Inaugurated On 2nd October 2007

I am Thank-ful to Mrs. Radha Shriram for accepting to Inaugurate this blog on Gandhiji and his Philosophy....Her auspicious hands will take this blog to the masses and help disseminate the gandhian thoughts to Youths of Today who have little knowledge on Gandhiji and are more reluctant to Gandhiji's way namely Ahimsa (non voilence) and Satyagraha (Truth).

Gandhi ji In today's World

Aaditya On Gandhi ......Inaugurated By Radhi Shriram

This research work on Gandhiji is part of my Course on Life and Philosophy of Gandhiji, done at Let Us know Gandhi, T Nagar, Chennai.

I hope you will enjoy reading about the Demigod...
According to Einstein (in his own word) "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaḿ sṛjāmy aham.


Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of adharma — at that time I descend Myself.

For the Correct Roman Transcript of The Slokha above i thank EMMA (my classmate)

Are we living non-violently? Is it difficult to live non-violently?

NON-violence is a weapon, which is sharped than sward, faster than bullet, heavier than hammer and more destructful than an Atom Bomb. But it is not easy to use non-violence as weapon. It requires sheer tolerance, good leadership and belief in the system.

In todays fast pace life we want every thing easy, we are not ready for patient fighting, we want to use short-cut and faster methods and thus eventually we have surrendered to VIOLENCE and living are life in violence.

It exists in many forms, here violence not only implies the fightings and bombings and shootings but our inner self violence and out philosophy of life.

VIOLENCE has spread into every drop of blood in our body and in every gene of DNA of our cell. We have completely forgotten that an alternative exists called Non-Violence and could be practiced to win anything in more humble and gentle manner rather by eye for an eye methodology which makes whole world blind.

Non-violence could be achieved even in today’s world were everyone is back of other and threatens to use Nuclear Weapon. Non-Violence could definitely be followed but its not easy. It is difficult in the sense that it requires tolerance and patience but it is not difficult in the sense that it could not be followed.

In today’s world Non-violence is more relevant than in the days of Gandhi. Then the arms and ammunition had their own limitation and even violence did not take much lives. But today in Nuclear weapon era any streak of violence will ruin the earth and we will lose everything in the world.

As Einstein, the most famous and intelligent scientist ever said,

“I don’t know with what weapons will the third world war be fought but the fourth world war will be definetly fought by stones and sticks”.

It suggests what devastation Nuclear Weapons could do, son Non-violent is the only means to fight every problem faced by mankind today.

Non-Violence could not be followed by a system or a government but by every individual within himself. Non-violence should be followed as a means and not as alternative.

Not a mjor experience but I have a small experience in which contrast between violence and non-violence is seen and what could be achieved by both is clarified.

In school, when the management due to time pressure decided that every student should stay in school till 5 p.m. (3 p.m . is normal time) and should also come on Saturday and Sunday to school. Every one of us was baffled. When notice was served to every one, our senior friends (11th and 12th) came to us, we were in 10th, and called us to the ground.
They took stones and started breaking all glasses, class desk, benches, breaking chairs. Soon school authority came to ground, they tried unsuccessfully to control the guards of our school and nearby office and instructed to beat us. In this many of us ran away but senior guys started fighting against them. Eventually three senior boys broke their hands, tow broke their legs and were hospitalised. Next day school authority suspended all those senior boys of 11th and 12th for 2 months.

12th boys were not issued hall ticket for board exams and had to repeat one full year again. We were compelled to come to college on all holidays and finally nothing was achieved only few bones were broken.

Another incident occurred in my present college. For department festival, authorities decided to collect 500 Rs, each. It was too much to pay and we thought department should organize these festivals by college fund and our fees is too high , thus no one was willing to pay the amount. We decided to offer Non-cooperation and Non-violence. We all decided not to submit the fees, it was unanimous and every one without any exception should face any consequences arising of it. Authority took heavy toll and decided not to issue hall-ticket for upcoming semester exams without the fees. We did not give up but patiently waited for exams. And when time came authority had to bend on knees since not issuing hall ticket to full department was not possible and thus victory through Non-violence and Non-cooperation was achieved.

