI ON SWADESHI
The combination of two Sanskrit terms yields the English word “Swadeshi,” which has Sanskrit
roots. Swa and desh both refer to one’s own or one’s nation. Swadesh, therefore, refers to one’s
homeland. The adjectival version of the word swadeshi, which means “of one’s own country,” can
be loosely translated as “self-sufficiency” in most settings.

Swadeshi means-

 Spirit of universal love and service

 It is a means to achieve Swaraj
 Aims at creating self-governing, self-reliant, self-employed people
 It is a tool to transform individual and society simultaneously
 It is based on the principle of truth and non-violence
 Economic dimension- charka, self-sufficient villages, revive indigenous industries
(khadi/cottage), not mass production but production by masses
 Social dimension- help the neighbour, service to fellow being, do not harm anyone, dignity
of labour, voluntary service, 18 point constructive programme, cow protection
 Political dimension- Panchayat Raj institutions, self-governance- Swarajya, Ram rajya

3 principles on which Swadeshi is based-

a. Men are god-fearing
b. Human nature is basically virtuous
c. Men are capable of reform and moral development

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 Gandhiji asserts that the Charkha has the distinction of being able to address the issue of
economic distress in a way that is most logical, straightforward, affordable, and
professional.
 Charkha stands for both the wealth and freedom of the country. It represents commercial
peace rather than commercial strife.
 The spinning-meaning wheel is considerably bigger than its diameter. Simple life, helping
others, living without hurting others, and forging an unbreakable tie between the wealthy
and the poor, capital and labour, and the prince and the peasant are all part of its teachings.
Naturally, the bigger lesson applies to everyone.

 The swadeshi spirit encourages us to consume commodities made from our own
villages, thus promoting small scale industries which help ordinary farmers and
weavers to live happily. Limitation of wants is another important aspect in
Gandhian economics.
 Gandhi urged us to minimize our wants to minimize the consumption and thus
reduce the burden on nature by avoiding hazardous wastes. Our civilization, culture
and swaraj depend on the restriction of wants.
 Gandhi realized that the modern civilization and the market economics have a
tendency to multiply the wants and needs of common people.
 Bread labour is another important economic concept of Gandhi. The Gandhian
concept of bread labour encourages the use of human hands and body instead of
machines to produce essential items like vegetables, cloth etc.
 The formal proclamation of the Swadeshi movement was made on August 7, 1905
with the passing of the ‘Boycott’ resolution in a meeting at the Calcutta town hall
which brought about the unification of the hitherto dispersed leadership. On the day
the partition was put into effect i.e. October 16, 1905, a hartal was called in Calcutta
and a day of mourning was declared. People fasted and no fire was lit in the cooking
hearth.
 People paraded the streets singing Bande Mataram. The people of Bengal tied
rakhis on each other’s wrist as a symbol of solidarity. This peculiar form of mass
protest of ‘swadeshi and boycott’ attained popularity among the new members of
the Congress, who were more impatient than the moderates to see a positive
response to their efforts.

Problems with the Swadeshi Movement

 But the problem with the Swadeshi movement was that it was not properly directed and it
failed to unite the Hindus and Muslims because of the work of Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka
and the establishment of the Muslim league.

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 The demand of separate electorates became an issue to seek political mileage for the
Muslims. Thus, the Swadeshi movement lacked having a large mass-base. The grievances
of the peasants were not at all taken into consideration- such as lack of uniformity of the
land revenue system, rights of the tenants, prevention of land grabbing, were not taken up
by the Swadeshi movement, and thus the peasants did not become a part of the Swadeshi
movement.
 But, overall, the period of 1903-1908, the partition of Bengal served as a catalyst for the
Swadeshi Movement.
 M.K Gandhi’s thoughts were inspired by the ancient Indian thoughts on development and
human welfare, which were enshrined in the ancient scriptures of India and partly spelt out
in the masterly treatise on economics and statecraft, called Kautilya’s Arthashastra of sixth
century BC.
 According to Gandhi, not all kinds of happiness contribute to human welfare. Not all kinds
of desire-satisfaction contribute to happiness. Individuals’ desire for goods and services is
not a limited set. The more one gets, the more one wants and still remains unsatisfied.
Multiplying one’s daily wants in this fashion merely makes a person a slave to an unending
sequence of desires, and there is no slavery equal to slavery to one’s own desires.
 Such a process does, not lead an individual to any sustainable steady state consumption
path. He considered that Western development was driven by a culture of multiplying
wants which he regarded as a flawed one. For him, deliberate restriction of material desires
by individuals by means of utmost efforts offer a more rational solution.
 Gram swaraj, or village self-rule, was a pivotal concept in Gandhi’s thinking. It was the
centerpiece of his vision of economic development in India. Gandhiji’s Gram Swaraj was
not the reconstruction of the old village but the formation of fresh independent units of
villages having self-sufficient economy.
 Self-sufficiency in basic needs was one of the fundamental conditions of Gandhian village
reconstruction. Food, clothing and other basic necessities should be produced at the village
itself, which would lead to full employment of almost each able-bodied person and would
prevent the rural-urban migration in search of employment and better opportunities.
 In the 1940s, a Gandhian plan was prepared for India (by Shiman Narayan) with an
emphasis on self-sufficient village community. Some natural wants, according to Gandhi,
could only be specified at the village level-like clean roads, better sanitation, good
transport, better drainage, vegetation, school, dispensary, clean water and a dharmashala.
 Similarly, at individual level, everyone must have access to balanced diet, a decent house,
facilities for children’s education and adequate medical relief. The village community
should embody the spirit of the home — an extension of the family rather than a collection
of competing individuals. Gandhi’s dream was not of personal self- sufficiency, not even
family self-sufficiency, but the self-sufficiency of the village community.

