Introduction

• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Gandhiji, was a revered representative of the wisdom and culture of India.

• He is called Mahatma by his countrymen, and is regarded by many as one of the greatest figures in history.

• Gandhiji was a social reformer, economist, political philosopher, and a seeker of truth.

• He is seen as a ‘yugapurusha’, one who initiated a new era in Indian history.

• His contribution to the Indian national movement was unparalleled, and he transformed the Indian National Congress into a people’s Congress and the national movement into a mass movement.

• Gandhiji made people fearless and bold, teaching them non-violent methods to fight against injustice.

• His passion for individual liberty was closely connected to his understanding of truth and self-realization.

• His quest for truth led him to introspect deeply, not only within himself but also into the natural and social world around him.

• Gandhiji’s philosophy engaged profoundly with modernity and its pitfalls.

• He opposed industrialization, materialism, and selfish pursuits, advocating for swadeshi, primacy of the self, and trusteeship.

• Against the institution of the state and the prevalent notion of democracy, he proposed a swaraj-type democracy, where decisions come from the free individual and power lies at the grassroots level.

• He envisioned a minimal state with coordinative powers, supporting decentralization with the autonomous individual as its base.

• Gandhiji’s approach to life was deeply rooted in a spiritual perspective.

• His political ideas, economic suggestions, social mobilisation, and practical life were grounded in morality and ethics.

• Truth was Gandhiji’s mantra, and non-violence was integral to his approach.

• His notable writings include An Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments with Truth, The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Panchayati Raj, Satyagraha in South Africa, Sarvodaya, and Hind Swaraj.

• He edited Young India, which he later renamed Harijan, and which became his mouthpiece.

• Gandhiji was influenced by several prominent figures, including Tolstoy (works like Gospels in Brief, What to Do, and The Kingdom of God is Within You), Ruskin (Unto This Last), Thoreau (Essay on Civil Disobedience), Swami Vivekananda, Gokhale, and Tilak.

• He was influenced by his family and the Indian national movement, and was familiar with the teachings of major religions of the world.

• Gandhiji was exceptionally well-read and even translated works like Plato’s Republic into Gujarati.

• He maintained extensive correspondence with several leading figures of his time.

• Gandhiji had a rigorous schedule, often traveling vast distances across the Indian subcontinent, sometimes on foot.

• Many individuals closely associated with him, and he left a significant impact on all who met him.

• Gandhiji learned from everyone he came across, and no significant event of his time escaped his attention.

• His assassination marked the end of a life committed to courage, the call of conscience, the service of his country, common welfare, and universal love.

Philosophical Foundation of Gandhi’s Political Perspective

• Gandhiji was a deeply religious man, and his religious perspective influenced his politics, economic ideas, and views on society.

• His religious approach was different from that of other religious men.

• Gandhiji stated to Mr. Polak, “Most religious men I have met are politicians in disguise; I, however, who wear the guise of a politician, am at heart, a religious man.”

• He accepted the inner oneness of all existence within the cosmic spirit and viewed all living beings as representatives of the eternal divine reality.

• According to Gandhiji, divine presence envelops the entire world and reflects in men and women.

• Gandhiji believed that the ultimate goal of life is self-realisation, which means seeing God face to face, realizing absolute Truth, or knowing oneself.

• He stated that self-realisation could not be achieved unless a person identifies with all of mankind.

• This identification required participation in politics, as politics was a means to engage with the world.

• Gandhiji expressed that engagement with the world through service was crucial for self-realisation.

• He believed Truth could not be attained by retreating to the Himalayas or through rituals but by actively engaging with the world, keeping oneself open to the voice of God, and allowing others to reflect on oneself.

• Gandhiji’s view was that man’s ultimate aim is the realisation of God, and all activities—social, political, and religious—should align with this vision.

• He saw the immediate service of all human beings as an essential part of this endeavor, believing that the only way to find God is by seeing Him in His Creation and becoming one with it.

• He emphasized the importance of serving humanity, stating that his countrymen were his nearest neighbors, who were helpless and resourceless.

• Gandhiji believed that self-realisation could not be found apart from humanity, as he could not find God in a Himalayan cave but only through service to others.

• Self-purification was essential for achieving self-realisation, and Gandhiji’s fasts, prayers, and service were all directed toward this goal.

• In his Autobiography, Gandhiji explained that self-realisation required self-purification as its ethical foundation.

• His moral life flowed from an inward search into his own self, which expressed itself in outward activity, fellowship, and concern for others.

• Gopinath Dhawan writes that Gandhiji’s ethical outlook formed the backbone of his political philosophy, with ethics grounded in his metaphysical principles.

• Gandhiji considered the moral discipline of individuals as the key to social reconstruction.

• He invoked a five-fold moral code consisting of truth, non-violence, non-stealing, non-possession, and celibacy.

• Observing these moral principles would purify individuals, enabling them to strive toward self-realisation.