Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as “Mahatma” was born on

the 2nd October 1869, at Porbandar in Kathiawad. After becoming a lawyer, he
got an offer from an Indian firm in South Africa and went there. In South Africa,
he started his non-violent civil disobedience movement in protest of the Asiatic Act
and Transvaal Immigration Act. In 1915,he returned to India .
Gandhi was a prolific writer. One of Gandhi's earliest publications, Hind
Swaraj, published in Gujarati in 1909.Gandhi also wrote several books including
his autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth. His most important
source of inspiration was Bhagavad gita. He found a solution to every problem
from and learned the philosophy of self control which he followed throughout his
life. Shrimad Rajchandra, jain poet was influenced Gandhi later he was his spiritual
guru, Rajchandra’s adherence to the principles of satya, ahimsa and dharma later
became the fundamental tenets of Gandhism. From Buddhism and Jainism he
learned the philosophy of non violence.
Although Gandhi was an Indian and a staunch nationalist, there was a
profound influence of the West on him. He was very largely influenced by Western
thinkers and writers. Leo Tolstoy by his book ''The Kingdom of God is within you'
John Ruskin-Author of “Unto This Last "overwhelmed him very much. Gandhi
had a strong inclination towards the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.Gandhi was
influenced by the political ideas of Gopal Krishna and considered him as his
“Political Guru''. Gandhi learnt his faith in non-violence from Jainism. The Bible
gave him the sermon not to hurt anybody’s heart. It also taught him to love and to
do well for others. Gita taught him to render selfless service.
Moral ideas
1. GANDHI’S PERCEPTION ON TRUTH
The word satya (Truth) is derived from Sat which means 'being'.
Truth is the most cardinal principle of Gandhism. He believed that there is no good
higher than truth. "Truth is God and God is Truth." He searched for truth
throughout his life. He writes, ‘for me truth is the sovereign principle which
includes numerous other principles. According to Gandhi , ‘truth means the
purification of mind’. Knowledge and intuition are the means of finding out the
truth.
 He was of the opinion that a truthful person will not harm his opponents
but will make them friends. He always considered truth as the ideal, and
continuously strived for its achievement. He firmly believed that only a society
based on truth can become an ideal society.
2. NON-VIOLENCE
Ahimsa is the central concept of the Gandhian ideals. Ahimsa means
non-injury, non-harm or inoffensiveness. Ahimsa requires the follower to respect
all life. Infact, non-violence and truth were to him two sides of the same coin. A
seeker of truth always follows the path of non-violence. Non-violence means not to
harm any person, not even to one's opponent in any way.
Gandhiji was against the propagation of violence in one's thought,
words, actions and deeds. A follower of non-violence does not torture others
through his words, actions and deeds.Hence the realisation of Ahimsa was essential
to realise Satya. Non-violence as stated is an approach of a person with a
developed soul and when put in practice we get Satyagraha. Gandhi’s ultimate aim
of non violence is even to love the so called enemies.
Now the United Nations has decided to celebrate each year 2nd of October
(Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi) as World Non-violence Day. It is a tribute to
Mahatma Gandhi's love for Non-violence.
3. GANDHIAN THEORY OF SATYAGRAHA
Satyagraha is a term comprising two words; satya or truth, and agrah or
insistence.According to Gandhi, satyagraha means "scrupulous regard for
truth".Satyagraha is a relentless search for truth and a determination to teach truth
through nonviolent means. It literally means holding on to the truth.
Satyagraha is more than a political tool of resistance. It is a holistic approach
towards life, based on the ideals of truth and moral courage.
The essential principle of Satyagraha is not to obliterate or wound the
adversary, but to convert or win him by love, compassion, endurance and
self-suffering. Satyagraha, as a means of social action, is based on a strong moral
substance. Satyagraha abstains from evil activities, stimulating and encouraging
everyone in peacemaking through love, compassion, benevolence and doing good
to others, even our opponents. Satyagraha is considered as the method for
reconstructing, remolding, and reshaping human nature through moralizing human
activities.
