PERSONALITY AND PRINCIPLES OF MAHATMA...

CHAPTER IV

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PERSONALITY AND PRINCIPLES OF

MAHATMA GANDHI

Personality and Principles ofMahatrna Gandhi 81

4.1 Introduction

'I'hc study of the pezsonality and principles of (iandhij i is quitc relevant -*

in today's contemporary world in many respects. His personality has indeed

many Iaccts which have cxtendcd in various aspects of human l ik and human

rights. Gandhiji gave cqual importance to spiritual lifc as well as material

lile. It can be sccn in his cntire life. And moreover, it was the secret of' thc

success of his entire lifc. 'lhe power oE his material life and action was his

firm belief in soul force. For Gandhiji, soul force was his entire powcr of

action. In his carly years young Crandhi-ji was very shy and timid in character.

His early personality may be sccn in his Autobiography.

"I used to be very shy and avoided all company. My books and my

lessons were my sole companions. To he at school at the stroke of the

hour and to run back home as soon as the school is closed that was my

daily habit. I literally ran back bccause I could not bear to talk to

anybody. 1 was even afraid lest anyone should poke fun at me"'. +

Rut later in his life his ideals and actions bascd on human rights

made him to becomc a Mahutma; i t is well known to the world. Einstein's

description of him as "the greatcst man of our timesM2 is a testimony 01 this

-a

Personality and Principles ofblahatma Gandhi

dimension of Gandhiji 's personality. Gandhiji believcd that the transforme !ion

o l his personality would be complcte only when it continued to work ftx the

transformation of society. Hcnce the Indian society at large was his laboratory.

IIis experiments with truth havc been done in this laboratory. To quote his

II

own words,

"I shall work for an India in which thc poorest shall feel that it is

their country in whose making they have an,effectivc voice, an India

in which therc shall be no rich class and no poor class of pcople, an

lndia in which all communities shall live in perfect harmony. This is

the India of my dream"'.

*

Gandhiji dreamed thai the Indian society must be based o n social

justice and equality. The Indian constituiion puts seal of legality on social

equality for which Gandhij i fought relentlessly . Article 15 could, therekjrc

be trsccd to the teachings of Gandhiji who believed that "democracy can

only exist and llourish amongst a society of equalsw4. Without economic

equality, political and social equality sound lifeless. Gandhiji accepts thc

doctrine oL equitable distribution and cquality of status and of opportunity. v

Economic cquality would he without any substance if in a country, a largc

Persorality'and Principles omahatma Gandhi 83

section of fellow citizens is trcated at the sub-human levcl and is der~ied

clernentary human rights. Gandhiji's personality ha5 mainly two dimensions.

On the one hand, it is the integrated growth of body, mind and spirit - Personal -.

dimension, and on the othcr this integrated sell is co-ordinated with his

Iellow beings through servicc - social dirncnsion. 'l'he social dimension of

Gandhiji's personality was vcry close to his human rights activities. Hc was

a social activist regarding the various rights of thc people. He was a man o l

action. A man who practiced what he preached. Gandhiji writes: "It is bettcr

to allow our livcs to speak for us than our w ~ r d s " ~ . He taught nothing which

he himself was not preparcd to practisc. There is no gap between prcccpl

and practice. This had a grcat impact on the masses in India. He was a man

who practiced the Christian precept, 'Lovc thy neighbour'. He was a man

who absorbed the ancient wisdom in the 'Bhagavad-Gita', and he was a man

who valued the ideals of social harmony and brothcrhood preached by the

'Holy Quran'. Gandhiii believed: "Truc knowledge of rcligion breaks down

thc barriers between faith and faithv6. Gandhiji was a multi-facctcd -I

personality. A brief appraisal ol' thc different dimensions of his rich personality

is attempted here.

Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi 84

4.2 Charismatic Leader and Visionary

Charisma lilerally means "a divinely inspired gift'or talcnt. It also

means a special quality ol' lcadership that inspircs great popular allegiance "7 .

It is commonly dcfined as "a certain quality of an individual by virtuc of

which he is considercd extraordinary and treated as endowed with -b

supernatural, superhuman powers or at least specific exceptional powcrs or

qualities'". Undoubtedly Mahatma Gandhi bas been a grcat charismatic

leader of modern India. Gandhiji was not endowed with any supernatural or

superhuman qualities. IIis charisma co~~sisted in his magnctic personality

and utter dedication which attracted people from all walks of life. Dr.Kajendra

I'rasad describes his experience with (iandhiji in his book At the lret of

Mahatma Gandhi. HJS veneration of Gandhiji leads him to the imaginative

feeling that "Mahatma is a modern replica in human form of the sacred

C;anga7'. Resides as a visionary Gandhiji Icd his people out ol captivity in to

thc land of political ficcdom too. A visionary is farsightcd and creativc and >

has a comprehensive outlook. His farsightcdness also convinced him !hat

conventional wcapons would not he cffcctive in attaining political freedom

for lndia. Out of his farsightedness hc fashioned a totally new wcapon - a

*

Personality and Principles ofblahatma Gandhi 85

weapon the world had never dreamed of, namely, Salyugahu. Satyagraha 4

literally means 'holding to truth" or "insistence on t r ~ t h " ' ~ . R.li.Diwakar in

