Social philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and an Ideal Society Paper Title: ………………………………………………………………………………………... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Author’s Name: Dr. GOUTAM PATRA
Social
philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and an Ideal Society
Dr. Goutam Patra
Asst. Professor, WBES
Govt College of Education, Banipur
Abstract: In the 21st
century rapid progress in the field of science and technology has been taken
place. Science and technology have been much more developed. With the use of
sophisticated computer technology man has been able to produce plenty of food
and clothing and achieved material progress. But man has failed to face the unprecedented global challenges and
multidimensional social crises. Man has neglected his spiritual aspects.
Gandhi’s educational thought provides ample scope of socialization and
awakening spirituality in man to establish a good social order. According to
Gandhi, ‘There is no religion higher than Truth and righteousness’ This Paper
envisages on the Social Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi to show as to how an ideal society could be
established to save the crises ridden whole world in the midst of value erosion,
social disorder and lawlessness.
Key
words: Sarvodaya, Upanishsads, Udaya, Niskam, karma, Anasakti, Isavayopanishad, ahimsha, khadi, Lokniti, Rajniti, Harijan, sarvadharma, sarvabhutahita, majjhim pantha,
Swadeshi
Introduction:
The
Social Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi is a radically transformed humanity to
reconstruct human society with a positive socio-economic force. It is a new
dynamic philosophy popularly known as ‘Sarvodaya’
seeks to build a society having based on the foundations of old spiritual and moral values of India and attempts to
meet the challenge of the contemporary problems. It envisages a well balanced development of
the nation and there will be no difference between privileged and under
–privileged. There are no any dogmas in
this philosophy. “The philosophy of Sarvodaya
is not a set of dogmas, in its essence; it is compatible with an attempt of the
spirit to prevail over matter and to socialize itself.” It is a symbol of Platonic detachment and
Gita’s Anasakti. 1
Gandhi
found the idea of ‘sarvodaya’ from the
Vedas, Upanishsads, the Ramayana, the Gita and Koran and extended its meaning and application.
After the death of Gandhi his followers known as ‘Sarvodaya school’ decided to form an organization named
‘Satyagraha Samaj’. The central figure
of this school of thought was Vinova vave and its philosophy was known as
sarvodaya Philosophy.2 The
word ‘Sarvodaya’ is originated from Sanskrit which is comprised of ‘Sarva’
means all and ‘Udaya’ means rising. This means welfare of all or the rising of
all living beings.3 The word ‘Sarvodaya’ appeared in the form of
a title of john Ruskin’s book ‘Unto The Last’.4 It
was a title of series of nine articles written by Gandhi and it was published
in Gujrati in 1908.5 Sarvodaya
includes all people irrespective of caste, class, creed and religion. According
to Acharya Vinoba Bhave , Sarvodaya
means making all people happy by removing poverty and suffering of the people
with the help scientific knowledge. It
is a state or order full with divinity, kindness, and equality. Sarvodaya means welfare and prosperity
of all and all must progress without collision of interest.6
Sarvodaya is a concept stands on self-sacrifice and self-less service. Gandhi
had immediate inspiration from Ruskin’s book ‘Unto the Last’ which means uplift
of the last and received the ideals of human welfare.7
Gandhi
was deeply influenced by Leo Tolstoy’s book ‘The Kingdom of God is within you’
and his essay’ Christianity and Patriotism’. Tolstoy and Gandhi both firmly
believed that the force of love is the solution of all human problems.
According to them Non-violence could cure all social maladies and establish
peace on the earth. The ideology of Sarvodaya
has a higher significance as the idea is derived from the ideal of ‘Niskam karma’ of the Bhagabat Gita.
Gandhi says: ‘self-realization’ and its means is the theme of the Gita’8 The Gita preaches the message of the welfare
of all through ‘sarvadharma’ and ‘sarvabhutahita’ –the good of all beings.
The first verse of Isavayopanishad deals with the principles of equality and fraternity,
non-exploitation, non-acquisitiveness and service to the society . Gandhi
accepted this ideology from Isavayopanishad --the Universal brotherhood of all living
beings.9
Gandhi
was highly influenced by the Buddhist philosophy which preached universal love
and the end of all sufferings through the adoption of ‘majjhim pantha’ and in
pursuance of eight folded path. Lord
Buddha stressed on purity of means and Gandhi constantly maintained
relationship between pure means and noble end.10 The main principle of Jainism is the welfare
of all creatures through the adoption of ‘ahimsha’
Gandhi was influenced by the jain philosophy in establishing sarvodaya . The holy Koran convinced
Gandhi and he declares, ‘the point of brotherhood is manifested in no other
religion as clearly as in Islam’ According to him the basis of Islam is not
violence.11
Gandhi
attempted to make synthesis of the essence of Vedanta, Jainism, Buddhism, Islam
and Christianity and the teachings of the great prophets and the sarvodaya was the implication of their
ideas at more critical and analytical levels. In Sarvodaya
society there will be no exploitation, discrimination, inequality and violence.