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 Gandhi’s ideas on swadeshi came as a part of the struggle against the British rule. Swadeshi
movement was a mass movement to encourage people to develop a habit of consuming
Indian products rather than foreign products.
 He justified swadeshi on moral principles. The first relevant principle was that of
neighbourhood. The duty of an individual is to his neighbours. This leads to swadeshi
which refers to the consumption of local products.
 His contention was that it would be sinful to wear foreign clothes while neighbouring
weavers starve due to lack of demand for their products. Spinning and wearing khaddar
(khadi) became symbolic expressions of swadeshi.
 The British believed in centralised, industrialised and mechanised modes of production.
Gandhi turned this principle and envisioned a decentralised, home-grown, hand-crafted
mode of production. In his words, “Not mass production, but production by the masses.”
His swadeshi principle made Gandhi oppose the western model of industrialisation.
 He was against mechanisation for three reasons. First, machinery displaces human and
animal labour, instead of supplementing it. Second, unlike human labour, there is no limit
to its expansion and growth. Third, it has a law of its own, which leads not only to labour
being displaced, but also to its being displaced at an ever increasing rate.
 He thus opposed machinery because they create unemployment. He was a staunch
advocator of strengthening the decentralised production with the promotion of village level
industries. He believed in the feasibility of self- sufficient village level production of food
and clothing.
 Swadeshi is the way to comprehensive peace: peace with oneself, peace between peoples,
and peace with nature. The global economy drives people towards high performance, high
achievement, and high ambition for materialistic success.
 This results in stress, loss of meaning, loss of inner peace, loss of space for personal and
family relationships, and loss of spiritual life. Gandhi realised that in the past, life in India
was not only prosperous but also conducive to philosophical and spiritual development.
Swadeshi for Gandhi was the spiritual imperative.

GANDHI ON SWARAJ
 Gandhi’s concept of Swaraj is defined as a ‘model code of conduct which points men on
the path of their duty,’ path of control over desires, and the path of ‘mastery over their
minds and passions.’ Swaraj implies the elevation of a personal moral being to limit
indulgences and sees happiness as largely a mental construct.
 To achieve the state of ‘Swaraj,’ one has to live a life of simplicity and should not have
greed for wealth and power. For Gandhi, high mental intellect is not possible unless one
stops running after material life.
 Basically, he wanted to create a world where an individual followed agricultural labour
under a sustainable village ecosystem and lived independently.
 Gandhi divided ‘Swaraj’ in the following ways:

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a) National Independence
b) Political freedom of the individual
c) Economic freedom of the individual
d) Spiritual freedom of the individual or ‘self-rule.’
 Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Swaraj confirms his firm commitment to moral
individualism. The term ‘Swaraj’ literally means ‘self-rule,’ ‘self-government,’ ‘self-
determination’ or ‘independence.’ This term became popular during India’s struggle for
independence from the “British Colonial Rule.”
 Gandhi argued that ‘Swaraj’ did not simply mean political independence from the foreign
rule; it also implied the idea of cultural and moral independence.If a country is politically
independent but culturally dependent on others for choosing its course of action, it would
be devoid of ‘Swaraj.’
 ‘Swaraj’ or self-government rules out people’s dependence on government. This applied
even to their own government. He was against violence or coercion. State is a manifestation
of power and law-police, courts, military power
 Classless and stateless society for emancipation of mankind. Bread labour and spirit of
service ensures classless society. Moral individualism based on conscience and minimum
needs will result in no need for a state to regulate behaviour (stateless society)
 Under this system, people will not merely have the right to elect their representatives, but
they will become capable of checking any abuse of authority.
 Economic Swaraj stands for social justice, it promotes the good of all equally including the
weakest and is indispensable for a decent life.
 For Gandhi, India’s economic future lay in the adulation of the ‘charkha’ (spinning wheel)
and ‘khadhi’ (homespun cotton textile). If India’s villages are to live and prosper, the
charkha must become universal.

 As a votary of purity of means as well as ends, Gandhi tried to assert that we must rely on
non-violence or ahimsa for the attainment of political self-government as well as individual
self-government.