his bookUMy Encountcr with Gandhi" recalls Gandhi 's role "not mcrcly as

the architect o l India's freedom but also as an inventor oP a ncw weapon o f

resistance - Satyagaha, which relies entirely for its sharpening and use on

inncr resources, our soul, the very spirit oI all human beings"". Satyagraha

is an elfcctive weapon, if self control is uscd as a moral force. It presupposes

that the cnd does no1 justify thc means. IIcnce the concept o l Satyagraha

establishes a close moral nexus between means and ends. Ciandhiji was ncver

tired of talking about mcans and ends and of laying stress on thc importance

of the means. Nehru explains why he and others werc drawn to Gandhiji's

leadership, reflecting cspecially on the role played by the means of

Satyagraha:

What T admonished was the moral and ethical side of our rnovemcnt 0

and of Satyagraha. I did not give an absolute allegiance to the doctrine

of nonviolcnce or accept it forevcr, but it attracted me more and

more, and thc belief grew upon me that, situated as we werc in India

and with our background and traditions, it was thc right policy for

Personality and Principles omahatma Gandhi 86

us. The spiritualization of politics, using the word not in its narrow

religious sense, seemcd to me a fine idea. A worthy end should have

worthy mcans leading to it. That scemed not only a good ethical -Y

doctrine hut also sound, practical politics, for the areas that art: not

good often deleat the end in view and raise new problems and

difficul tied2.

4.3 Profile of courage and strong faith

Couragc and faith can be described as two sides of the same coin:

both are mutually dependent. Gandhiji was exceptionally giSled with both v

lhcsc qualities. And moreover, these qualities hclped him l o face the British

officials as well as his other opponents with calmness and gentleness. 'l'hc

source of Gandhiji's courage was his firm laith in Truth and Nun-violencc

and his readiness to obcy the voice of his conscience. He told thc magistrate

of Champaran, "I have disregarded the order served upon mc, not lor want

oS rcspect lor lawful aulhority, but in obcdience to thc higher law of our

bcing, the voice of i~nscience"~'. llis conscience: was always against the

social evils such as untruth, injustice etc. IIe had said: "I am not anti-English.


i am not anti-British; I am not anti-any government; hut I am anti-untruth;

anti-humbug and anti-injustice. So long as the ,government spclls injustice,

it may regard me as its enemy, implacable enemy"14.

4.4 Upholder of Human Dignity and Human Rights

Thc dignity of man and the meaning of man are linked to the essential -a

nature of man. Human entity is complcx, with an immortal soull5 and a

perishable hody16. Every man has the capacity for thc highest development

because of his soul and its powers. Man has thc capacity for higher

development. For it qual i ty is an essential clement. Without that a real

living is not possible. Gendhiji had said: "'fie moment wc have restorcd real

living equality between man and man, we shall bc able lo establish equality

between man and the wholc creation"". Gandhiji gave top most priority to -"

individual dignity and individual rights. He always upheld thc respect and

dignity of cvery man. And moreover, he had identified the social evil which

adversely affect the dignity of man - untouchability. Gandhiji had vcry

clear vicws regarding urttouchability Porm the very carly days. IIc recalk in

his autobiography, "I told my mother that she was entirely wrong in

considering physical contact with Uka (an untouchable) as

Untouchability is onc of the major social cvils facing our country. 'There v


werc millions of untouchables in thc whole population of India in thc North

as well as in ihe ~ o u f h . They were the dcspised and downtroddcn people o f

India. Gandhiji considered untouchability as a curse. ITc prayed that i Y he

had to be reborn he should be born as an untouchable so that he could sharc

their sorrows and sufferings. Ile was wcdded to thc cause lor thc cxtinc~ion

ol' untouchability before hc was wedded to his wife. He had said: "Thcrc

were two occasions in our joint life wherc there was a choice betwccn working

for the untouchables and remaining with my wife and I would have preferred -.

thc first. But thanks to my good wifc, the crisis was averted"'! Untouchability

can rightly bc considered as a black blot on Indian caste systems particularly

I linduism. Gandhiji said: "'Thc more 1 studied Hindu scriptures, and thc

more 1 discuss them with Brahmins, the morc I feel convinced that

untouchability is thc greatest blot upon II ind~isrn"~~. I Icnce Gandhij i declared

an open and uncompromising war against unteuchabili~ y .

4.5 Writer for ~hangk and Awareness

Gandhiji cdited threc journals during his lire. The first one, Indiarl

opinion (1903 - 1914) was in South M i c a . Thc other two, Yolirzg Indiu

(1919 - 1932) and Harijan (1933 - 1948) were both from Ahmcdahad.

Personality- and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi 89

Considering thc whole of Gandhiji's writings, it is clear that the characteristics

of his personality such as his love h r truth, his wrath against injustice, his

dcep love cven lor his opponents, his sympathy for the downtrodden and his

eagerness to amelioiatc their condition. In South Africa where he fouad

himsell involved in defending the sclf-respect and rights of his countrymen

who had becn made victirns of inj usticc, indignities and discriminations of

various kinds, then he discovered the principles of Satyagraha (Truth Forcc).