‘Non-violence is an old as hills” said Gandhi and we know hills never fail down they stand upright all the times, Non-violence is a power and method to fight for anything which guarantees success as in case of Gandhi, without any grievance to any side.

Relevance of Constructive Programme of Gandhiji in Today’s World

‘Constructive Program’ is a method to achieve ‘Purna-Swaraj’ i.e. complete Independence. It does not signify political independence but rather Economic and Social Independence.

Mahatma Gandhi started his ‘constructive Program’ in early 1940’s, as he had already foreseen political independence of India but the real independence of awareness and knowledge was nowhere to be found. He told “Complete Independence through truth and Non-violence means Independence of every unit, be it the humbles of the nation, without distinction of race, colour or creed’.

The most important factor of “Constructive Program’ as stressed by Gandhiji was communal Harmony. It was very relevant then and even now, when Godhra incidence and Akshar Dham (Temple) incidence has taught us the importance of communal harmony. Every one irrespective to his faith should show similar respect to all other faiths (religion) and should treat everyone with brotherhoodship. Until communal peace and religious indepencence (securality) is achieved no economic or social development can take place.

Another critical factor of constructive program was Removal of Untouchability. Today its not so relevant since due to efforts of government and other social organisaion this evil has been almost uprooted. Gandhiji considered it a blot on Hindustan and criticized it in anyform and anywhere. Addiction to intoxicants and narcotics was also heavily criticized by Gandhiji, though today due to strict laws it has been made a social evil.

Gandhiji gave a high importance to ‘Khadi’ industry in his constructive program. He said it brought a swadeshi mentality and abolition of foreign dependency. Today in Global economic world self sufficiency may not sound practical but Khadi approach still is relevant for Indian villages. Gandhiji always said “India lives in it villages”, thus he always focused on decentrralisatrion of industry from towns to villages. He dreamt of making villages as economic power. Its relevance has increased a lot since Manmohan Singh’s government also came to power on similar agendas of revolutionizing villages and has launched massive village development programme.

Education, as believed by Gandhiji is the character building process. Education is the most vital part of our society and even today it gains on importance. Primary education, basic education and adult education all serves the purpose of opening the third eye of a person who was in darkness.

Gandhiji always believed women to be the other side of the coin and stressed their importance in social and economical construction of India. Even for gaining political independence he used women very intelligently. They supported him in every of his programs like khadi, chakra, village industry etc.

Provincial languages and a national language could bring National Integrity to India, this was the Gandhian belief in his constructive program. He believed multilingual society to be ‘diversity in unity’. National language must be the most common one and Gandhi unhesitantly believed Hindi to be so. Its relevance is high because now and then there are small disputes among states about languages and step-motherly tendency towards National language.

“Economic Equality” as said by Gandhi means “abolishing the eternal conflict between the capital and labour”. The imparity in collection of wealth must be reduced and wealth must be spread in the masses. Gandhiji strongly believed that ‘Non-Voilent Governance is impossible with wide gulf between Rich and Hungry’. Economic stability has been the whole theme of Gandhiji’s Constructive Programme. Even today India struggles to equalise the difference is wealth of riches like Ambani’s and Birla’s with that of million of poor and hungry is every nook and corner of India.

The other factors of his constructive program were individual’s like Farmers (Kisans), Labour, Adivasis (Tribes) and students. There individuals have their own importance and relevance in the construction of India. Gandhiji has successfully utilised them in various stages of Freedom Struggle to gain Independence like formers in Champaran (Bihar) movement, Labours in Ahmedabad labour union movement and students during Non-cooperation and quit India movement. They can build up the mass and pressurize the government to bend its knees.