 He asserts that the force of love and pity is infinitely greater than the force of arms. The
principle of non-violence is founded on soul force (will power) while violence was founded
on physical force.
 The qualities of soul-force are akin to love-force, compassion force, the force acquired by
self-suffering and moral force. All these forces become operative when mind is able to
control itself and the passions.
 Destroying individuality means exploitation leading to violence. Therefore, to avoid
violence and to ensure maximum flowering of the human personality, decentralisation of
political power must become an end of a progressive and welfare-oriented society.

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 For Gandhi, politics should be treated only as means. The state should try to decentralise
its power. As much power a state will disperse, that much non-violent it will become.
 In a state of enlightened anarchy, state sovereignty vests in everyone who is his own ruler.
He governs himself in a manner that he represents the freedom of his neighbours and in all
such activity there is no political power because there is no state.
 In Ramrajya (self-sufficient, secured idealist state) there is not any notion of state at all.
Swaraj, the second best option, is to be obtained by educating the masses to a sense of their
capacity to regulate and control authority. This Swaraj would be of each and every
individual, whosoever is residing there inside the state by accepting the importance of
differences of caste, community, society and the different cultural and historical
backgrounds.

GANDHIAN CRITIQUE OF MODERN CIVILISATION AND MODERN MACHINES

Modern industrial civilization has had a huge impact on human kind as well as on the environment.
It made a small part of the population wealthy at the cost of exploiting the world's natural resources.
Gandhi believed that it propagates nothing other than the hunger for wealth and the greedy pursuit
of worldly pleasures.

WESTERN/MODERN CIVILISATION INDIAN CIVILISATION

Based on Materialism Based on Spiritualism
Cut throat competition Cooperation and universal upliftment
Breeds violence and exploitation Belief in non-violence and brotherhood
Individualist, hierarchical social order Community life emphasised

Exploitation of nature and excess use of Ecological balance and sustainable

resources development
Values and religion not relevant in politics Ethics and politics are complementary
Enslavement/ colonialism Live and let live
Power politics Ram Rajya, Sarvodaya
Mass production (industrialisation) Production by the masses (employment)

Hind Swaraj, published in 1909, criticized the modern civilization as" 'satanic'. He observed that
'machinery is the chief symbol of modern civilization; it represents a great sin. It is machinery that
has impoverished India. Gandhi believed that the ancient civilizations were religious in nature
which would surely limit worldly ambitions.

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 Gandhi believed that true civilizational values are not present in modern civilization.
Gandhi's critique of western civilization and science emanates from his dissatisfaction with
the divorce of science and progress from morality. He was not against the technology, but
the technologism which creates a hierarchical relationship among men as well as between
men and nature.
 Modern civilization involved an egregious amount of violence against nature which was
largely seen as man's property. Natural resources were ruthlessly exploited and their
rhythm and balance disturbed while animals were killed or tortured for human needs.
 Gandhi believed that villages would soon disappear due to the urbanization which is part
of modern civilization, and of which environmental degradation is a product.
 While the western environmentalists spread the message of "going back to the nature"
Gandhi spread the message of "going back to the villages". He believed that the "the blood
of the village is the cement with which the edifice of the cities is built.
 Gandhi asserted that "true economics stands for social justice; it promotes the good of all
equally, including the weakest and is indispensable for decent life".
 Politically, British colonial rule subjugated and oppressed Indians, and enforced a system
where the white British controlled the economic structure.
 Economically, for centuries, the British East India Company exploited the natural resources
of the region, generating massive profits and forming a monopoly from trade.
 Morally and culturally, over time, British culture and lifestyle infiltrated every aspect of
Indian life, impacting the legal system, medicine, science, education, religion, and the very
foundation of Indian society. This notion was finally broken by Gandhi ji through his
ideological critique of western civilization.
 But in the modern mechanistic and rationalistic society individual freedom stands for an
abstract individualism. The harsh reality is that in this highly mechanised and industrialised
society, an individual is also becoming a commodity.
 In his ideal state of Ramrajya, both the individual and society are developing on parallel
lines. Both are interdependent, intermingled and complementary. Cooperation instead of
competition is the fundamental law in Gandhi’s Ramrajya.

 Gandhi’s critique of the British is grounded in opposition to many aspects of British life,
government, and rule over India.
 Gandhi in 1908, in Hind Swaraj, denounced all the instruments and institutions of Western
civilization.
 Gandhi’s critique of British colonialism was grounded in a rejection of cultural and racial
supremacy; capitalism or socioeconomic inequality; and materialism.
 Therefore, Gandhi employed the concepts of Swaraj and satyagraha in his effort to liberate the
Indian people from the stranglehold of British rule.
 For him, the salvation of India lies in unlearning most of the things she had learned from the
British.