?he Indian opinion was a weekly paper, publishing ncws o l intcrcst

lrom the South ACrican Indians. And it would contain an epitome of evcnts

happening in India and also contain news especially affecting Indians of all

parts o i South Africa. And moreover, the journal was filled with

discriminatory law cascs involving Indians, and which Gandhij i used to plcad

for Indians sake. Gandhiji wanted to change tht: life situations o l Indians in

South APrica arid he firmly resisted the discriminations, which had hccn

prcvalen~ in the Indian community. Bcsides, Gandhiji used the journal for ..

pubiic awareness. In 1905, there was the outbreak of plague in .lohannesburg.

Ciandhiji with a handof volunteers was fighting against this deadly discase.

Throughout this pcriod he was writing editorials, publishing news and lcttcrs,


drawing the attention o l the town council and also the Indian community to

thc seriousness of plaguc. Gandhiji was also fighting against the disahili tics

sullercd by the Indians in South Africa. Gandhiji expressed many ol his

novcl ideas in the form of editorial in Indian Opinion.

Young India and Navajivan proved that Gandhiji was a good writer. *

He had a clear vision about his writings. He had taken up writing not for its

sake but as an aid to what he had conccived to be his mission o l lilc. Among

the journals pub1 ished by Gandhiji, Harijan was the most important and

most effective in many respects. I larijan was founded by Ciandhiji himsell

in 1933. It was intended to promote Gandhiji's campaign against

untouchability and for temple entry for the untouchables. Gandhiji accepted

the untouchables andfor the promotion oP thcir social dignity he called them

as I Iarijans. 'rhc term 'klarijan' means, children of Godz1. (iandhi j i believed

that before God all arc cqual. Hencc hc fought against untouchability. Thc

journal Harijan first,appcared in February 11, 1933 and it was thc r~os t

influential journal involvcd in the movcmcnt for Indian independence.

Personality and Principles omahatma Gandhi

4.6 Social Reformer and Humanist *

There wcrc many evils in Indian socicty . The system .of chi1 d marriagc

which rc'sulted in the physical, moral and intellectual ruin of both boys a ~ ~ d

girls. It also lcd to the increase in the number 01 child widows. Uuc to dowry

system girls and boys were sold and purchascd. Female could not receive

education. They had to live under thc purdah and so were denied the benclits

of air, sunshine and social life. And thcrc were castes and sub-castes dividing

the society and the nation into so many watertight compartments. And

moreovcr, there was thc system of untouchability. There werc millions oT

untouchables in the whole population of India in the North as well as in the

South. They were treated as thc despised and downtrodden people o l India".

But the alien British government was not intercsted in the welfarc of

the pcople by removing social evils. The Indian National (:ongrcss which

was founded in 1885 was more interested in thc political emancipation of *

the country. But it does not mean that no attempts were made lor thc removal

of social cvils. But with the advent of Gandhiji on thc stage of the Indian

National Congress, its wholc outlook was changed. He startcd a crusadc

against social cvils through his speeches and writings and moreovcr, hc edited


journals and wrote regular articles against social abuscs. He denounced child

marriage and detested dowry system. For Gandhiji, child widows wcrc not

widclws in the true sensc of the term. Gandhiji veherncntly opposed thc system

of untouchability, prevailing in virulent form in India. Gandhij i deep1 y lelt

the pitiable conditions of the untouchables and took it as his lifc's mission to

raise thcir status in society. FOX Gandhiji, untouchables arc not outcastes.

They have the same rights and opportunities as enjoyed by the uppcr castes.

Gandhiji says:

"All the religions of the world described God as the friend of the

liicndless, helpcf of the helplcss and pmtcctor of the wcak. The rest

of the world apart, in India who can be more friendless, helplcss or

wcaker than the forty million or more TTindus ol India who are

classified as untouchables. I Tindus have thcir own inner conviction

and therefore, voluntarily, got rid o l ~ h c present day untouchability,

we shall all he called Harijans, for according to my humhlc opinion,

castc Hindus will then have found favour with God and may +

thcrcfore, be fitly described as I Iis menvz3.

Persmality and Principles afMahatma Gandhi 93

'I

Gandhiji's humanism was the pivot of all the different aspects of his

wonderful personality. I Iis humanism meant his utter devotion to the human

interests - wellarc of the individual men and women of the human race. For

him, all human beings were potentially divine and the service of man was

the service of God whom he called Daridra Nnrayun - the God of the poor

also. 24

The word hzimanist was first used in the fifteenth century in Italy to

designate some scholars who werc not only proficient in Greek and Latin,

but also committed to human values as opposed to the life ddcnying trend o f

medievalismz. And from the historical standpoint the philosophic usage oS

the word 'Ihmanism' is oP vcry recent origin. Erich Frornm defines humanism

as "belief in the unity o l the human race and man's potcntial to pcrfect s

himself by his own efforts" 26. Paul Kurtz opines, "Humanism is an ethical

philosophy in which man is centralv2'. These thinkers go beyond mere human

experience, and point to a normative interpretation of humanism. But

according to Amiya Chakravarty: "Gandhiji as a profoundly religious Inan

was the supreme humanist in the modern crisis"28. He expresses his opinion

regarding the humanistic elements of Gandhiji's religious idcas. For (;andhi-ji


man's ultilnatc aim is ihc realization of God. Hc had said: "My crecd is

servicc of God and' therefore of l h e first element in the

humanism of Gandhiji is the freedom of man. He believed that freedom and

lrecmen alone can make a just and human society"". Thus Gandhiji's concept

of freedom arose out of his humanism. 'I'hc attainment of India's independence

through nun-violent mcans is Gandhiji 's humanism. Hencc, humanism was

inhcrcnt in evcry spokcn word and thought of Gandhiji. No word in his

writings, no phase of his public life can be dctected that does not contribute, 1

directly or indirectly to humanistic objectives. He lived and breathed his last

lor it. It is [he lively spirit of self-sacrifice and self-suffering which madc

Gandhiji thc leader of suffering humanity for all time.