Saovodaya society is considered by Gandhi
to be free from evils like ‘politics without principle’ wealth without work’
‘knowledge without character’ ‘commerce without morals’ ‘science without
mankind’ and service without sacrifice’ 12 A good social order could be established if
every individual is imbibed with the spirit of love, tolerance, kindness,
fearlessness, non-violence as all these are individual and social virtues.
Every individual should follow the principle of giving not taking and should
ready to sacrifice happiness for the sake of others. In this way a new social
order based on equality, freedom, justice, fraternity could be established. A
sense of social obligation could be developed through proper education. Gandhi
had set up his first Sarvodaya community
on farm near Durban and called it Phoenix in 1904 and another in Johanesbug
named after Leo Tolstoy. According to Gandhi non- violence is the law of life .
Self sacrifice for the happiness to others is the foundation of an ideal
society. A society built on complete ahimsha
is the purest anarchy. 13
An
Ideal society will be marked by the following characteristics. 14
1.
There should be no coercive state power and
social cohesion should be maintained through the citizens’ sense of social
obligation.
2.
The villages or rural settlements are self
sufficient in which wants are few. In social, civil and economic activity
co-operation, conservation and decentralization are the norms of social
governance.
3.
All products should be agriculture based and
they should be based on cottage industries. There will be a craft in the center
of education and learning by doing should be given much importance.
4.
There should be three ruling principles
namely, Village self sufficiency, bread labour (winning one’s bread through
work done by one’s body labour), and non-possession (acquiring or using the
minimum consumption of articles) .
5.
Village Panchayet should deal with the
disputes or conflicts arising out of power, property or possession.
On
his arrival in India from South Africa ,Gandhiji started his constructive work
programme. The programmes are khadi, Communal amity, removal of untouchability,
promotion of village industries, village sanitation and basic education. Some
organizations were established for this constructive work. They were: All India
Harijan sewak Sangh, Hindustani Pracher Sabha, Hindusthan tamili Sangh, All
India spinners association and Akhil Bharat Sewa Sangh. According to Gandhiji an ideal Society is the
sarvodaya society though an ideal is
never fully realized in life. 15
The
political order of an ideal society is ‘Lokniti’ instead of ‘Rajniti’. ‘Lokniti’ in the sense of a way of life
indicates self regulation of individual conduct and good habit on one’s initiatives
for the well being of all. Gandhian social order envisages the freedom of
action of man and least interference of police and military. People are the custodians
of the supreme power in the state. Man’s freedom of action will bring a desired
social change.88 All people must train themselves for self-rule, believe in the
divinity of every individual strive for the welfare of all people.16
Mahatma
Gandhi wanted to create a new social order based on Truth, peace and non violence. He envisaged education and moulded it into a
certain pattern as ‘the spearhead of social revolution’ that will enable life
to move forward towards peace, justice and cooperation. He expressed that life
could reach to its destined greatness through the weapon of education by
removing poverty, ignorance, disease, superstition and intolerance. He was
against caste war and class struggle. He wanted to solve problems of social
tension, social disharmony and social disequilibrium resorting to social
cooperation, collaboration and sympathetic accommodation of brotherly
solidarity.17
He
aroused the attention of people to the evils of social injustice. He thought
that true education will awake the conscience of the human race. He wrote in
the Harijan in 1925 that “untouchability is our greatest shame; the humiliation
of it is sinking deeper.” He declared that abolition of untouchability as the
essential prerequisite for India’s independence. To him untouchability is the worst feature of
the caste system.18 The
entire outlook of the Hindus on life and politics is coloured by it.19 He called ‘Durjan’ those who hate ‘Harijan’ (a
man of God). Gandhi did not believe in caste system and considered ‘Varnashram’
an odious and vicious dogma. He cited that four divisions of ancient society,
each complementary to the other and none inferior or superior to any other.20 He told that ‘God is love, not hate; God is
Truth, not untruth. God alone is great. We, his creatures are but dust. Krishna
honoured Sudama in his rags as he
honored no one else. Love is the root of religion.’21 He
said, “My greatest worry is the ignorance and poverty of the masses of India
and the way in which they have been neglected by the classes, especially the
neglect of the Harijans by the Hindus”22
Equality in education irrespective of caste, creed, colour and religion was his
earnest desire.