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 Tolstoy’s writings strengthened Gandhi’s ability to resist Westernization and build a new culture
from traditional foundations.
 He challenged the practicalities of modern western civilization.
 According to him, modern civilization was equal to darkness and disease.
 He condemned severely western democratic politics because they were plague-ridden with a
threefold contradiction.
 Gandhi even criticized the Parliamentary form of governance that has its origin in Western
civilization.
 Gandhi never aspired for a Parliamentary democracy but Swaraj, wherein there is a scope for self-
regulation and the state, though not wither away, it would govern the least.
 Gandhi concentrated that non-violence could lead to an exact democracy. Democracy and violence
could not be reconciled.
 As an idea and strategy, swaraj gained unusually in the context of the nationalist articulation of
the freedom struggle and the growing democratization of the political processes that have already
brought in hitherto socio-economic and cultural differences.
 Through constantly targeting the concept of western superiority, through which the British justified
their rule over half of the world and India, Gandhi contested the rule of British. His thoughts on
western civilizations and practices opened the eyes of Indian masses about the bubble that the
British have created. Swaraj became the demand of Indians and the gradual benevolence of the
British was no longer sort after.
 These ideals and his severe condemnation of modern western civilization played a decisive role in
bringing about what Nehru called “a vast psychological revolution” among the Indian masses,
which led to the success of the largely non-violent Indian national movement.
 Gandhi was also a pioneer in pointing out the inherent divisiveness, exploitation, marginalization,
violence and moral deficiency of the project of Western modernity.

GANDHIAN VIEWS ON MODERN EDUCATION AND HIS IDEA OF NAI TALIM

Education means process of continuous enrichment and development of human personality by
various means. Gaining Knowledge is one of the way to enrich our mind.
Gandhiji's philosophy on education encompassed diverse aspects of individual and society &
theory and practicality.

His education philosophy includes:

1. Education with livelihood: Means to earn while one is learning so that one can imbibe
characteristics of industriousness.
Relevance: today, when whole society is under the grip of mad rush of knowledge gaining without
its application rendering many jobless as they are without skill.

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2. Focus on collectivity: he stood against anarchy and extreme individualism. His main focus
was on society with responsible individuals.
Relevance: Modern world is characterised by self-centric individual which has disregard for
society which has given rise to enormous social evils.

3.Service to mankind- is service to god

Relevance: When humanity has dip to its lowest point and compassion has lost its ground among
humans, this service is the most important.

 “By education, I mean all round development, drawing out the best in child and man –
body, mind and spirit”- Gandhi.

 The essence of Gandhi’s philosophy of Education (“Nayi Taleem”) rests in attaining self-
sufficiency, confidence, character building and inculcation of moral values in a person.
Education for him is the “awakening of the soul”.
 i. Free and compulsory education for all: To achieve the goal of “Sarvodaya” (upliftment
of all).
ii. Earn and Learn.
iii. Emphasis on extracurricular activities, skill development and vocational training
rather than bare bookish knowledge.
iv. Daily manual work for personal hygiene, environmental conservation and realizing
the value of labour; participation in social work.
v. Learning in our mother tongues.
vi. Cultural development and religious tolerance.

Nai Talim (Wardha Scheme of Basic Education) of Mahatma Gandhi:

 The phrase Nai Talim is a combination of two words- Nai means ‘New’ and Talim – a
Urdu word which means ‘Education’.
 Mahatma Gandhi introduced the concept of Nai Talim in 1937.
 The concept laid emphasis on making mother tongue as the medium of instruction in
addition to free compulsory education and skill training to the students.
 The concept was based on four basic principles:
 Education or learning in mother tongue along with handicraft work
 Work should be linked with most useful vocational needs of the locality
 Learning should be linked with vocational work and
 Work should be socially useful and productive.
 Mahatma Gandhi believed that education is one of the most important ingredients in the
development of an individual as well as the society and the nation as a whole. A nation
with educated citizens can develop at a far better speed compared to that with uneducated
population. He believed that every child in India must be educated as education is the key
to a good living.

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 Mahatma Gandhi wanted every child to attend school and seek education. He left no chance
to propagate the importance of education. However, he did not conform to the Indian
education system.
 His philosophy on education differed a great deal from the education system being
followed in our country. While the schools in India focused on theoretical knowledge,
Gandhi ji suggested laying emphasis on practical knowledge.
 He believed that it is a better way to invoke interest and create thorough understanding of
the subject. He also believed that the students must be taught social skills and the need to
support each other to grow as a nation.
 He believed that schools must work upon invoking the feeling of patriotism among
students.
 Gandhi ji aimed for Free and Compulsory Education
 Gandhi ji believed that education is the key to better living. He promoted the right to basic
knowledge. He was well aware about the social and economic condition of fellow Indians.
He knew that even though there are many people who want to send their children to school
however they cannot afford the same.
 Thus, he appealed to make education free for students until the age of 14. He also wanted
education to be made compulsory for all so that no one suffers due to lack of knowledge.
 Gandhi ji wanted to see our country bloom with educated youth as he believed education
has the power to show the right path to an individual.
 Mahatma Gandhi’s aim of education was to bring out the best in a student by working on
various aspects. He believed that education must be such that it develops a student
mentally, physically, morally, aesthetically and spiritually.
 People should be Educated, Not Just Literate
 The term literacy is often used synonymously with education. It is often said that we need
to increase the literacy rate for the growth and development of the country. However,
Gandhi ji did not conform to this idea. He believed that literacy alone cannot help.
 He emphasized the need to understand the difference between education and literacy and
promoted education. He said that merely teaching children to read and write and learn
different subjects would not help. They need to be trained thoroughly to understand various
other aspects and grow at a deeper level.
 Gandhi ji strongly believed that a child can truly develop if we educate him properly and
try to bring out the best in him. For doing so he suggested various tools. One of the main
tools suggested by Gandhi ji to ensure better understanding of the subject was to focus on
practical knowledge rather than theoretical knowledge. He believed that this was a good
way to invoke the student’s interest in the subject and provide greater understanding about
the same.
 Gandhi ji also emphasized upon teaching the students in their mother tongue. He believed
that students can understand a subject better if it is taught in their mother tongue. As per
him, this will bring in clarity of thoughts and ideas. Besides this way students would not