4.7 Principles of Mahatma Gandhi

4.7.1 Introduction

Gandhiji's entirc public life was based on certain principles. He had

1 ived and worked for it. All of his principles, l'ruth and Non-violcnce are the

basic pillars of his entire life. The other important principles are Satyagraha,

Morality and Religion, and Sarvodaya.

Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi

4

4.7.2 Truth

Truth is thc corner stone of the entire thought of Gandhiji. Gandhiji

was an ardent followcr of Truth who not only prcached but also practiced it

in practical lifc. He says, "T am but a sccker after 'l'ruth. I claimed to bc

making a ceaseless effort to find it. But I admit I haven't yet found it. 'l'o lind

Tr-uj h completely is to realize one sclf and one's destiny, i.e., to become

perfect. I am painfully conscious of my irnperfcctions. Therein lies all the

strength, because it is a rare thing for a man to know his own limitation"'1.

Gandhiji had a firm faith in Truth and his whole lile was oriented towards its

pursuit. In all his thoughts and actions Gandhiji always cmphasized thc

adherence to Tnlth and Non-violencc. But of these two concepts rl'ruth always

had the first place for him. In other words, i t was only in thc pursuit oSrl'ruth

that hc discovered Non-violence.

*

According to Gmdhiji, Sntya (Truth) in the first place is derivcd from

Sat which means 'being' of what is existing. Thus Candhiji concludes from

this that Truth means that which exists. Except truth nothing exists in reality.

Gandhiji says that Truth is a reality and this reality is nothing but God.

Gandhiji says, "(.iod is Truthn3'. In other words, according to Gandhiji, God


is the other name for TrutH3. In 1925, in a talk with Christian missionaries

in Darjeeling, Gandhi said that lor him "God and Truth are convertible

t ~ r m s " ~ ~ . And moreover, in an address at Wardha, he had dedarcd, "to me

Truth is God and there is no way to find Truth exccpt the way of non-

vi~lence"~'. Thus Gandhiji changes his position and propounds that Trulh is

God. He re1 cased 'llruth from the ethico-spiritual bondage; and applied

efficiently and to a greater extent success~ully to every walk of life sucil as

social, political, aesthetic, ethical, religious etc. Kcalization ol' Truth has no

mcaning if it is not translated into action. Man is both an individual and +

social being simultaneously. Once he realizcs the Truth and begins to act

llpon it and stops there, thcn that action would be incomplete and may not

have much lasting valuc. IIe has to share his new insight with others. The

sharing is essentially a human action. l'hrough this process the individual

has to get a chance to tcstify the Truth. Truth is to bc practiced in all the

activities of life. Gandhiji says that Truth should bc pursued at any cost,

even at the cost of one's life because 'l'ruth reveals knowledge which is thc -.

most important clement oI lifc. Gandhiji opines that whcrc there is 'l'ruth,

Iherc exists knowledge. And where there is noTruth there is no knowledge.

Personality and Principles h a h a t m a Gandhi 97

And whcre there is true knowledge, thcrc is bliss and sorrow disappears. In

othcr words, it mcans'that 'l'ruth is a light of knowledge by which thc darkness

of ignorance is removed36. For to reach 'Truth Gandhiji practiced certain

vows, such as the vow of Truth, the vow of Brahmacharya (purity), the vow

of Non-violence, the vow of poverty and non-possession. Among all thesc

fivc vows Gandhiji givcs much importance to Non-violence and says that

Ahilnsa (Non-violence) i s the means through which Truth can he found out.

4.7.3 Non-Violence .

Another important principle of (iandhiji was Non-violence. Gandhiji

considered this ideal primarily as a weapon for moral regcncration and

reorientation. With the hclp of this uniquc weapon oP moral power he drove

out the Rritishers and ibught the ills of society in all sphcrcs of life. For

Gandhjji, Non-violence is the law of life. According to him, it must pcrvade

the whole being and should not be applied to isolated acts. Hut this law

should also be practiced both at thc individual and national basis. (iandhij i

was an ardent follower of the principle of Non-violence in both theory and

pra~tice. Thc whole life of Ciandhi-ji was directed, rcgulated and mouldcd by

the spirit of on-vi6lencc. In fact, the principle of Non-violencc was the


breath of his lifc. Gandhiji had said: "For me Non-violence is not a mere

philosophical principle, it is the rule and breath of my lifewi7. And moreover,

he rcveals "Non-violence is the first article of my fiiith. It is also thc last

article of my creed"-3R. It clearly reveals the role of Non-violence in his lifc.