As quoted by Rabindra Nath Tagore (Nobel prize for literature) about Purna-swaraj- “it leads to freedom formfear, became fear of fear is the greatest darkness of all”. Gandhiji’s constructive programme aims to achieve that freedom from fear and to inculculate a feeling of freeness. Relevance of Gandhiji program will be more pronounced when India reaches the stage where its city and village become completely separated and out of context. Then movement in villages will be required, a village awareness and development would be required which could be achieved only by ’Non-violent constructive programme’.

Gandhiji’s Economic Philosophy. How far it is relevant today?

“India lives in its villages”, said Gandhi. Thus his economic Philosophy and views were also village centered.

Gandhiji believed in village economic zones, co-operatives, and Traditional industry. He believed in manual labour more than machinery. He discouraged mass manufacturing. He believed that it killed labour and destroyed villages. He believed in mass involvement rather than mass production. He visualized self sufficient India, rather self sufficient villages. He discouraged organic composition of capital and unequal distribution of wealth.

There is a misconception that he was against science and technology and development. A misconception that he wanted to banish machinery and large scale industry. Another misinterpretation of his philosophy is that he wanted to take India back to its villages. Infact Gandhiji was not against these things. To quote Gandhiji himself “Machinery has its place, it has come to a stage. But it must not be allowed to dispose a necessary labour”.

Gandhiji was only worried about the Industrial mass scale expansion which acted in an antagonistic to village economy. As he stated in Harijan (weekly), August 29th 1936 that-
“Industrilisation on a mass scale, will necessary leas to passive or active exploitation of the villages as the problem of competition and marketing comes in”.

Counteracting forces may also arise to influence the actual outcome. As soon as men become conscious of some tendency of which they do not approve, a counteracting force may be set up as a matter of deliberate policy.

Tendency to substitute machinery for labour is called organic composition of capital and Gandhiji was strictly against it. He believed that it causes exploitation of villages and poor people.

Gandhiji said about private ownership- “If we discard private ownership in the means of production but persisted with cult of industrilisation, we might not get rid of harmful tendencies mentioned above”.

Gandhiji was also against mechanised work. He believed that since mechanised work sub-divides the work among labour, half being semi-automatic so the meaning of the whole work is not reflected in that minutely sub-divided work, hence there is no creative satisfaction is the work to be performed. The labour becomes dis-tasteful.

Gandhiji as a fond reader of Gita, described few economic words like labour and money from Gita. He said labour is a kind of “Yajna”- i.e. a sacrifice or an offering to humanity labour is a man’s way of forging a bond of solidarity with fellow humans. Organised labour takes man closer to nature.

Protection of villages is his first and foremost economic agenda. He says “under my scheme, nothing will be allowed to be produced by the cities which can be equally well produced in villages”.

He thought highly of chakra and considered spinning the chakra (wheel) could transform Indian economy. He said “I have not contemplated much less advised, the abandonment of a single healthy life giving industrial activity for the sake of hand spinning (Young India, 27th may 1926)”.

Gandhiji opposed the private ownership of the means of production and exploitation of man by man, for the simple reason that this was not consistent with Non-violence.

He favoured co-operation and always encourage co-operatives. He said- “As far as possible every activity will be conducted on a co-operative basis (Young India, 13th November 1924)”.

Basic necessity becomes, demand becomes desire become greed and human satisfaction is never quenches. For that Gandhiji offered one solution of Non-possession. To give up the desire of all these materials which are not indispensable. Thus it make our dependency less and independency more.

Relevance of his economic philosophy will always be there whether it is 21st century or 25th century. Today of course self sufficiently is absurd but still economic independency can be achieved. Even today millions are unemployed, and several thousands are underemployed. All these employment problems can be resolved only when we follow Gandhain economic philosophy. By being more dependent on these unemployed hands rather than automatic machines. Today we are completely dependent on oil from middle east, technology from west thus our freedom of economy is lost, it can be regained and purna-swaraj be obtained only when we try to become self sufficient and also by adopting Non-possession principle.

Salt Satyagraha – an extraordinary example of Non-violent direct action.