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only be able to understand better but will also be able to express their ideas and views with
ease. The classroom sessions would thus become more interactive and interesting.
 Gandhi ji also believed that education must build a student’s character and not just impart
knowledge on different subjects. He said that the students must be made socially aware
from the beginning. Social awareness must be given to the students in school.
 He also appealed to use non-violent ways to teach and train students so that they enjoy their
sessions and look forward to them rather than staying in constant fear of the teacher.
 Thus, Gandhi’s aim of education was simple. It was basically the all round development
of the students and he suggested many tools and principles for the same.

Gandhiji’s educational philosophy has been widely appreciated and accepted. He had a very
practical view on education and believed it should work on developing every aspect of a person
and not just help him to read and write. He talked at length about the kind of education the Indian
schools should render to their students.

Main Principles of Gandhi’s Educational Philosophy

 All Round Development- Gandhi ji stated that the main aim of education should be to draw the
best out of a person’s mind, body and soul. This is to say that he must not only develop at the
mental level but also at physical, spiritual, aesthetic and intellectual level. The aim should not just
be to provide literacy but to develop the students in every aspect.

 Free Compulsory Education- Gandhiji believed that education can change a person for good and
also help in the development of the nation. Since many people in our country cannot afford to
educate their children, he suggested free education for the children aged 7 to 14 years. He also
suggested that education should become compulsory.

 Mother Tongue as the Medium of Instructions- Gandhi ji believed that our mother tongue must
be the medium of instruction for education. This would help in better understanding and clarity of
ideas. It would also help in better expression of ideas and promote interactive session.

 Craft Centered Education-Gandhi ji believed that handicraft was the means to develop the mind
as well as soul. Thus, schools must not focus on theoretical knowledge. They must instead
introduce craft from the pre-primary classes. This would help in invoking creativity, innovation
and also enhance the mind-hand coordination among the various other benefits.

 Creed of Non-ViolenceAs per Gandhi ji, it was essential to apply the principle of non-violence
while educating and training the students for their proper development. The use of violence
invokes the feeling of fear and does not give the freedom of expression to the students. It hampers
a child’s creativity.

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 Emphasis on Practice rather than Theory-The Indian education gives importance to theoretical
knowledge and practical knowledge takes a back seat. Gandhi ji stressed upon giving practical
lessons to the students as he believed that this helps in active participation of the students in the
class. On the other hand, during theoretical sessions students are just passive listeners and tend to
lose interest in the lecture every now and then. Practical sessions help in creating a better
understanding of the subject.

 Social Awareness and Service-Gandhi ji believed that it is important for everyone to be socially
aware. This must be taught from the very beginning. Besides, love for motherland must also be
invoked among students. They must be encouraged to live in coordination with their fellow citizens
and help them whenever need be. Schools must conduct special programs to promote the same.
 Antyodaya- education should result in development from grassroots. Self-sufficiency and
vocational efficiency with dignity of labour for every individual.
 Women empowerment- when a man is educated an individual is educated; when a woman is
educated, the family is educated.

A well-educated and qualified leader, Mahatma Gandhi left no opportunity to talk about the
importance of education. He spoke at length about the significance of education and encouraged
the people of India to educate their children for their better future. He also appealed to the
government to support the education of children belonging to the poor families.

GANDHIAN VIEWS ON WOMEN

 Gandhi visualized a fundamental role for women as instruments of social change because
they constituted the primary influence on the future citizens of the country and half the
nation’s strength in terms of population.
 Gandhi’s unconscious guide in shaping his attitude to women was his mother, Putlibai,
whom he deeply revered for her “saintliness”. His intellectual guide was the image of the
ideal wife of Hindu literature, whom he describes as ardhangana, the better half.
 Gandhi was of the opinion that women were superior to men in their moral and spiritual
strength. They had greater powers of self-sacrifice and suffering.

