GANDHI
AND GANDHISM
PROF. SUDHANSU BIMAL MOOKHERJI
An
explanation is necessary. There is nothing that may be called GandHism. ‘Isms’
are always dogmatic, fanatical, intolerant,
narrow in outlook and one-sided. But Gandhi had a broad and open mind. He on the one hand and dogmatism, fanaticism, intolerance,
narrowness and one-sidedness on the other
were as far apart as the poles.
Gandhi is on record as having said that he would leave no sect behind him, that he aspired
after something much greater and nobler. He was not to have any successor. But then how was his work to be carried on after his death? He answered the question himself: “After I am
gone, no single person will be able to take
my place completely, but a part of me will live in every one of you (his close associates and staunch
followers to whom he was talking). If
each will place the cause first and himself last, the vacuum to a large extent will be filled.” We use the word Gandhism in the absence of a better
expression.
Great
men differ from others in that
they alone add their “bundles to the granary of human spirit” and say their words in civilization. They make an impact on their
contemporaries as well as on the
posterity. The golden harvest of their lives becomes the common heritage of humanity in general and enriches its life. They leave behind
them “footprints on the sand of time” for others to follow.
So
have the Buddha and Christ done.
Centuries after their death, their influence
is still traceable on the life and thought of millions in the
East and the West. They
have made the life of man richer, nobler,
purer and better. Much of
their teachings, it must be borne in
mind at the same time, has been
misunderstood, misinterpreted and distorted by those for whom they are meant.
Whether
we admit it or not, the life and teachings of Gandhi,
the Great Contemporary (October 2, 1869–January 30, 1948), have acted as
a leaven on our lives and we in
To
an overwhelming majority of his Indian and foreign admirers Gandhi is, however,
known as the apostle of non-violence par excellence, the greatest the world has
seen since the days of Jesus Nazareth. As an exponent of Truth and non-violence
Gandhi has no peer, far less a superior in modern history. The quest for the
twin ideal was to be carried on with the help of the constructive programme
chalked out by him. The programme includes “Swadesi” or the use of indigenous
goods, physical labour which may be compared with the bread-labour of Tolstoy,
spinning and weaving work for communal unity, the removal of untouchability and
the revival of cottage industries, among others and the resuscitation thereby
of the seven hundred thousand villages of (undivided)
A
champion of
truth and non-violence that Gandhi was, he did not
invent either. Nor does he claim to have done so. He declared in unambiguous terms that truth and non-violence are “as old as the hills.” He used to say, “I have not discovered
any new principle or Philosophy.
All that can be claimed with
all humility I have tried to discover
a practical way or path of
translating the ancient and eternal
verities–as firm and unshakable as the
Non-violence and Satyagraha have been the prime factors in the liberation
of
We stand on the brink of
the abyss. Two major blood-lettings–World Wars I and II–in one generation
notwithstanding, nations and governments seem to be thirsting for more blood.
They seem to be itching for more blood-baths. Super-Powers with their
stockpiles of lethal nuclear weapons seem to be eager for a showdown. It is all
touch and go. The world has known no peace since curtains were rung down on
World War II more than a quarter of a century ago in early 1945. Hardly a year
has passed since then without a war or wars. They have all been local and minor
wars no doubt. But none can guarantee that a minor, local war will not develop
into a major international conflagration. The war, in
Human
good can be achieved through healthy thought, through healthy plans and
programmes and through giving shape to these plans and programmes with
patience, sacrifice, sincerity, love and labour. Fear must not unnerve us.
Human emancipation cannot be achieved by fear, hatred, suspicion and
frustration. They bring ruin.
The
organization of the League of Nations, the United Nations, the meetings of the
U.S.A. Ambassador with his Chinese counterpart at Warsaw, the Paris Conference
for peace in Vietnam, the Sino-Soviet conferences for the solution of the
border dispute between Red China and the U.S.S.R., the West German Chancellor
Willy Brandt’s visit to his East German opposite number Willy Stoffe on March
17, 1970 and various other recent international conferences reflect a
realization, however dim, that problems can better be solved round conference tables
than on battlefields, through peace than through violence.
Violence
leads one into a vicious circle. It leads to violence and a desire for revenge,
which in their turn lead to still more violence and a still stronger desire for
revenge. Violence thus leads one into blind alley or a whirlpool as it were and
there is no getting out of either. Centuries-old blood feuds in the tribal
areas of the Pak-Afghan borders and
Non-violence
and Satyagraha, applied in the right way and right spirit, will go a long way
in curing many of the maladies, including wars, that
afflict humanity today. But non-violence, to be fruitful, must be the
non-violence of the brave, free from anger, hatred and malice. The brave alone
can be truly non-violent. Non-violence is not a cover for cowardice for them.
Gandhi realized this truth and it is why he prescribed violence “where there is
only a choice between cowardice and non-violence.”