The failure of Non-Cooperation movement had deeply pained Gandhiji . He thought India was Few Critics had emerged who started saying that nothing could be achieved through Non-violence and were creating an upsurge for arms movement like Subhas Chandra Bose.

Thus Gandhi was very keen to show to the world and his fellow Indians the power of Non-violence. Thus he started Salt Satyagraha, also known as Dandi March. According to laws impesed by Britishers ‘Salt” as a commodity was made monopoly and no Indian was permitted to make the salt or sell it.

On 1st March he took vow to break this law, as salt is a household essential commodity and as he believed it was not moral to have such laws on household commodity. On the same day he wrote a letter to the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin (later Lord Halifax). He said “on the eleventh day of this month I shall proceed with such co-workers of the Ashram as I can take, to disregard the provisions of the salt laws….”. He has also requested Lord Irwin to find a way out or else warned him of the consequences.

On August 22, 1906, the ordinance was published in the Transvaal Government Gazatte Extra ordinary. According to which every Indian entitle to reside in Transvaal- must register his/her name with Registrar of Asiatics and carry that certificate of registration. About the legislation he had said – “I have never known legislation of this nature being directed against free men in any part of world”. Here he launched a ‘Satyagraha’ movement and passed it as fourth resolution of congress. Indians decided not to submit to ordinance and face any penalties attaching to non-submission. Eventually he along with other leasers were arrested, put to jail. Finally General Smuts called him for talk and a settlement was reached.

For this settlement, the unhappy Indian fellow Mr. Alam, decided to kill Gandhi and attacked him. Consequently he did not die, and Alam guilty and pardoned him. This was on instance of Mahatma being truly Mahatma.

But the Government did not do as was promised by General Smuts and now more severe laws were enacted and also making the Indian Marriage illegal. This pained to Gandhi and he call for resumption of Satyagraha.

Now, each one became a Satyagraha and led their support for this mass movement.

The movement caught up the fire and everyone started supporting it and understanding it. Gandhi called the movement as – “we decided to offer stubborn Satyagraha irrespective of the number of fighters”. Every women also joined hands with Gandhi. Gokhale came to South-Africa, tried to resolve the matter and consolidate Gandhi and Government.

Finally General Smuts appointed commission and commission recommended acceptance of the demands of the Indian Community and all those devil acts were taken back, It was a major Trumph of Gandhi, his followers, his principle, his principle, his philosophy and his belief. It was victory of Satyagraha, and now Gandhi was not just a barrister but a leader of a successful campaign.

South Africa taught Gandhi the power of Non-violence, truth, and tolerance. For that he had been completely transformed from a barrister to a Satyagraha and a true Mahatma. So, when he returned India, he brought hope of similar freedom and success in India.

Thus we can truly say that in 1893, a barrister, left for South-Africa from India and in January 1915 a Mahatma, a true leader, an apostle of Non-violence and Truth returned India.

Gandhiji went to South Africa as a lawyer but he returned as Mahatma

In 1893, at the age of 24, a young, hot blooded Barrister Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi set off for South Africa. At that time he had no knowledge of politics, Sociology and freedom struggle. He was only equipped with a Bar law degree from London, and few months (6) of experience as Barrister in Bombay High Court (Mumbai now).

He had been departed to South Africa, for a year consignment for a $40,000 settlement case. His arrival at Durban was smooth and he enjoyed a week at Durban. Then he left for Pretoria. He had a first class ticket in the train, but he was unaware of the apartheid rules in South Africa. When ticket collector asked Gandhi to leave the compartment reserved for whites he refused to do so, and was eventually thrown out of the train. This incident marks the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, who remains apostle of Truth, justice and Non-violence.

He then started getting acquainted himself with the problems faced by Indians in South Africa. He was deeply saddened by the ‘coolie’ approach of Britishers and Dutch against Indian. Since, the aborigine blacks and Indians were treated in similar manner, Gandhi started viewing them as Brothers and one family.

