Gandhi Journal Article - II

How relevant is Gandhi's nonviolence?

Nonviolence is a philosophy, an existing theory and a practice, a lifestyle, and a means of social, political and economic struggle as old as history itself. From ancient times to the present times, people have renounced violence as a means of resolving disputes. They have opted instead for negotiation, mediation and reconciliation, thereby resisting violence with a militant and uncompromising nonviolence and respect for the integrity of all human beings, friends and enemies alike.

Nonviolence provides us with tools, the positive means to oppose and stop wars and preparations for war, to resist violence, to struggle against racial, sexual and economic oppression and discrimination and to seek social justice and genuine democracy for people throughout the world. In a very real sense, nonviolence is the leaven for the bread that is a new society freed from oppression and bloodshed, a world in which persons can fulfill their individual potentials to the fullest.

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Gandhi Journal Article - I

Ecology and Lifestyle: A Gandhian Perspective

By M. P. Mathai

Rising Awareness, Chronic Inertia

The ecological crisis we confront today has been analysed from various angles and scientific data on the state of our environment made available. Humanity has come out of its foolish self-complacency and has awakened to the realisation that over-exploitation of nature has led to a very severe degradation and devastation of our environment. Scholars, through several studies, have brought out the direct connection between consumption and environmental degradation. For example, Inge Ropke in his paper 'The dynamics of willingness to consume' raises pertinent questions like: why are productivity increases largely transformed into income increases instead of more leisure? Why is such a large part of these income increases used for consumption of goods and services with a relatively high materials-intensity instead of less material-intensive alternatives?

The climate change experienced today has convinced many that unless we take urgent remedial measures life might be wiped out of the face of the Earth. There have been several international summits and important conventions have been signed. But to our great dismay, most of the provisions of these covenants have been blatantly violated, rather than scrupulously honoured and implemented. Awareness of the issues involved has become almost universal, but the determination to take corrective steps is sorely missing.

The most pertinent question today, therefore, seems to be: 'why these violations?' Why sidestep the most crucial existential issues relating to the protection of eco-system? One direct answer to this vexing question is that we are not willing to change our lifestyles, the way we live. We have developed, adopted and internalised the values of a lifestyle which is a part of an unsustainable and destructive development paradigm. We seem to cherish it so deeply and religiously, so to say, that we can neither abjure nor modify it. Modern lifestyle has become addictive and has succeeding in entrapping an ever growing number to its fold, particularly the emerging middle classes. It could be reasonably argued that one of the most important reasons why humanity is not able to retrace its steps from the perilous path of self-annihilating eco-destruction is its addiction to modern or contemporary lifestyle.

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Gandhi Journal Article - II

Gandhi, Christ and Christianity

By Pascal Alan Nazareth

Gandhi's fundamental contribution in the field of religion was to give primacy to Truth and rationality rather than conformity to traditional practices. In fact he made Truth the basis of all morality by declaring: "I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality".¹

Though a deeply devout Hindu, Gandhi's basic approach to all religions was 'sarvadharma samabhav' (equal respect for all religions). For him all religions had equal status and were different paths to the same goal of achieving union with the Divine. His religion was that "which transcends Hinduism, which changes one's very nature, binds one indissolubly to the truth within and ever purifies. It is the permanent element in human nature which leaves the soul restless until it has found itself, known its maker and appreciated the true correspondence between the maker and itself."²

He affirmed "For me different religions are beautiful flowers from the same garden or branches of the same majestic tree."³ He often said he was as much a Moslem, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsee as he was Hindu and added "The hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray."⁴ At his prayer meetings there were readings from all the holy books. His favourite hymn began with the line "He alone is a true devotee of God who understands the pains and sufferings of others."⁵ His religiosity is therefore best described as a spiritualized humanism.

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Gandhi Journal Article - I

Swadeshi, Globalization and Agricultural Women Workers

By Gurpinder Kumar*

Swadeshi term is used for that where a country produce all the goods it needs from its own resources. It’s included that inside the country every village/region that produce all it needs by using own local resources. Gandhi used to say that Swadeshi Dharma demands that India should boycott all foreign goods, even if they might be beneficial to it. Swadeshi means also that the things in our country are available in the village should enjoy the same things together whether it's agriculture, small industry, etc. Handy-crafted items as needed according to the access should be use. Sacrifice of Swadeshi relatives also had to pay so it should serve the household. Human beings are not able to do everything themselves. But they are able to serve their neighbours. To nurture the spirit of Swadeshi one could keep on dealing with his neighbour and he can do business also. Things we can produce in the country should not be imported from abroad. In word Swadeshi is neighbourly Feeling of affinity. But at presently country importing all kind goods from abroad. Its effect the economy of country as well as living condition & economic structure of country’s people.