And moreovcr the propagation of Non-violence is the activity of daily lilc

during intercourse with each othcr. Non-violence of Gandhiji is based upon

the conccpt of spiritual unity with the opposite party which would not bc

thcre if violcnce wili he met with violence. Ihus, it has great faith in the

essential goodness of human nature. It demands the conversion of the bad to

good through love. So that the wil doer may become conscious of his spiritual

unity with the non-violent individual. Thus the principle of Non-violence ol

Gandhiji includes love, aflection, kindness, sympathy, mercy, tolerance,

patience, forgiving and forgetting and co-operation, mutual aid and

constructive programme. For Gandhiji, a person loves another person who s

lovcs him, this is not Non-violence. Rather, a non-violent person is he who

loves those who hate him. This is the significance of Gandhiji's concept of

Non-violence. Gandh i j i implemented the melhod of Non-violencc for solving

a1 l human problems, social, religious, cconomic and political. Hc firmly

believed that the method of Non-violence could lead to the establishment of


a world without hatred, wars and all kinds of exploitations. During his activc

participation in making India free, Gandhiji pursued Non-violent Nan-

cooper at ion and Non-violent Civil Disobedience methods. (;and hiji explains, 8

"Whether onc or many, I must declare my Paith that it is bcttcr for India to

discud violence altogether, cvcn for dcfcnding her borders. For India to

alter into the race of armaments is to court suicide. With the loss oi' India to

Non-violence, thc last hopc of the world will be gone"3Y. It dcarly reveals

the anxicty of Gandhiji regarding the denial of Non-violence. He had always

oppgsed violence. Ile believed that it hurts the rights of the people and the

society will la11 into peace1 css situation. I Ience he writes in the Hind Swaraj,

"Those who will rise to power by murder will certainly not make the pcople

l~appy"~! Thus we come to the conclusion that the principle of Non-violcnce

developed by Gandhiji is ncw and unique in the sense that it is all-pervasive,

rnultidimcnsional and a panacca for all typcs of evils - social, political,

economic, ethical, individual, national and international.

4.7.4 Satyagraha

(iandhiji used the term Satyagraha during 1906 to 1914 in South

Africa, to reprcsent the Non-violent movement oP he Indian settlers in the

Personality and Principles amahatma Gandhi 100

Transvaal Kcpuhlic against the racially discriminatory legislations of the

White Government. The term Satyagraha is Sanskrit in origin and is a

combination of two words Srctya and Agraha, 'Salya' means truth and

' Agraha' mearls firmness, or adherence, or insistence, or holding. Thus the

compound word 'Satyagraha implies firmness in truth, or adherence to truth

or insistencc on truth, or holding on to truth. As Gandhiji considers truth

equivalent with Non-violence or love, soul or spirit or morality, the term

Satyagraha implies a force born of truth or Non-violence or lovc, or socl or

spirit or morality. Therefore, in other words, Satyagraha is Truth-force or

Non-violent lorcc, or Love-force, or Soul-force or Moral-force4'. 'l'hus, "'The

moral weapon to fight untruth with truth and violence with Non-violence is

described by Gandhiji as Sat~agraha"~~. Gandhiji gave a new direction to

the tcchllique of Satyagraha and he wanted to tackle all problems of social,

moral, and religious fronts through it. ITe first used this technique in South

Africa. And he had gained much experience about the validity of this ..

tcchnique in South Africa. This technique has been tested on many occasions

and it has the capacity of being univcrsal. It can be very useful in rnodcrn

times too. Acw~rding to A. C.Kapoor : "Saty agraha is the technique of resisting *


all that is evil, unjust;impurc and untrue and resolving all maladjustments in

human relations by love, voluntary sulkring and sclf-purilication by an appeal

to thc divine spark in thc opponent's Satyagraha prevents all sorts of

hunger, greed and untruth. It is tbc highest and purest form of Non-violeb~ce.

Tn Satyagraha, thc opponent is not an cnemy to bc destroyed or defcated, but

he is a person who has to co-exist with the Satyagrahi. Satyagraha is a soul

forcc or love force. So the Satyagrahi can solve all problems and conflicts

*

hy winning the hcarts of thc opponents. Satyagrahi is twice blcssed; it blesses

him who practices it, and him against whom it is practiced. So it is a trulh

Porcc. Gandhiji calls it the soul lorcc'? Satyagraha is a rclcntless scarch for

truth and a determination lo rcach truth through Non-violent means. And

moreover it is a very powcrful non-violent method of direct action. According

to Gandhiji, a Satyagrahi is a fearlcss person. ITe will nevcr submit to any

arbitrary action. Hc who has attained the Satyagraha his state ol mind will 4

rcmain victorious under all conditions. For Gandhiji, Satyagraha i s a

philosophy of lile. It is also thc rcligion whcre he wantcd all men to live tiy

it. According to Gandhiji, Satyagraha is practicable in every situation. 'l'hc

Satyagrahi bewmcs mentally strong by cnduring physical sufPering. In this


context, Gandhiji wrote: "I see that Satyagraha is assured of divine hclp, and

that in testing a Satyagrahi, the creator imposes on him at every step only as

much burden as hc Can bear""'. The Satyagrahi must not use any sort of

violence against thc cxploiter bccause the aim of the Satyagrahi is to convert

the opponent and to makc him realize his mistakc. Violence hurts thc rights

of the opponent. Thcre are diffcrcnt forms of Satyagraha. Gandhiji crnployed

these Soms during thc freedom struggle in India. There arc three l~rm:i of

Satyagraha, namcly, (a) Non-Cooperation, (b) Civil Disobedience, and (c)

