The active spiritual/ political life of Gandhi may be divided into two phases, the first phase is from childhood through South Afirca days to 1919 when he is trying to seek equality for the Indians within the British Empire and the second phase beginning with non-cooperation movement in 1920 when he is ready to call himself a rebel and make a fight to the finish with the British Imperialism. In the first phase, Gandhi is professing faith that British institutions will grant justice to India and we have to make ourselves worthy of it. This professed faith is seemingly intact even during the first world war, Rowlett act and jalianwala bagh. Only when the Hunter Commission report is published and British refuse to give justice that he looses faith declares himself a rebel. However he is still a supporter of British connection, perhaps till the end. A shrewed Gandhi, a clever Gandhi, a master tactician, willing to sacrifice himself and yet fighting to win…. we do not have simple challenge before us. In 1921 Gandhi became mahatma and emerged as the larger than life figure. However to call him a atimanav will only distort his message, though we can certainly grant that he was a mahamanav.
Hind swaraj is his manifesto for India written in 1908. Gandhi’s own inspirations and methods were wholly and solely inspired by Hind swaraj and it was his personal manifesto, whether others believed in it or not. Therefore the centenary year of publication of hind swaraj should be an occasion to review the book but his whole life and struggle in light of hind swaraj. ( This is despite his observation that the present struggle for independence was not being fought for the ideas contained in Hindswaraj but on the contrary for parliamentary swaraj which was condemned in Hind swaraj. ) Hind swaraj has never been systematically debated. We feel a fundamental debate around this work will help those who are opposed to present system of oppression.
In our methodology, we are not limiting ourselves to the textual analysis of Hind Swaraj. We see an inner consistency in Gandhi’s life and works, despite some seeming inconsistencies. For us his two autobiographies, ekadash vrata, his major speeches and letters, his constructive programme, and other commentaries on his life and works are equally important sources to understand hind swaraj. By this method we are trying to understand Gandhi’s life and message with hind swaraj as the central theme. There are others who have either dismissed hind swaraj as unimportant or idiosyncratic work and yet made a atimanav of Gandhi. This is not our approach.
While we are not making a vad out of Gandhi, we do think that Gandhi stands on his own and cannot be fitted into any of the other established doctrine e.g. alternative modernity. In Gandhi’s own words he is a votary of Gita. He believes in eternal struggle of the forces of good and evil and he is not looking for a final solution in this battle, since this battle is eternal. He is willing to to depend on god as his first and last refuse in this battle and not bothered about the results. Therefore he is not providing any panacea or solution in the modern sense of the term. However his faith in god also makes him assert that humanity is gradually evolving and hope is essential to faith- this seems a contradiction with his scathing critique of contemporary society. However he is not keeping the final judgment in his own hand but leaving it on God. He central concern is the spiritual growth and moral action.
What is unique to Gandhi is that while he is inspiring us with highest ideals, he is at the same time a pragmatist and realist and wanting us to take a very pragmatic approach. This is the central paradigm of Gandhism. He wants the soul to make utmost effort but at the same time he realizes that with body, there is imperfection and we have to live with this. Perhaps, for him, the life does not end with body and the journey with body is only an opportunity for the evolution of soul, so he wants us to be patient and also look beyond body and beyond this life. This also makes him fearless, which is the basis of truth and non-violent action.
Human to human relationship is the first casualty of modern society, whatever we understand by modernism. The ethos of ahimsa, first of all should be socio-economic equality. By ignoring the people in our neighborhood, we are laying a foundation for violence. Therefore the first challenge is to challenge the orientation towards selfishness and violence being inculcated within the family institution today.
Our central inspiration is ahimsa which we have learnt from Gandhi. However many of his key opponents are also claim to have ahimsa as their creed and would not like to take inspiration from Gandhi. The purpose of this work is to present a case for ahimsa as can be learnt from Gandhi. However that should not hinder a process of cooperation between all who believe in ahimsa, despite their different views on Gandhi and other thinkers.