 The family was the crucible of society where future citizens, leaders and lawgivers were
nurtured. Hence, it was here that the mother could mould the values and traits of her
children in a direction that could lead to social progress. The ultimate aim was to teach
children to be self-reliant and not keep them dependent on the family’s resources.

 He was also of the opinion that housework must be divided equally between boys and girls
as the home belonged to both. Also, both boys and girls ought to have vocational training
in some occupation so as to assure them a future livelihood when the need arose.

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 Gandhi envisaged an important political role for women vis-a-vis the power structure in
society and the foundations of an equitable and non-violent social order.

 With the backing of education and the discriminating use of their political rights, they could
affect the process of decision making in the nation and initiate appropriate changes at all
levels to promote the values of social and economic equality. Though laws by themselves
had not much meaning, they were very important for setting norms, so politically and
socially conscious women should agitate for the framing of legislation, which accorded
them equal status in society. Simultaneously, strong and continuous agitation through the
press and other platforms was necessary to rouse public opinion, which was the best
sanction of law.

 From the very beginning of his public career in India, Gandhi made strongly worded
appeals to women to join the national struggle in large numbers. The response was
overwhelming.

 In the non-cooperation campaign of 1920-22, women’s contribution to the satyagraha fund

in terms of personal jewellery was phenomenal; they also played a notable part in the
propagation of khadi in defiance of government orders, and in picketing liquor shops as
part of the temperance campaign.

 In his plan for promoting communal harmony, eradicating untouchability and popularizing
his revolutionary scheme of Basic Education, Gandhi held that women could play a central
role as they had creative powers and a tremendous capacity for self-sacrifice.

 To deal with issues specifically affecting women, such as child marriage, dowry, sati,
purdah and prostitution, there was a need to change certain deep rooted values in society.

 Gandhi not only exhorted women to undertake the tasks of their own ‘uplift’, but also
squarely attacked the scriptures and the social customs and conventions that had devalued
women’s status and upheld women’s social, political and legal equality.

 Modern technology, consumerism and lack of effective instruments have allowed, women
no real progress even while allowing greater mobility and visibility to women from the
middle and elite classes. Visibility alone is not empowerment in the real sense.
 Mahatma Gandhi believed that satyagraha was the most powerful weapon in a nonviolent
struggle. Satyagraha involves defiance. It involves the willful, peaceful, breaking of laws
that are unjust. It means picketing, protesting, squatting, obstructing, challenging and
publicly resisting wrongs. Since women were the most nonviolent and ardent lovers of
peace, it could be sharpened and extended as a weapon in women's struggles for justice

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and equality. To him, the ultimate ahimsa and satyagraha was when women, in vast
numbers, rose up to put an end to the destructive aspects of male dominance in society.
 The superior qualities of women and the intrinsic difference between man and woman was
something Gandhi kept highlighting. Since he believed that women could bring about
swaraj better: women were the very embodiment nonviolence, for him they were greater
soldiers and beneficiaries of his swaraj campaigns.

 While all women's agendas prescribe peace and nonviolence, the feminisation of the
military and police and, the expanding membership of women in militant groups that do
not abjure the use of arms are all a sad cry away from what Gandhi viewed to be a woman's
special role.
 While middle class women were visibly active side by side with Mahatma Gandhi, wearing
khadi, going to jail, organising resistance on the British in some creative and selfless way,
the socially conscious middle class woman of today has largely shunned direct political
activity, preferring to seek more secure ground in funded social work through voluntary
organisations. A growing number of emancipated, educated, young women are being
diverted by market oriented consumerism in the name of modernity and liberation. They
become packaged products for the marriage, beauty or fashion markets, a professionalised
catering to "the vanities" that Gandhi spoke of.

 It adopted universal franchise before many other nations. Yet men in the political structure
refuse to acknowledge the relationships between social justice and gender justice while
women outside the political system are unable to effectively implement and integrate these
two most powerful national and international agendas.
 The increasing criminalization of politics and the use of vast sums of black money and ugly
muscle power by caste and criminal gangs present an entire hostile environment for women
who wish to pursue a political career. With both caste and gender groups perpetuating
traditional and modern divisions and indigenous human resources being replaced by
western technologies the mission of Gandhi and the dreams of women are yet to be
fulfilled.

 He offered spinning and the salt agitation as nonviolent ways for women to join the political
movement for swaraj. He saw it as right as well as possible for women at that time in
history. By 1940, he had provided modifications to his earlier more generalized approach
to women's contribution to public life. In an issue of the Harijan of that year there are
questions about the rising participation of women in activities outside the home.
 He referred to women as the noble sex. Women are a personification of self-sacrifice and
ahimsa. They can transform India at all levels.
 At the All India Women’s Conference on 23 December 1936, Gandhi said- when woman
whom we call abala becomes sabala, all those who are helpless will become powerful.