Fasiinp. These three mcthods of Satyagraha are known as the non-violent

direct act ion. According to Gandhiji, Non-cooperation is a universal rclncdy

against all evils -social, economic and political. Gandhiji believed that under

exploitation there is cooperation between the exploiter and the exploited

and therelijrc the former must withdraw his cooperation so that the expl(.~iter

ceascs to exploit. Hence Non-cooperation means to ccase to cooperate. Non-

cooperation may includc strikes, hartal, boycott and resignation of officcs

and titlcs. In principle, "Non-cooperation is a protest against an unwitting +

and unwilling participation in evil"46. Civil disobedience is a form of non-

violent rebellion. By refusing to obcy the unmoral laws of the statc, the civil

Personality and Principles pfMahatma Gandhi 103

resistcr denies thc existence of the established authority. Gandhisi points

out, "A little reflection will show that civil-disobedience is a necessary part

of Non-cooperation. You assist an administration most effectively by obeying

its ordcrs or d e ~ r e c s " ~ ~ . However, as Gandhiji rejects thc infallibility of thc

governmen:, he sanctions disohedienw: of those laws of the goverruncnt which 4

arc morally wrong and which are against the conscience of the pcople or of

cven a single individual. Gandhiji observes, "Disobedience to the law ol thc

state hew,mcs apreliminary duty whcn i t comes in conflict with moral law"*.

Accordingly, for the fist time, in South Mica, Gandhiji advised thc Indians

of the 'Transvaal and Natal to disobey the Black Act, and the immigration

liestriction Act. They did the job quitc non-violent1 y and acceptcd self-

suffering by going tnprison instead of paying the fine imposed on them for

the violation ol the Acts. Because, courting imprisonment by disobeying the

government's immoral laws is the highcst type of self-suffering and thc most

effective mode of registering protest with the opponent. Gandhiji also applied

the non-violent non-cooperation and civil disobedience in thc Indian naticmal

movemcnt for seeking redress of particular grievances, and for the wider

purpose of achieving thc freedom of India.

*

Personality and Principles amahatma Gandhi 104

Fasting is thc most potent form of Non-cooperation. Gand hij i called

it a 'fiery ~eapon '~ ' . Fasting aims at the purilication of sell. It is offered to

convince the opponents. In the course of his Satyagraha movements, Gandhiji

made use of this method against official injustice, untouchability and dlso

against Hindu-Muslim riots.

4.7.5 Morality and Religion

The othcr important principle of Gandhiji was morality. He had applied

morality in every field oT lifc - social, political, religious and economic. 1 Ie

has tried to solve all the problems of life on thc basis of moral it y . For Gandh ij i,

morality is the basis o l all. According to him morality and rcligion are

convertible terms and hc believed that it is morality that leads to religion.

The history of world rcl igions confirms that without a strong basis of morality

"religion cannot exist. Truc morality covcrs religion for the most part""'. So *

it is morality that is of utmost importance to us; and it is morality that promoted

religion. Howcver, Gandhiji opines that, Truth and Nun-violence arc the

two principles which scrve as the basic structure of all morality. Morality is

acquired by a man through the observance oL Truth and Non-violcl~ce. A

man cannot be moral if he is not nun-violent and truthful. So to bc moral, it

Personality and Principles afMahatma Gandhi 105

is essential for a man also to be truthful and non-violent. 'lruth and Non-

violence only can protect human rights.

For Gandhiji borality and religion arc two faces of the same coin

lrrom which neither of them can be separated. According to him, rcligion is

to morality what watcr is to seed that is sown in the soi151. Thus morality and

rcl igion would go togctl~cr . Neither morality preccdes religion nor relibion

preccdcs morality. They are intertwined and interdependcnt on each oti~cr.

Morality emphasizes the relation of the individual to society and rcligion

emphasizes the relation of individual to God. Gandhiji advocated that r cligion %

and morality would pervade thc whole of human life. IIc did not perccivc

rcligion as something more than morality. Morality is a way of life. Without

it, we cannot respect and accept the rights of others. Gandhiji strictly followed

morality in all his actions and performances. IIc tried to confine the national

independent movement to the strict principle of Non-violence. It is thc core

of morality. And moreovcr, Gandhiji tricd to moralize all religions and thcreby

to avoid hatred, fanaticism, 4 and religious orthodoxy. He had a scparate

meaning to religion. He had said: "By religion, I don't mean formal religion

or emtornary religion, hut that rcligion whichbunderlies all religions which

Personality and Principles 2fMahatma Gandhi 106

bring us face to face with the makerns2. Gandhiji's religion was a practical

rcl igjon. According to him, religion which takes an account of practical al'i'airs

and does not hclp to solve them is a religion. Again Gandhiji says, "Religion

should pervade every one of our actions. Here religion does not mean

scctarianism. It is not lcss real because it is unsccn. This religion transcends +