Techniques of Satyagraha
 a. Non-cooperation
Non-cooperation mainly means the withdrawal of cooperation from the
party. The purpose behind non-cooperation is not to extend any cooperation to an
unjust authority. Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement against the British
government considered many practical measures like surrender of titles, refusal to
attend government sponsored functions, withdrawal of students from government
run educational institutions, boycott of government courts etc. It also includes
refusal to join any government service, not to participate in elections, boycott of
foreign goods, non-payment of taxes etc. Through the non-cooperation movement
Gandhi tried to create courage and fearlessness among the people. It may appear
that the non-cooperation movement is to challenge the legal system of
administration. But Gandhi’s purpose was to make people conscious of their moral
responsibility to fight against injustice.
b. Civil Disobedience:
Civil disobedience is another practical method of satyagraha. It means the
breach of the unjust law or the statutory enactment of the government. Gandhi took
this idea of civil disobedience from David Thoreau, the American naturalist.
Gandhi made extensive application of civil disobedience in the course of India’s
freedom struggle. When there is a conflict between the legal duty and moral
responsibility Gandhi prefers the primacy of the moral.Further civil disobedience
may be offensive or defensive. Offensive disobedience includes disregard for the
statutory enactment of the state and so to say a non-violent revolt against the
administration. But defensive civil resistance or disobedience includes peaceful
demonstrations, public meetings, rallies, publishing views, ventilating the unjust
policies of the government, mobilizing public opinion etc.
c. Hijrat
Hijrat is an urdu word which literally means to migrate. According to Gandhi,
hijrat is a protest against the dictator in order to expel him out of the nation. One of
the main reasons for the people to resort to Hijrat is when they feel oppressed
either due to loss of self-respect or honorable living; they attempt to migrate
permanently to other places. In simple terms, it is a protest against the oppressor.
d. Fasting:
This was another strong weapon suggested by Gandhi in his non-violent
struggle for freedom. Fasting is considered as the most effective weapon of
Satyagraha to bring a change in the opponent. In the Gandhian scheme of things it
is the purest form of self-inflicted suffering. But great caution is to be maintained
in resorting to it. Only on rare occasions can one resort to it. Without purity of
mind, discipline and humility one should not undertake a fast. It is the last resort of
the Satyagrahi.
e. Boycott
Gandhi’s yet another tactic came in the form of boycotting goods. This method
was very useful in pressurizing the authority. Boycotting involves persons, goods,
clothes, titles, persons. In the non-cooperation and the civil disobedience of both
the movements the nation was called to boycott British goods and many of the
institutions that were British were boycotted.
f. Strike
It is mainly an instrument that a worker uses against an employer. The colonial
rule saw wide subjugation. Gandhi used this first during the 1918 mill workers
strike in Ahmedabad and asked workers to not work until the problem was solved.
It was a means to solve political and economic problems but to be a success the
strike must be non-violent and conviction should be nothing less than what is
needed. Gandhi was not in favor of Marxist principle of class war and forceful
takeover of the means of production from the bourgeoisie.A strike is meant to end
injustice, inefficiency, corruption and short-sightedness of the capitalists.
Qualifications of a Satyagrahi
1. Satyagrahi must have a living faith in God
2. Satyagrahi must believe in truth and non-violence as his creed and therefore
have a faith in the inherent goodness of human nature
3. Satyagrahi must be leading a chaste life and be ready and willing for the sake of
his cause to give up his life and his possessions.
4.Satyagrahi must be a teetotaler and be free from the use of other intoxicants in
order that his reason may be always unclouded and his mind constant.
5.Satyagrahi must carry out with a willing heart all the rules of discipline as may
be laid down from time to time.
4. GANDHIAN IDEAL SOCIETY OR RAM RAJYA
Ram Raj is an ideal social order based on equality, liberty and
non-violence. It is sometimes described as ‘Poorna Swarajyam’,’ Dharma Rajyam’,
sometimes ‘Swarajyam’. An important aspect of Gandhi’s Ram Raj is he has
combined politics with ethics and morality. It is a perfect State consisting of
enlightened persons, self-regulated and self- controlled following the principles of
non-violence.
In an ideal State, authority should be decentralized.In decentralizing the
authority, Gandhi gave scope to individual libertyAn individual in a Gandhian ideal
State should be selfless. He should not accumulate wealth. Accumulation of bread
and controlling labor will bring poverty to the State.
Swadeshi should be promoted because that is the characteristic feature of
Gandhian ideal State.To Gandhiji, State is not an end itself; it is rather a means to
the end. It is meant to do the greatest good of the greatest number of people.