Gandhi
coined a new term ‘Sarvodaya’ literally means the ‘welfare of all’ articulating
his vision and mission to transform Indian society. Sarvodaya, Swaraj, Ahimsha, Satyagraha,
Gramodaya, Samya yoga, Asahayoga all the terms indicate of a new vision for the
reconstruction and transformation of the Indian society. His ideas of truth,
justice, fearlessness, fraternity, absence of hierarchy and dignity of labour
and values are the new components which he considered very essential for the
revivification of ancient society. In the constructive programme of village
society the following programmes are equally executed by both men and women.
1. Communal
unity
2.
Prohibition of intoxicants
3.
Removal of Untouchability
4.
Village sanitation, health and hygiene
5.
Women’s emancipation
6.
New Education( Nai Talim)
7.
Khadi and Village Industries
8.
Krishi and Go seva
Conclusion: Gandhi tried to
adopt an integral approach to solve human problems. He wanted to reduce
economics to terms of morality, religion and spirituality. According to him
economics of a society is not a different entity to morality. Economics should not hurt moral well being of people.
Without morality the economic order of a society is immoral and sinful.23 True
economics of a society “stands for social justice, it promotes the good of all
equally including the weakest and is indispensible for decent life”24 Gandhian
social order based on some economic values. It is based on sanctity of labour,
self sufficiency, Human values, Swadeshi, decentralization, and nationalization
of basic industries. According to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Gandhian social order represents
an aspiration “towards a society
based on truth and non-violence in which there will be no distinction of caste
or creed, no opportunity for exploitation and full scope for development both
for individuals as well as groups.”25
Reference:
1.
B. P. Pandey, Gandhi, Sarvodaya and Organizations, Chugh Publications, Allahabad,
1988, PP. 20-21.
2. Vishwanath
Tandon, The Social and Political Philosophy of sarvodaya After
Gandhi, Sarva Seva Sang Prakashan,
Varanashi, 1965, P.2.
3. Anil
Dutta Mishra, Fundamentals of Gandhism,
Mittal Publications, New Delhi, 1995, P.
5.
4. Mahajan
P. Mani and K. s. Bharati, Foundations of
Gandhian Thought, Dattsons, Nagpur, 1987 P. 68.
5. The Collected works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol.
8., publications Divisions, Government
of India, New Delhi, 1962, PP. 239-41
6.
B. P Pandey,
op. cit., p.14.
7. K. M.
Rathnam Chetty, Sarvodaya and Freedom:A
Gandhian Appraisal,
Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi, 1991 P.48
8.
M. K. Gandhi, Young India, 12.11.1925.
9.
Anil
Dutta Mishra, Fundamentals of Gandhism, Mittal Publications, New Delhi, 1995
P.5.
10. Ibid, P. 11.
11. K. M. Rathnam Chetty, Sarvodaya and Freedom:A Gandhian Appraisal,
Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi, 1991 P. 11
12. Ibid.
P. 45.
13. Anil Dutta Mishra, Fundamentals of Gandhism,
Mittal Publications, New Delhi, 1995 P.14.
14. Ibid. P.15.
15.
S. C. Gangal, Gandhian
Thought and Techniques in the Modern World, Criterion Publications, New Delhi, 1988, PP.
158-59
16.
Ibid. , P. 159
17.
Verma, V.P. (1972).
The Politcal life of Mahatma Gandhi and Sarvodaya. Agra,Lakshmi Narayan agarwal,
pp. 73-74
18. Barnabas,
A.P., & Meheta, C. S. (1965). Caste in Changing India. New Delhi: IIPA,
p.15
19. Ibid., p.2
20. Harijan,
February 11, 1933(CW, New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information
and Broad Casting, Government of India)
21. Young India, December 26, 1924, (CW, New
Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broad Casting,
Government of India)
22. Tendulkar,
D.G.(1953) The Mahatma. (CW, New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of
Information and Broad Casting, Government of India) , Vol. iv, pp. 125-26
23. Vishwanath
Tandon, The Social and Political Philosophy of sarvodaya After
Gandhi, Sarva Seva Sang Prakashan,
Varanashi, 1965, PP. 124-125
24. K. M.
Rathnam Chetty, Sarvodaya and Freedom:A
Gandhian Appraisal,
Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi, 1991 P. 66
25. N. K.
Bose, Selection from Gandhi, Navjiban
Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1994, P. 40.
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