Hinduism, Islam, Christianity etc. It docs not supercede them. It harmonizes

them and gives thcm realityvs'. Ciandhiji crnphasizes that religions arc not

Tor separating men lrom one anothcr but rather for binding thcm. 'Therelorc,

he subscribes to the creed of equal regard for all faiths and creeds. IIencc he

had practiced survadharmu Lsamabhuvu in all his life. Shriman Naray an

obset-vcs, "Mahatma Gandhi cntertained cqual respect for all religions and

stressed the necd f q developing sarvadharma samabhava in national life

with a view to establishing a sccular democracy in Gandhiji's

religious perspective was very wide. ITc also thinks that any evil dced done

by a Moslcm hurts him as much as that done by a Hindu. "1 regard myscll as

+

a friend of the Moslems. They are my blond brothers. 'I'hcir wrongs are my

wrongs. I share their sorrows and their joys. Any evil deed donc by a Moslem

hurls me just as much as that done by a Hindu"". This will help one to


recognize, appreciate and promotc the common values in all religions. /\nd

moreover, it promotes thc fundamental rights of a citizen i .e., the right to

liecdom of religion.

4.7.6 Sarvodaya +

Sarvodaya means the rise or welfare of all. Ciandhiji's activitics wcrc

inspired by the principle of Sarvodaya, which can bc called non-violcnt

socialism. The basic principle bchind it is that the good of individuals is

contained in the good of all. Individual well-being can be realized only

through the realization of the dignity and well-being of all. In Sarvodaya

socicty, Saiya and ahimsa are thc unshakeable basis for political and social

activitics. According to Gandhiji:

True democracy or the Swaraj of the masses can never come through

untruthful and violent means, li)r thc simple reason that the natarrl

corollary to their usc would be to rcmove all opposition through th::

suppression or extermination of the antagonists. That does ]lot make

for individual freedom. Individual freedom can have the fullest play

*

only under a rcgime of unadultcratcd ahimsas6.


*

Violence cannot have to establish individual freedom and the ii-ecdom

of all. Thc political power must be used only for non-violent means. And

moreover, the power would not he observed as an cnd for anything. For

Gandhiji: "Political power is not an end but one of the means of enabling

people to better their conditions in evcry departrncnt of liPd"'7. This approach

towards political power is an essential condition to better thc welfare o f all.

'l'hc cxercising power o l ihc political authority is justified only in so far as -a

thcy serve the wellare of the memhcrs of the society or statc. For to realizc

the weliarc of all cach and evcryone must do their duty properly. Duty

determines the welfare ol the pcople. Hencc the true source of Sarvodaya is

duty. 'rc) safeguard the "rights of all" is Sarvodaya. For that, everyonc must

perform his duty in a stringent sense. Ultimately, we can find thc fact that

the base of rights violation is thc violation of duty. Hencc we must givc more

importance to duty tban our rights. It detcrmines the lcvel of Sarvodaya in

thc society and the nation as a whole.

4.8 Conclusion

Thc magnitude of personality and principles of Gandhiji was intense

and immense. His multifaceted pcrsonality clearly revealed thc fact that he

was an ardent admirer of human rights. He had lived and workcd for it. As a


charismatic leader and visionary, he took an initiative to lead thc people of'

India out of captivity into thc land of political liecdom. l'his action was a ..

great human rights action. 'l'his mode of non-violent action is quite relevant

in today's public action. Each public activist must practice thc Gandhian

vision of action in his or her public life. l'eople are undcr captivity in various

walks of life; political, economic, social, cultural and religious. 'l'hcy want

to gct a charismatic leader with a vision o l thcir freedom. Gandhiji had a

vision of India's freedom, and had a strong laith and courage in all ofm his

activities relating to the rights of the pcople. He had given prime importencc 1

to individual dignity and individual rights, and spent the entirc life l iw it.

Resides, he showcd an awarcness through his writings about thc rights o S

the people. And moreover, Ciandhiji was a great humanist and a great practical

idealist, thc world has ever seen. What he had said, he practiced in his lifk. It

is the notable trait of his personality. He had practiced his principles in his

daily life. All of his principles are based on morality. It was thc reason behind

the success of his entire public action. Moreover, the entirc public action of

Gandhiji stands lor th'e 'wellare of all'. Without certain moral principles, w e

cannot respect and accept the rights of others, our fellow beings. Hencc wc

must practice the Gandhian principles, in our day-to-day lile without fail. 11

is the solution of human rights violation which is prevalent in our socicty.

n

Personality and Principles ofblahatma Gandhi

REFERENCES

M. K.Gandhi, An Autobiography or the Stmy o f my Experiments with Truth,

Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1989, p.5.

P.C.Ghosh, Mahatma Gandhi as I saw him, S.Chand & Co., Delhi, 1968, p.VI.

-a

N.A.Palkivala, 'Relevance of Gandhi Today', Gandhimarg, Vo1.6. April 1984,

p. 13.

M. K.Gandhi, 'Democracy and Trust: Harijan, 16, November 1947, p.409.

Ymng India, August'll, 1927, p. 251.