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Gandhi Journal Article - III

International Peace and Gandhian Thought

By Dr. Shubhangi Rathi

Great men have always been struggled and fought against the prevailing social evils and human suffering, history of humanity shows it. One among of them is great man Gandhi in human history. Gandhi responded to the challenges of the given historical situations. He realized the historical necessities of his times and tried to actualize the needs and inspirations of the people in his own way.

The issue of non-violence and global peace raises certain philosophical and moral questions such as- What is the meaning of non-violence. Does non-violence the only solution to the ills of an age threatened by nuclear weapons? Does peace possible in a world where a vast majority of people live under conditions of ignorance, hunger, poverty, injustice, and tyranny? Do violence and war rooted in human nature? Does non-violence and peace presuppose moral transformation of individuals? What is the ultimate goal of humanity? In what direction it is progressing? Is peace possible without unifying moral principles and ethical ideals to the whole of humanity?

The greatest and the most unique contribution of India to the contemporary world is the message of non-violence and peace. Especially the technique of Satyagraha or non-violent are direct action, formulated and practiced by Gandhi. India's distinctive mind and face are stamped with Gandhian impact among the people of global community as well as among the member countries of the United Nations Organization.

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Gandhi Journal Article - II

Swadeshi: The Greatest Vow of this Age

By Radha Bhatt

Gandhi called swadeshi as swadeshi dharma. It was an integral part of his eleven vows. He described it as the greatest vow of the age. Therefore, to look at this revolutionary human value merely as an instrument to overcome the present state of economic crisis is not only unfair but also to lose its real strength.

In fact, economy is not so an important aspect of human existence as it is being made out today. Material achievement is nothing more than a means in the context of wholesome life of man. It can never become an end or the purpose of human existence. Therefore, any economic system which takes the creation of wealth as an end in itself could never achieve a solid foundation. We have to understand the intricacies of present worldwide economic crisis. We can easily see that the greatest weakness of the present thinking is that we have made consumerism as the primary aim of our life. A country like ours with its ancient culture had had an entirely different view of material wealth. For us the real wealth comprised of air, water, nature, land, ether etc. It meant that all those resources which were needed for the sustenance of human life actually constituted the real wealth. 

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Gandhi Journal Article - I

Learning Unfettered in the Management Classroom: Experiential Learning

By Dr Aparna Rao

Abstract 

Challenges for Management Educators

Preference for management education is an increasingly global trend in career planning. Growing demand has led to varying needs and expectations from this field. The spectrum of aspirants for management education ranges from undergraduates to experienced and senior professionals, from employed personnel to entrepreneurs, from primary sectors like agriculture and mining to tertiary sectors like banking services to secondary sectors like manufacturing and production.
The varied demographics of students opting for management studies results in equally varied perceptions about age, qualifications and experience for enrollment for MBA. Management courses being offered are aimed at meeting the various kinds of demands. This reflects in the numerous courses offering MBA or its equivalent. These requirements have triggered a wide range of courses catering to different segments of the population - full time two year courses to one year, to six months to distance learning to online courses in management education.

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Gandhi Journal Article - III

Gandhian concept of Village Development and India's Development Policy

(Special reference to Panchayat Raj)

By Dr. Shubhangi Rathi*

Good governance demands respect for human rights, rule of law, strengthening of democracy, promoting transparency and capacity in public administration. The responsiveness of the state and its institutions to the needs and aspirations of the people, and inclusive citizenship are imperative to good governance. Democracy depends upon the equality of all human beings, their right to participate in social and political transformation and the right to development, to live in dignity. Panchayat Raj is a system and process of good governance. Villages have always been the basic units of administration in India since ancient times. The Gram Sabha can become the cornerstone of the whole Panchayat Raj institutional set-up, thereby the Indian democratic system. So in this paper focus is on Gandhian concept of Panchayat Raj. This is useful to development of India. So in 21st century this concept becomes powerful in the Nation.