He
declared, “I would rather see
That
Satyagraha was not mere passive resistance to Gandhi is also proved by his
letter to a Swiss Pacifist friend Madame Edward Privat–“
(Twenty-five
years earlier Gandhi had called Christ the “Prince of Passive Resisters.”8
This only shows the evolution of Gandhi’s thought on Satyagraha and how he grew
from Truth to Truth.)
That
Gandhi was no more Pacifist is further proved by the
following episode. It was mid-1947. The Mountbatten formula for the partition
of
It
may further be recalled that almost the last political act of Gandhi’s life was
his approval of the Indian army’s intervention in
Not
a few today believe that non-violence, Satyagraha and the constructive
programme may be profitably given a trial for the solution of the social,
political and economic problems of our age, that they (non-violence, Satyagraha
and the constructive programme) alone can save the world from the horrors of a
nuclear war the shadow of which lengthens every day. But they must be rightly
understood and like all weapons, properly used at the right moment. The mind
and heart of the Satyagrahi must be free from all traces of ill-will for his
adversary. There should be love and compassion for all–friends and foes–alike.
The adversary should be convinced, not coerced. Constructive workers on their
part must work in a spirit of detachment. They must not run after the limelight
or publicity. Nor should they expect any material advantage from their work.
The
‘gheraos’, the ‘bundhs’, the sit-ins (and the ‘dharnas’ which are their Indian
version), the hunger-strikes, mass deputations, which all owe their inspiration
directly or indirectly to Gandh in one way or another and which have become
almost a chronic feature, of the political, economic and educational life of
contemporary India in general and or West Bengal in particular seldom achieve
their objects. More often than not they result in much avoidable loss of life
and limb, valuable property and man-hours of work: Far from drawing the
adversaries closer, they drive them farther apart because the hearts and minds
of those who have recourse to the above method’s are full of hatred, malice and
violence, which have no place in the Satyagraha as conceived by Gandhi. These pseudo-Satyagrahis
want to demoralise their adversaries by intimidation and what is worse by
physical and mental torture. Thus a ‘gheraoed’ University Vice-Chancellor is
denied food and drink, a ‘gheraoed’ College Principal is denied the use of the
toilet or forced to write a letter of resignation under pressure, a ‘gheraoed’
business executive is kept standing in the blazing sun bare-headed and bare
footed for long hours. Full-throated shouting of indecorous slogans in chorus
all the while plays havoc with the victim’s nerves. These are, in fact, the
travesty of Satyagraha.
The
constructive programme, which was to make the people self-reliant and usher in
an era of peace, happiness and caste and communal harmony have failed to
achieve the desired result. The fault is not of the programme but of those in
charge of implementing it. The people who were to be taught to stand on their
own legs are today more dependent than ever on external help. The Government to
which they look for help is almost as callous as and more corrupt and less
efficient than their predecessor. A plethora of “All India Boards” have
mushroomed for the ostensible purpose of the development of all sorts of
cottage and small industries and none shows a sign of healthy development and
almost all are running at a loss. Khadi and the Gandhi cap, which were “the
livery of national service” during the days of
We
in
The
weapon of Satyagraha was first applied
in history on a large
scale by Gandhi. Applied first in
We
in
Gandhi told an Indian
delegation from
Three Graves for Mississipi by William Bradford Huei
describes graphically how far some of the American Civil Rights workers had to
go and went willingly in their zeal to convert their white rulers and to elicit
a response from them. It was clearly proved that non-violent direct action “can
maintain a revolutionary spirit, a pure intent, without weakening or
compromising. It need not get blunted like, for example, Parliamentary
Socialism. Hence Dr. King’s murder.” 15
The Civil Rights
movement has two solid achievements to its credit so far. The props of the
colour bar in the
American Negroes had to put up with injustice,
inequality and indignities in the
The Gandhian doctrine of
non-violent Satyagraha is today bearing fruits in other fields as well. Many of
the American soldiers in
The world suffers from a
war psychosis today. War is sought justified on various grounds. One of the
arguments in favour of war is that war provides employment to thousands of
unemployed whose numbers can be counted in thousands and millions in every
country. Another argument, a very heartless argument no doubt, in support of
war is that one of the three safety-valves of nature, famine and epidemic being
the other two, it helps to keep down population. Not a
few actually believe that to sacrifice the lives of some for the safety and
well-being of many is just undesirable. These arguments, however, do not stand
scrutiny. Besides, their exponents lose sight of the patent historical truth
that violence has long been tried to solve the problems of humanity. But the
problems are where they were. If anything, violence has added to their solution
more difficult than ever. Under the circumstances what is the harm if
non-violence is given a trial? If it succeeds, so far so
good. If not, we do not stand to lose anything new.
Strangely enough, war
mongers and “death merchants” (manufacturers of arms and ammunition) too
occasionally loose their purse-strings for the propagation of Gandhian
doctrines. The Pentagon itself encourages and finances Gandhian studies in the
American Universities. The Government of India too is in the same boat and
tries to juxtapose the machine-gun and the spinning wheel. It spends money on
the Gandhi centenary celebrations as well as on the defence preparations of the
country. Such inconsistency is, to say the least stultifying. The man in the
street is confused and does not know what to do.
