Gandhism is described as a range of ideas embodied in the life work of Mahatma Gandhi, which describe his vision and inspiration. It is mostly associated with his contributions to non-violence, truth, Satyagraha, and Sarvodya. Restructuring India post-independence was his immediate goal, and he devised a social and personal transformation plan based on his experiences and experiments in various areas of life.
Mahatma Gandhi was a disciple and follower of the holy book, Bhagwad Gita, and compelled the youth to follow it. Gandhi proposed that individuals must follow the Satvik Model, which is characterized by making happiness an inward development rather than depending on monetary and material gains for happiness. He also pointed out that following the norms of social conduct, which are acceptable by society, thoughtful behavior, cooperation, and sympathy, are the keys to inward happiness and goodwill.
He deeply believed in the Hindu philosophy of Moksha and suggested that a person who is a Sadachari (an individual with right conduct) is ensured a place in heaven. Therefore, the right education must be imparted to individuals to ensure their rightful behavior. He strongly held that if someone takes up a job, that job needs to be done with excellence, as, in his view, excellence is the key to peace of mind and ensures satisfaction. In his view, the ancient view that divided human life into four Ashrams sets the benchmark of excellence at different stages of life.
The aims that need to be attained at each ashram are
Bharamcharyashmram − Knowledge and Learning.
Grihaprasthashram − Managing household responsibilities.
Vanaprasthashram − Living in a forest.
Sanyasprasthashram − Devotion to God and breaking away from all relationships.
As per Gandhi, strong willpower, determination, and belief in one's ideas and beliefs are of utmost importance to bring about personal transformation. He also highlighted the importance of education; he believed that education is the basic right of individuals and everyone needs to learn to read and write, and in early years, the medium of education should be the mother tongue of the learner such that it is easier for them to gain the knowledge.
Gandhi gave a different perspective on social transformation; his ideas were based on truth and non-violence. He acknowledged the class differences and the fact that the interests of different castes may clash, but he believed in unity above the clashes. According to him, cooperation rather than conflict should be a characteristic of society. He did not favor economically restructuring society as he believed this would not solve the existing social problems.
He was also against the adoption of radical and violent measures to bring about social change, rather believing that political, social, economic, and cultural awakening among the masses is essential to bring about social transformation. The central features of Gandhian philosophy are individual-centered rather than system-centered. As described by Gandhi, the basic issues of social transformation are the pursuit of ahimsa, equality, self-reliance, a scientific and rational view of life, and developing tolerance. He viewed social transformation as uplifting the oppressed classes, such as gender equality and untouchability.
Untouchability was one of their primary concerns of Gandhi, and he aimed to reject the practice. Untouchability was practiced by the upper-class Hindus against the lower class, referred to as "Shudras." The Shudras were given menial jobs like cleaning and scavenging and were discriminated against in various ways; they were economically exploited, their touch was considered polluting, they were not allowed to enter temples or drink water from the same well as the upper-class Hindus, or they might pollute them. The untouchables were not allowed to attend the celebrations as their shadow may pollute the others present and were considered inauspicious; if an upper-class Hindu physically touched the untouchable, elaborate rituals were practiced for their cleansing. Along with Dr. BR Ambedkar, he abolished the practice of untouchability, a step toward social equality.
He viewed women as the incarnation of ahimsa, which means infinite love and compassion. He believed in bringing women to par with men because, according to him, women can translate the ideas of truth and ahimsa into humanity and become a leader in Satyagraha.
Mahatma Gandhi focused on personal and social transformation through the "Yoga of Non-violence." The thinking of Mahatma Gandhi was deeply influenced by the Bhagwad Gita and Stitha-Prajnata and the Jain philosophy of anekantawada; this philosophy suggests that truth is constructed differently by wise men than by others, and hence truth is a foundation for mutual understanding and interaction among individuals. Gandhi relied highly on Satyagraha and non-violence to resolve various political and social conflicts, which is one of Gandhi's greatest contributions to the field of social psychology. Studies establish a relationship between the concept of Satyagraha and the psychoanalytic theory, particularly the works of Erik Erikson and Sudhir Kakar. Gandhi's style of leadership is followed in most organizations in the modern day.
Gandhi should have attempted to create a coherent, internally consistent system of ideas. He underwent a continual process of development, improving, changing, or expanding his theories in the wake of new knowledge. However, he was more restrained by the voice of his conscience and his compassion for others than he was by the worry of being inconsistent.
: He acknowledges in his autobiography that his greatest desire was to meet God face-to-face and achieve moksha. He discovered the path to this goal through his love for people and his desire to wipe away every tear from every person's eye. While he appeared to agree with the Marxian analysis that man’s commerce with the matter, his economic life, his modes of production and distribution of economic goods, influence on politics and ethics, and generally the social life of the community, he refused to believe that there was a necessary correlation between the construction of a new social order and the destruction of the old one or that the ‘economic’ was the only factor which mattered.
Gandhi spent the 1920s and 1930s working hard to discover a means to improve our people's integration. He was the first to realize that the linguistic areas of India had valuable histories and traditions that dated back a long time, just like the parts of Germany and Russia, but unlike those of the United States of America. When the supremacy of national interests is readily acknowledged, a composite, robust, strain-free nationalism would wish to protect these unbroken traditions and evolved languages, even welcoming pride in them.
The removal of untouchability and the resuscitation of the Chaturvarnic ideal in all its pure purity were the other connections he wished to establish to achieve greater unification and integration. Although all men are created equal, their inclinations, temperaments, attitudes, and aptitudes differ, and their spiritual development diverges. He maintained that accepting Chaturvarna and heredity as a natural regulating basis would be incomparably preferable to having struggle and competition decide and classify these disparities.
Although Gandhi made it clear that the fast was not intended to protest reservation, he was unhappy at having to accept it. He was relieved when the Poona Pact stopped the different electorates since he could not tolerate them. The fast caused Hindu culture to become very emotionally charged. Untouchability was not eliminated by it. No, it could not. Repression and segregation persisted. Untouchability, however, cost them popular favor. It broke a lengthy link that had been in place since antiquity. The chain still had some of its links. However, nobody would devour fresh links.
Mahatma Gandhi has played a significant role in shaping modern-day India. The famous philosophy "simple living and high thinking" holds importance in today's large Indian societies. Various policies of modern politicians like Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan, Make in India, MGNERGA, Gram Swaraj Yojana, Nirbhar Bharat, and the skill India programs have been initiated using the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi envisaged a clean India and highlighted the importance of internal cleanliness, composed of physical cleanliness, and internal cleanliness, defined as practicing transparency, fairness, justice, accountability, and giving up practices like corruption. The Gandhian perspective of self-reliance has been highly monumental in the development of strategies of Politicians in the present day, which aim to transform Indian society.
Mahatma Gandhi held strong principles of personal and social transformation. Politicians presently adopt his ideologies to bring about societal transformations, and individuals adopt his ideas of non-violence and cleanliness for personal development. The initiatives of Gandhi have come a long way and have helped eradicate the practices of untouchability and discrimination against women. Though people hold varying opinions and controversies about the Gandhian perspective, his ideologies have helped positively transform Indian society.
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