In the meantime the case was going on and there seemed to be no solution. Then Gandhi tried to befriend them and bring both the parties together, he succeeded. There was another instance of Mahatma, showing Non-violence and peace as only the solution. In this context he says ”My joy was boundless. I had learnt the true practice of law. I had learnt to find out the better side of human nature and to enter men’s hearts”. On 22nd May 1894, Gandhi along with Shekh Abdulla and friends established the Natal Indian Congress. This is the formal start of his struggle in South-Africa.

After a short trip to India, and arousing the Indians of India about the condition of Indians in South-Africa, he gave up material life and selected a life of fakir and saint. Soon the Boer was started and he felt it was his duty as a citizen of British Empire to fight for it and established and leaded the Indian Ambulance Corps.

Again after a brief visit of India, he returned South-Africa. Now he indulged in reading philosophical books like Gita, and Unto. This last by Ruskin Bond. He was greatly inspired by these books.

Before embarking Satyagraha for masses, he himself had undergone personal (or domestic) satyagraha. He gave up salt and pulses for the sake of Kasturba and morally supported her.

As he walked, sometimes barefoot and sometimes with chappal, people flocked in from far off areas to watch him and his people walk for the justice, and freedom. People spread flowers, sprinkeled water to welcome him. The farther he went, the harder it struck to Britishers.

Everyone was anxious to know what really Gandhi had planned about the campaign. On the shores of Dandi the world press established a media village and everyone waiting for him to arrive. The pennacle day came, on April 5th, 1930 Gandhi after praying all the night, went to the sea, dipped into the water and picked up some salt from the shore. It was only a pinch but the law was broken and the Great Empire defied.

As remarked by Winston Churchill, this ‘Little naked fakir’ from India has single handedly Non-violently defied the great Empire and brought it a shame which was uncomparable and irreparable.

The campaign was not over yet but now, it has taken full fledge. Every nearby villager flocked in to make salt. Every Indian living nearby to coastal area, went and made the salt. At Dandi, they set up a stall and salt was sold to common public. Now enough was done so Britishers could not remain unnoticed, they started arresting everyone except Gandhi. All leasers like Jawaharlal Nehru, Motilal Nehru, Rajaji, Rajen Babu, Devadas Gandhi and thousands of common citizen. Finally, on May 5th mid night, Gandhi was arrested and locked in Jail. Though campaign did not end, Sarojini Naidu leaded few hundred people to raid Dharasana salt works. Britishers took heavy not of it by lathi-charge, but none raised their hand, all surrendered to beatings, the world was amused, the Gandhi has shown the world the power of Non-violence. Salt Satyagraha was a full success.

There is no better example in the world history about Non-violent direct action than Salt-Satyagraha campaign. It was perfect Non-violence since non raised there hands again police baton, and it was a direct action because it struck the Britishers where it mattered the most at their hearts. He had warned about it, and finally showed them by doing it, the Britishers could not do anything about, could not help themselves but sit and watch the beauty and power of Non-violence in a direct action. The struggle against a tyranny at its best. Gandhi will always remain apostle of ‘Non-violence and Truth’.

As always Gandhi has followed two of his principle. He has announced his plan much before the execution. Thus giving time for the Britishers to think about it and also for the whole India to realize its important. Other he has clearly stated that full campaign would be carried out in a perfect ‘Non-Violent way’.

The day approached, Viceroy decided not to interfere or intervene in the matter and not to arrest Gandhi. It was a tactful decision by Britisher. By not intervening they did not want to make the matter popular and by not arresting Gandhi they ensured ‘peace’. On the morning of the day Gandhi along with his 78 members of ashram after the prayer, has begun the long journey from Sabarmati, Ahmedabad to Dandi. Thus on March 12th, 1930 India saw one of its greatest leader in his greatest campaign. The whole world was taken by the campaign and was exclusively and intensively covered by world press and watched by people all around.

He moved from a village to village, resting a while and utilized this rest period to spread the teachings of his Constructive program, Truth, Non-violenc, self-depency and awareness.