Following the doctrine of Gita, Mahatma Gandhi said that the Varna system
should form the basis of the ideal State. As Varna is related to birth, every Varna
should render its labor to the betterment of the State. That will result in
non-possession and economic equality. This will bring complete social and
economic equality.
Thus, Gandhi’s concept of ideal State was based on non-violence
and truth. Spiritualized democracy, emphasis on duties, considering State as a
means to an end etc. were some of the factors which made Gandhi’s ideal State
distinct. In the Ideal society people were to lead a happy and peaceful life on the
basis of moral and spiritual values.
5. Swaraj:
Although the word swaraj means self-rule, Mahatma Gandhi gave it the
content of an integral revolution that encompasses all spheres of life. Gandhi
holds that self-rule or 'Swaraj' was nothing but self-determination of the individual
while taking decisions without depending upon others.By Real Swaraj Gandhi
meant the ‘welfare and happiness of the masses’. He wrote Swaraj as “a sacred
word, a Vedic word, meaning self-rule and self-restraint, and not freedom from all
restraint which independence often means.
Gandhi used the term swaraj both at the individual and national
levels. The individual swaraj means rule over one’s self. Control over one’s lust is
the main condition for individual swaraj. At the national level Gandhi meant
national self-rule in the fields of social, political, economic and moral. Gandhi
says, “swaraj is to be attained by educating the masses to a sense of their capacity
to regulate and control authority.” According to Gandhi economic swaraj means
self-sufficient individual, village and national economic freedom and also that
means decentralized economic power to all.
Grama swaraj
The Gandhian ideas of Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj system can become
vehicles for ushering in the much-needed social and political change by including
all the stakeholders in the process of decision-making and public policy
formulation. Thus, in Gram Swaraj, Gandhi focused on the holistic development of
individual objectives to attain happiness and harmony in the society. In Gram
Swaraj's concept, he thus emphasized economic development and social, cultural
and political development of the human being.
6. Sarvodaya:
Sarvodaya is a term meaning ‘Universal Uplift’ or ‘Progress of All’. The
term was first coined by Mahatma Gandhi as the title of his translation of John
Ruskin’s tract on political economy, “Unto This Last”.
Principles of the Sarvodaya
● There is no centralized authority, and there is a political and economic
atmosphere in the villages. Society will function on the basis of
non-violence.
● There will be no party system and majority rule and society will be free from
the evil of the tyranny of the majority.
● The sarvodaya society is socialist in the true sense of the term. All calling
will be the same moral, social and economical values. The individual
personality has the fullest scope for development.
● The sarvodaya society is based on equality and liberty. Sarvodaya stands
for the progress of all. Then it will be possible to realize the goal of: from
each according to his work and to each according to his needs.
● There will be no private property, the instrument of exploitation and the
source of social distinctions and hatred. Similarly, the profit motive will
disappear, rent and interest will go.
● The Sarvodaya Movement is based on Truth, Non-violence and Self-denial.
RELEVANCE OF GANDHI
Gandhiji not only gave India its freedom but also gave the world and us a new
thought on nonviolence and sustainable living. His teachings and experiments are
more valid today than ever before.
 The fundamental precepts of Gandhism are more relevant today when caste,
class and religious differences are so pronounced.
● The Gandhian technique of mobilizing people has been successfully
employed by many oppressed societies around the world under the
leadership of people like Martin Luther King in the United States, Nelson
Mandela in South Africa, and Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar, which is an
eloquent testimony to the continuing relevance of Mahatma Gandhi.
● Philosophy of non violence has great relevance in the contemporary 21st
century.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, Gandhian philosophy is not only simultaneously political, moral and
religious, it is also traditional and modern, simple and complex. Gandhi is
universally known as the most renowned theorist, philosopher and also the
practitioner of truth, love, non- violence, tolerance, freedom and peace. He was a
leader of his people, unsupported by any authority. He was very much concerned
with nature, the poor deprived and the downtrodden and he intended to alter the
evil, political, social, and economic system of the people. Truth, nonviolence,
Sarvodaya and Satyagraha and their significance constitute Gandhian philosophy
and are the four pillars of Gandhian thought.His mission was to reconstruct India
from below upwards a decentralized socio-political and economic order with
India's myriad villages as its base.