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Importance of Democratic Decentralization:

Gandhi's concept of democratic decentralization bears the stamp of his passionate belief in non-violence, truth and individual freedom. He calls it Panchayati Raj or village Swaraj. He wants to see each village a little republic, self-sufficient in its vital wants, organically and non-hierarchically linked with the larger spatial bodies and enjoying the maximum freedom of deciding the affairs of the locality. Gandhi wanted political power to be distributed among the villages in India. Gandhi preferred the term ‘Swaraj’ to describe what he called true democracy. This democracy is based upon freedom. Individual freedom in Gandhi’s view, could be maintained only in autonomous, self-reliant communities that offer opportunities to the people for fullest participation.

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Gandhi Journal Article - II

Gandhian Nonviolent Action : A Case Study of Aung San Suu Kyi's Struggle in Myanmar

By Kaushikee*

Abstract

Gandhi's method of nonviolent action continues to be drawn upon by individuals and movements fighting against the tyranny of violence and oppression in India as well as abroad. Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar is a case in point. Suu Kyi emerged on the scene in 1988 when there were demands for restoration of democracy in Myanmar. She formed the National League for Democracy and led a sustained nonviolent protest against the military junta. Suu Kyi has demonstrated indomitable courage and conviction in the face of all odds—making several personal sacrifices in the fight for democracy—yet remaining nonviolent in letter and spirit. The present paper is an attempt to understand Suu Kyi's nonviolent struggle, her philosophy and beliefs, the circumstances in which she has carried out her resistance movement and the challenges before her.

 

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Gandhi Journal Article - I

SEVEN SOCIAL SINS

As per Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi said that seven things will destroy us. Notice that all of them have to do with social and political conditions. Note also that the antidote of each of these "deadly sins" is an explicit external standard or something that is based on natural principles and laws, not on social values.
 

Wealth Without Work
Pleasure Without Conscience
Knowledge Without Character
Commerce (Business) Without Morality (Ethics)
Science Without Humanity
Religion Without Sacrifice
Politics Without Principle

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Gandhi Journal Article - III

Hind Swaraj : A Fresh Look

By Jai Narain Sharma

Abstract

In Hind Swaraj Gandhi does not provide a rigorous social analysis from which his political conclusions could be logically derived. His was a moral response to what he perceived as the evils of modern civilization. A fresh look at Hind Swaraj can, then, frustrate a mere intellectual approach that seeks either to lay bare the structure of Gandhian Thought as a means to reducing Gandhi to a formulae or to sharpen one's understanding of the forces that have created or sustained modern civilization in its present form. The sensibility underlying Hind Swaraj has its roots not in the intellectual but in the moral. As such, what is thus essentially a moral sensibility cannot be fully grasped by intellectual effort alone. No doubt, intellectual effort is necessary; but this intellectual effort will bear fruit only after it has been touched with the transforming illumination of moral sensibility.

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Gandhi Journal Article - II

Let us read Gandhiji again...

By S C Jaini

Gandhiji was born in 1869 in Porbander, in a small principality of kathaiwar being governed by an Indian prince. His father was the Diwan in the court. The family was well provided for and had a comfortable living, in the given surroundings. His mother Putlibai, was a devout lady and had tremendous influence on the mind of young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Like most homes, religion was taught early in life and the house open to holy men of all religions, who would be frequent guests of the house. Religious rituals including periodic fasts were part of the household culture. The elders of the household were held in high esteem and would be obeyed as a rule. The oldest brother of young Mohandas was responsible for his proper grooming and education, including the decision to go to England for his studies in Law. In school Mohandas was an average student with no spark of brilliance and did his work as any average student of his age. However one particular quality that set him apart from the others was his personal integrity. During one of the inspection by the Inspector of schools, the teacher prompted him to copy from the fellow student, to correct his mistake. Mohandas did not do as directed and was later reprimanded for his foolishness. Gandhiji records, that despite the fact that he did not approve of the cheating, his respect for his teacher remained undiminished.