All countries of the
world–large and small–are building up their armed strength on the pretext of
defence against enemies ignoring the fact that the possession of arms itself is
one of the most potent causes of militancy. They are thus actually sowing the
seeds of violence and laying the trap for the destruction of man and his
civilization. What they regard as a measure of self-defence is suicidal and
will boomerang on them in the long run.
The evils of both
violence and of the mastery of machine over man were visualized by Gandhi more
than half a century ago. He raised his voice against both. He prescribed
Satyagraha and constructive programme to counteract the evils of violence as
well as machines. But his was a voice in the wilderness and we see the results
today. We see before our very eyes how machine has dehumanized man, how it has
made men brutes without brains in many cases. Gandhi was no obscurantist,
however. He was not against machines as such. What he wanted was that the
machine must be harnessed to the service of man. Man must be in the centre of
the picture and everything must revolve round man and his welfare. He sincerely
believed that machines can be truly useful to man and helpful to his evolution.
Gandhi modernised
non-violence to meet the modern situation. We stand at the cross-roads of
history today and non-violence and Satyagraha alone can show us the right path.
That way lies salvation. Truth and non-violence must
be made a part of our very being in our own interest. Routine spinning, wearing
of khadi and shouting pro-Gandhi slogans will not help.
It is an irony of fate that we have dropped the pilot after the ship has been brought to the port, i.e., after the country has been liberated. Outlandish leaders–they are great in their own ways no doubt–and their heartless ideologies which go against the very grains of our own culture and tradition, have pushed Gandhi out of our minds. We have all but forgotten him. Like Christ and the Buddha, Gandhi is about to be forgotten in the land of his birth, the land which he has liberated from political bondage and for which he lived, worked, suffered and died. His own people have disowned him. “The manner of his death, On January 30, 1948,” writes a biographer, “was in keeping with his life. Greater love hath no man than this that he lays down his life for his people, and he did so in harness, unto the last.” 18
History, it must be
remembered, has a Nemesis for every sin. It was Plato perhaps who said that the
man who brings the traditions of his own nation in contempt is the “deepest of
criminals” and that he “deserves death and nothing else.”
Marxism is more popular
and fashionable today than the teachings of Gandhi and the reasons are not far
to seek. Marxist workers are close to the people and outwardly at least share
their hopes and fears and their joys and sorrows. They supply ready-made
solutions of the problems of the masses and promise quick results. They stir up
envy, anger and hatred of the masses against those whom they label as
class-enemies. They prescribe the liquidation of the class-enemies as the
panacea of all the sufferings of the masses and get quick response in
consequence. They sing hymns of hatred against their opponents and breathe fire
and brimstone against them. Gandhian workers by and large have moved away from
the people on the other hand and are in most cases out of such with them.
Besides, appeal to the nobler instincts of man, to his moderation and sense of
justice, cannot elicit as quick a response as that to his baser, primeval
instincts, viz., fear, ire, jealousy and the like.
Active, sincere
participation in the Gandhian constructive programme,
and adherence to truth and non-violence are the essential pre-conditions of the
realization of Gandhi’s dream, which is necessary for our very survival.
Insincere or half-hearted lip-service, dependence on extraneous aid won’t help.
Gandhi and all that he stood for must not be confined to khadi, the Gandhi cap,
the spinning wheel and cheap slogans like ‘Gandhi ki jai’ and ‘Bapuji amar
rahe’. The spirit behind Gandhi’s words must be imbibed and made a reality in
our lives.
1 D. F. Karaka–Out
of Dust, p. 192.
2 Hiren Mookherjee–Ghundhiji: A Study, p.
19.
3
4 M. P. Desai–“Gandhi’s Way of Life” (Article in Quest for Gandhi. Published
by Gandhi Peace Foundation,
5 Romain Rolland–Mahatma
Gandhi (Quoted)
6 Romain Rolland–Mahatma
Gandhi (Quoted)
7 Harijan, December 7, 1947, p. 543.
8 Young
9 N. K. Bose and P. S. Patwardhan, Gandhi in
Indian Politics, p. 52. (Quoted)
10 R. G. Casey. An Australian in
11 Quest For Gandhi (Published
by
Gandhi Peace Foundation)
12 S. B. Mookherji -
13 Pyarelal-Mathama Gandhi-The
Last Phase, Vol. 1. p. 247.
14 Geoffrey Ashe-Can Non-violence Change
Society?–Article in Quest For
Gandhi (Published by Gandhi Peace Foundation) p. 1.
15 Ibid pp. 1-2.
16 Geofery Ashe–Can Non-violence Change
Society?–Article in Quest For Gandhi (Published by Gandhi Peace
Foundation), p 1.
17 The Statesman,
18 Hiren Mookherjee op.
cit. p. 184.