M.K.Gandhi, From Yervada Mandir, Navajivan Press, Ahmedabad, Zfld Edn.,

1935, p.55.

Fakir, M. Sahoo, "Attributes of charismatic personalityt; Journal of

Psycho/ogica/ Research, Vol .3 1 ( I), 1 987, p . 1 3.

V.M.Weber, Economy and Society, Bedminster Press, New York, Vol. I, 1968,

p. 241.

Rajendra, Prasad, At the Feet of Mahatma Gandhi, Asia Publishing House,

Bombay, 1961, p. VI.

lo Young India, March 23, 1921, p. 90.

l1 R.R.Diwakar,My Enwunter with Gandhi, The Gandhi Peace Foundation, New

Delhi, 1989, p. 13.

Personality and Principles afMahatma Gandhi 111

Delhi, 2000, p. 80.

l3 Autobiography, p. 345.

G. A. Natesa n (ed ,) Speeches and Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Natesa n 8

Co., Madras, 4th Edn., 1933, p. 523.

"Bodies appear and disappear, but not so the atman which ever is'; The

Bhagavad Gita, Swami Chidbhavananda, Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam,

Tirupparaittumi, llth impression, 1982, 2 - 12, p. 130.

l6 "Man's physical body is composed of five natural elements - air, water,

earth, fire or Tejas (The emerging principle) and ether (space). The soul

quickens it" Mahatma, Vol. VII, p. 96.

l7 The collected works ofMahatma Gandhi, publication division of the

Government of India, New Delhi, Vol. LXVI, 1958 - 1978, p. 285.

la Young India, April 27, 1921, p. 135.

l9 Ibid;, p. 135.

20 Ibid., p. 645.

Harijan, February 11, 1933, p. 7.

22 Ib id, p. 7.

23 Ib id, p. 7


24 K.S.Saxena (ed.), Gandhi Centenaly Papem, Publication Division, Council of

Oriental Research, p. 53.

*

25 Donald Clark Hodges, 'Marx's Contribution to humanism', in Science and

Society, Vol.XXIX, 1965, p. 174.

26 Erich Fromm, 'Introduction' in Erich Fromm (ed.), Socialist Humanism, p.IX.

27 Paul Kurtz, 'what is'~umanism'? Paul Kurtz (ed.), p. 2.

28 Am i ya C ha k rava rt y, Modern Humanism, A n Indian Perspective, p . 7 8.

29 Yoong India, 23 October 1924, p. 550.

30 G. Ra machandran, me Relation of Vuth and Non-violence in Gandhi3

Thinking, p .7 1.

K. S . B h a ra th i , Socio-religious Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, Dattson s,

Nagpur, 1989, pp. 4 - 5.

32 Nirmal Kumar Bose, Selections from Gandhi, Navajivan Publishing House,

Ahmedabad, 1951, p. 3.

33 Ethical Ideas o f Mahatma Gandhi, (Ed.), Kewal Krishnand Mithal,

Gandhibhavan, University of Delhi, 1981, p.38.

34 D.G.Tendulkar, Life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, The publication

division, Government of India, 1961, Vol.11, p. 189.

35 Ibid., pp, 235 - 236.

n


36 K. S . 6 ha rath i f Socio-religious Thoughts o f Mahatma Gandhi, Da ttsons, Nag pu r,

j7 N. B. Sen (ed .), Wit and Wisdom o f Mahatma Gandhi, New Book Society, New

Delhi, p 164.

38 M.K.Gandhi, Young M a , 23-03-1922.

41 M. K.Gandhi, Satyagraha in South Africa, Navajivan Publishing House,

Ahmedabad, 1961, pp. 150 - 151. Also see Rornain Rolland, Mahatma Ga,f7dhif

Publications Division, Mi nistty of Information and Broadcasting, Government of

India, 1990, p. 33, Vol. 3.

42 Ram Ratten, in his aiticle, 'The Anatomy of Gandhi's Satyagraha', in V.T.Patil

(Ed.), New Dimensions and Peapectives in Gandhism, Inter India Publications,

New Delhi, p. 42.

43 A.C.Kapoor, Principles ofPolitica1 Science,Premier Publishing Co., New Delhi,

(7th edition), 1961, p. 606.

44 M. K.Gandhi, Satyagraha, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1958, p. 6.

45 T ~ z Col/ected Works o f Mahatma Gandhi, Published by the Ministry of

Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, New Delhi, 1958 - 1984,

Vol .IX, p. 240.


46 Young India, June 21, 1921, p. 610.

48 Kri shna Kirplani, (Ed.), A// men are Brothers, Navajivan Publishing House,

Ahmedabad, 1960, p. 123.

49 M. K.Gand h i, Satyagraha, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1951, p.

321.

50 M.K.Gandi~i, Ethical Re/@ion, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, *

1968, p. 7.

Ibid., p. 49.

52 Joseph, 3. Doke, 'M.K.Gandhi: An Indian Patriot in South Africa, London

Indian Chronicle, 1909, p. 7.

54 Shriman Narayan, Mahatma Gandhi: The Atomic Man, p. 6.

-*

55 Young India, December 30, 1926.

" CWMG; Vol. WIX, p. 50.

57 CWMG. VoI. XLVII, p. 91.

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