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 Bhadra mahila (responsible/new women) created by social reformers are a model for Indian
women in the nationalist era.
 He was associated with the Bhagini Samaj and All India Women’s Council. He inspired
and also was inspired by Annie Besant, Sarojini Naidu, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya,
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and Pushpaben Mehta.

GANDHIAN VIEWS ON HINDU-MUSLIM RELATIONS

 Hindu-Muslim unity and the removal of untouchability were two of Mahatma Gandhi's
principal public goals. Gandhi repeatedly maintained that these two goals were more
important to him than swaraj or independence.
 He believed that cooperation between Hindus and Muslims was important for
India's independence and nationhood. In the absence of Hindu-Muslim harmony, he was
opposed to swaraj. He desired that neither community would be repressed in an
independent India.
 He supported Khilafat movement.
 He opposed separate electorate for Dalits and Muslims. He opposed the partition of India.

GANDHIAN VIEWS ON COW PROTECTION

 He believed in Goseva, establishment of Goshalas and pastureland for cattle.

 He believed that cow seeks only grass and grain from humans and gives bountiful. A cow
is equivalent to the mother as the cow produces milk like a mother.
 Cow is a symbol of non-violence
 His approach towards Muslims consuming beef- We should approach our Mohmaddean
brothers and urge them to protect the cow for the sake of the nation.
 In the Directive Principles of State Policy, the Gandhian principle of cow protection has
been adopted as a part of India’s constitution.
 I worship it and I shall defend its worship against the whole world- Gandhi
 Mother cow is as useful dead as when she is alive. We can make use of every part of her
body-her flesh, her bones, her intestines, her horns and her skin.
 Cow protection to me is one of the most wonderful phenomena in human evolution. It takes
the human being beyond this species. The cow to me means the entire sub-human world.
Man through the cow is enjoined to realize his identity with all that lives.
 Cow protection is the gift of Hinduism to the world.
 Cow slaughter can never be stopped by law. Knowledge, education, and the spirit of
kindliness towards her alone can put an end to it. It will not be possible to save those
animals that are a burden on the land or, perhaps, even man if he is a burden.
 Cow protection to me is not mere protection of the cow. It means protection of that lives
and is helpless and weak in the world- Gandhi

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 Preservation of cattle is a vital part of Goseva. It is a vital question for India. There is urgent
need for deep study and the spirit of sacrifice. To know how to preserve cattle, to impart
this knowledge to the millions, to live up to the ideal oneself, and to spend money on this
endeavour is real business.
 Gandhi desired the state to ensure the following-
1. The State should buy every cow offered for sale on the open market by out-bidding every
other buyer.
2. The State should run dairies in all principal towns ensuring a cheap, consistent supply of milk
and all non-violent bi-products.
3. The State should run tanneries where the hides, bones, etc., of all dead cattle in its possession
may be utilized. They should also offer to buy all privately-owned dead cattle.
4. The State should keep model cattle farms (goshalas) and instruct people in the art of breeding
and keeping cattle.
5. The State should make a liberal provision for pasture land and import the best experts in the
world for imparting knowledge of the science of cattle to all people.
6. There should be a separate department created for this purpose and no profit should be made
so that people may receive the full benefit of every improvement that might be made in the
different breeds of cattle and other matters pertaining to them.
Gandhi also argued that Hindus rather than Muslims caused far more violence against cows.
Muslims might actually slaughter cows, but Hindus who traded their cows away, for export to
places like Australia where they were slaughtered, were equally complicit. He also questioned how
people could be against cow-slaughter, but ignore how bulls were mercilessly goaded and cows
forced to give milk on a daily basis.

 As the nationalist movement grew, he had less time for cows, but appointed a follower,
Balwant Sinha, to run the Sevagram dairy as an example.
 The Times of India reported on July 28th, 1947 of a speech in which Gandhi spoke of the
many calls for cow slaughter to be banned in the new country.

GANDHIAN VIEWS ON UNTOUCHABILITY AND CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA

 Mahatma Gandhi had popularised the term ‘Harijan’ (literally, children of God) in the
1930s to counter the pejorative charge carried by caste names.
 In 1932, Gandhi founded the Harijan Sevak Sangh as part of his efforts to eradicate the
concept of ‘untouchability from India’s caste system.
 He advocated positive means for the uplift of Harijans. He addressed various public
meetings reposing doctrines of Harijan welfare. He led several processions of Harijans with
other upper caste people and made them participate in “poojas, bhajans, kirtans and
Puranas”.

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 In “Young India”, he wrote that “Temples, public wells and public schools must be open
to the untouchables equally with caste Hindus.”

 He was in favour of Varna system which implies vocational classification. But was
against the caste system which breeds inequality and untouchability.
 The present caste system is the very antithesis of varnashrama. The sooner public
opinion abolishes it, the better. He suggested that all Hindus should voluntarily call
themselves shudras, who were supposed to be the lowest in the social scale.
 He rejected the notion that untouchability was an essential part of Hinduism; it was,
he said, a ‘plague which it is the bounden duty of every Hindu to combat’. In the
1920s, he had been prepared to defend taboos on inter-dining and inter-marriage
between members of different castes as exercises in self-restraint.