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Gandhi Journal Article - I

Relevance of Mahatma Gandhiji's Ideology in the Context of Indian Democracy

By Dr. Shubhangi Rathi

Abstract

India follows the democratic type of Government. India is a big country and hence needs to be governed in a proper and an effective way. Mahatma Gandhi’s imagination of the democracy -fully encircled with non-violence exists in no nation of the world as up to now. His ideal is a stateless democracy, in which there is a federation of satyagrahi village communities, functioning on the basis of voluntary cooperation and dignified and peaceful co-existence are relevance in the context of Indian democracy. In the present day democracy, there is a great deal of centralization and inequality. Gandhian concept of Self Rule means Swaraj is real democracy, where people’s power rests in the individuals and each one realizes that he or she is the real master of one’s self. These issues are still relevant to what free India is and represent. The main cause of worry today is intolerance and hatred leading to violence and it is here the values of Gandhi need to be adhered to with more passion discussed in this paper. He is relevant not yesterday or today but forever.

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Gandhi Journal Article - II

Mahatma Gandhi and Today’s Mass Movement

By Dr. Shubhangi Rathi* 

Introduction:

One of the greatest men in the history of India is Mahatma Gandhi. The way he gave shape and character to India's freedom struggle is worthy of a standing ovation. He sacrificed his own life for the sake of his country. The respect that he earned for himself despite leading a simple lifestyle is much appreciable. Mahatma Gandhi played a pivotal role in the freedom struggle of India. His non violent ways and peaceful methods were the foundation for gaining independence from the British.

...Most well known movements in the country are Chipko movement, Save Silent Valley, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Koel Karo, Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Jhola Aandolan. These movements largely distanced themselves from political parties, or tried to cut across the ideologies of the political parties. Yet many of them rooted themselves or drew from ideologies of the Mahatma Gandhi, various shades environmentalisms or gender politics, or socialism.

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Timeless Appeal ( Gandhi Journal Article - I )

Timeless Appeal

A Simple Man from India Continues to Influence the World

By Lord Meghnad Desai*

What is it about Gandhi that still fascinates the world? Sixty-three years after his death, books still pour out at regular intervals exploring his life and personality. People are supposed to be shocked by revelations about his life. But as always we find that there is nothing any one can expose about Gandhi which he has not already put down in writing with brutal honesty. In terms of frankness about private life, Mahatma Gandhi breached the outer limits of possibility. Yet if the President of the United States, Barack Obama, wants him as his dinner guest—hoping of course that that is not one of Gandhi's fast days or worse yet one of his silent days, then Gandhiji must have 21^st century appeal. He was chosen as one of the three most influential persons by TIME magazine on its 20th century issue along with former President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and physicist Albert Einstein. He must have something timeless in his appeal.

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Gandhian Approach towards Health

Gandhian Approach towards Health

By Dr Ravindra Vasant Nisal

Gandhiji came to Pune in December 1945 along with Sardar Patel at Dr. Dinshaw Mehta's Nature cure clinic. He stayed there for 2 months. That Nature cure center is now known as National Institute of Naturopathy. Gandhiji was invited to Uruli Kanchan village for establishment of Nature cure center.

Mahatma Gandhi established nature cure Ashram in March 1946. On 22nd March 1946 he came along with his 200 disciples with a view to propagate the concepts of village sanitation and healthy living. He then decided to establish a nature cure center, which would be useful for poor and rich alike. He strongly believed that, there should not be any discrimination for health care provision in the society. During those days India was struggling for Independence while Gandhiji was leading a movement for equal justice and rights for non-white community consisting mostly of Africans and Indians in South Africa.

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Gandhi and Ecological Marxists: A Study of Silent Valley Movement ( Gandhi Journal Article - III)

Gandhi and Ecological Marxists: A Study of Silent Valley Movement

By Sasikala A.S.

E-mail: sasikala.iitm@yahoo.com

Abstract

The environmental concern was minimal at the time of Gandhi, but his ideas on Village Swaraj, decentralization, Swadeshi, Sarvodya etc made him an advocate of environmentalism. He is often considered as a man with deep ecological view. The ideas of Gandhi have been widely used by different streams of environmental philosophy like green, deep ecology, etc and different environmental movements across the globe. An eminent environmental thinker Ramachandra Guha identified three distinct strands in Indian Environmentalism, the Crusading Gandhians, Appropriate Technologists and Ecological Marxists. He observed that, unlike the third one, the first two strands rely heavily on Gandhi. The purpose of this paper is to identify the Gandhian elements used by the Ecological Marxists in India. The Silent Valley Movement from Kerala is taken as a case study to analyze how ecological Marxists resort to Gandhian techniques to fight against environmental injustice. The role of Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), a People’s Science Movement (PSM) from Kerala with a Marxist background is studied to understand different strategies they used in the movement. It is observed that the methodologies adopted throughout the movement are inspired by Gandhian methods as previously used by other environmental movements like Chipko. The paper concludes that, like the Crusading Gandhians and Alternate Technologists, the Ecological Marxists also adopted the Gandhian strategies to work for ecological stability.

