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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.
Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi 87
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
Personality and Principles omahatma Gandhi 88
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,
Personality and Principles ofblahatma Gandhi 90
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
Personality and Principles omahatma Gandhi 92
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
Personality and Principles ofblahatma Gandhi 94
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
Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi 96
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
Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi 98
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
Personality and Principles omahatma Gandhi 99
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 *
Personality and Principles omahatma Gandhi 102
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
Personality and Principles omahatma Gandhi 102
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
Personality and Principles ofblahatma Gandhi 107
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.
Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi 108
*
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
Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi 109
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
Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi
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
Personality and Principles ofMahatma Gandhi
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.
Personality and Principles omahatma Gandhi 114
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.