 He saw untouchability as one of the principal obstructions in reforming and uniting

Hindus and by extension the whole of the Indian nation. He realised the whole moral
basis for asking for freedom from the colonial masters would be rendered void and
hollow if Indians continued to condone and acquiesce in the practice of
untouchability. Hence Gandhi focussed on removal of untouchability with an energy
and zeal that was unprecedented in the history of Indian social and political
movements.
 He regarded untouchability as “the hate fullest expression of caste”. He made it his
life’s mission to wipe out untouchability and to uplift the de pressed and the
downtrodden people. As a servant of mankind, he preached that all human beings
are equal and hence the Harijans too have a right for social life along with other
caste groups.
 He appealed to the conscience of the people to realise the historical necessity of
accommodating the “Harijans” by providing them a rightful place in the society.
 Gandhiji had much compassion for the Harijans. He said: “I do not want to be
reborn. But if I am to be born, I would like to be born an untouchable, so that I may
share their sorrows and sufferings.” He was of the opinion that the practice of
untouchability was a moral crime.

 Gandhiji who regarded untouchability as a blot on Hinduism wanted to do away

with it completely. He wrote in 1920 “Without the removal of the taint [of
untouchability], “Swaraj” is a meaningless term.” He even felt that the foreign
domination of our country was the result of our exploitation of almost one -sixth of
our own people in the name of religion.
 He advocated positive means for the uplift of Harijans. He addressed various public
meetings reposing doctrines of Harijan welfare. He led several processions of
Harijans with other upper caste people and made them participate in “poojas,
bhajans, keerthans and puranas”.

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 He believed that opportunities of education and temple entry would reduce social
inequalities between Harijans and caste Hindus. He launched movements for
cleaning Harijan residential areas, for digging wells for them and for similar other
beneficial things.
 Gandhiji served the “Harijan Sevak Sangha” started by the social reformer Takkar
Bapa in the year 1932 for working out the religious and social welfare of the
Harijans. The organisation opened schools and dispensaries in various places and
arranged for free educational facilities and scholarships for Harijan children.

 As a much respected political leader of the masses, Gandhiji could never ignore the
tasks of the removal of untouchability and upliftment of Harijans. Gandhiji entered
the Indian freedom struggle in 1919.
 From 1920 onwards, under the leadership of Gandhiji the Indian National Congress
became committed to get the independence on the one hand and to the removal of
untouchability on the other. In 1920 itself, he declared that “Untou chability cannot
be given a secondary place in the programme” of Congress.

 Gandhiji was very much against the British policy of “divide and rule”. He
condemned the British policy of separating the Harijans from the rest of the Hindus.
Hence he protested against the proposal of creating separate electorate for the
Harijans. He said to Ambedkar who was in favour of the proposal, that “the political
separation of the untouchables from the Hindus would be suicidal to the nation.”
 Gandhiji declared at the Minorities Committee of the Second Round Table
Conference in London [1932] that “we do not want the untouchables to be classified
as a separate class. Sikhs may remain such in perpetuit y, so many Muslims and
Christians. Will the untouchables remain untouchables in perpetuity? I would rather
feel that Hinduism died than that untouchability lived. I will resist it with my life.”

Gandhiji has been criticized for not recognizing Caste System as the root cause of Untouchability.
Events like his opposition to separate electoral for depressed class, Poona pact etc. sometimes
appear doubtful but certainly his fight for any kind of discrimination helped in restoring feeling of
unity among people which resulted in India’s independence. His efforts during struggle mobilized
the mass against British oppression.

 Although Gandhi supported the Varna System he was against the pernicious caste system
including the practice of untouchability. He vehemently condemned this practice. He
exhorted the Hindus to accept the untouchables as their equals in order to defeat the British
policy of divide and rule. He felt the same about Hindu-Muslim unity as well. He dedicated
his life for the removal of untouchability which he made a part and parcel of his political
and social reform movement in India.

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 God would forgive the injustice being done to the untouchables only if the Hindus rid
themselves of the despicable practice of untouchability. He emphasized that there should
be equality among all people in India. He believed that this in turn would bring about about
the world-wide changes to the benefit of all mankind. If the Hindus followed this rule it
would create confidence and friendship among other communities towards the Hindus
themselves.
He warned that if this blot was not removed, the entire Hindu society might have to face the peril
of its own inevitable destruction. He pointed out that the practice of untouchability did not have
the approval of the Hindu religion either. In order to remove untouchability, he called himself an
untouchable and very often lived in the midst of the Harijans. He called upon all inhabitants of his
Ashram to cleanse the Ashram themselves. He organised the Harijan Sewak Sangh with the
objective of eradicating the evil of untouchability. Such a movement in his view would promote
the well-being of this community as a whole. Inspired by Gandhi’s views, the Constitution of India
under Article 17 has banned the practice of untouchability.

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