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Understanding GANDHI ( Gandhi Journal Article - II )

Understanding GANDHI

By Nagindas Sanghvi*

Email: nagingujarat@gmail.com

Address at Lechayim of Jewish Services Association. Madison [WIS.] U. S.

I stand before you to speak on Gandhi who was shot dead some sixty years ago but who is still alive. He is still the most frequently mentioned individual in the world and is still the centre of the controversies some of which were raised by his actions and beliefs. Every year at least three or four books are written about him in some part of the world or other and he is being constantly discussed at several seminars and intellectual discourses all over the world. The date of his birth has been proclaimed as the Non-violence Day by the United Nations Organization. In our terror-stricken world of today, his teachings are even more relevant than they were when they were preached in the first half of the twentieth century.

The world to-day hails him as a Mahatma - a Great Soul - a Saint. Gandhi always resented the title and found it intensely painful. He never cared for any beatification and insisted that he was an ordinary man who was trying his level best for the realization of the Divine Presence.

Gandhi was not born a saint but chiseled himself into one by intensely agonizing experiments in austerity and discipline. He chose to call his biography “My experiments with Truth,” It is very difficult, if not impossible, to project Gandhi in few minutes. Sixty years after his death, he still remains a sort of enigma. The flood of copious literature on Gandhi does nothing to solve the mystery.

Unlike most of us, Gandhi continued to grow and change till the last moment of his life and he never worried about contracting himself. “In my search for Truth, I have never cared about consistency.” Like Emerson, he rejected consistency as the virtue of small minds. He was bold enough to proclaim that ‘If my readers find any inconsistency in my views, they should reject the older ones and believe in the later as my views might have changed.’

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Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal - Gandhi Book Centre – Gandhi Research Foundation
299 Tardeo Road, Nana Chowk Mumbai 400 007 MH India
Tel. +91-22-2387 2061 / Email: info@mkgandhi.org Web: www.mkgandhi.org

Significance of Gandhi and Gandhism ( Gandhi Journal Article - I )

Significance of Gandhi and Gandhism

By Dr. Ravindra Kumar*

Email: ravindrawpmt@gmail.com

 “I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could.”

– M K Gandhi

The above short statement of the Mahatma is itself sufficient enough to elucidate the stature of Gandhi and the spirit in the root of Gandhism besides proving its significance for the present and all times to come. Further, this statement is, despite being short, capable of illustrating the source and basis of his life and ideas for those who are, more or less, familiar with life of Gandhi, and Gandhism. Even though, as I have observed during my continuous visits to various places of the world, people of the present generation, youth in particular, desire to learn more and more about Satya and Ahimsa, the core points of Gandhian philosophy, it is necessary to make a fair analysis of life of Gandhi on one hand, and Gandhism, having this short statement in the centre, on the other.

The word Gandhi is about that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who on the basis of his exemplary and inspiring life and works became an icon and ideal not only for his contemporaries all over the world, but equally for generations to come. The legacy he has left through his actions, which he successfully carried out on the strength of the supreme human value of Ahimsa, in fact, makes him relevant for all times to come.

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Gandhi Journal Article - II

THAMBI NAIDU - 'Lion Like' Satyagrahi in South Africa

By E. S. Reddy

One of the first satyagrahis in the movement of 1906-14 in South Africa and a most loyal and courageous colleague of Gandhiji was Govindasamy Krishnasamy Thambi Naidoo. Apart from defying the law and going to jail many times, he made a crucial contribution in mobilising the Tamils in the Transvaal to participate in the satyagraha and the workers in Natal to strike for the abolition of an unjust tax which caused enormous suffering.

Thambi Naidoo was born in 1875 in Mauritius where his parents had migrated from Madras Presidency. According to his daughter, Thayanayagie (known as Thailema), his father was a prosperous fertilisers and cartage contractor in Mauritius.

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Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal - Gandhi Book Centre – Gandhi Research Foundation
299 Tardeo Road, Nana Chowk Mumbai 400 007 MH India
Tel. +91-22-2387 2061 / Email: info@mkgandhi.org Web: www.mkgandhi.org