Gandhi - Across The Boundaries

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About the Book Mahatma Gandhi was a very empowering and popular leader, not only in India but in the entire world. The whole of Gandhiji's philosophy based on non-violence was all pervading and it could not be restricted within any definition or a set of words that's why he inspired the Indian people to follow the path of non-violent struggle. A true devotee of Truth, Gandhi maintained that God is Truth and Truth is God and further that God is Love (of humanity) and love is God. He resorted to simple living, just like millions in the country, hence people look at Gandhi as one of their own and he emerged as a leader of the masses. In 1893 at the age of 23, he arrived in South Africa on a one year assignment to assist an Indian merchant in a civil suit. He had shown little interest in politics and had less experience in organizing and leading people. But he had a strong sense of duty, an attachment to truth and an open mind. In South Africa, Gandhi protested against the discriminating treatment meted out to Indians. He also protested the Asiatic (Black) Act and Transvaal Immigration Act and started his civil disobedience movement. The South African government repealed most of the obnoxious acts against the Indians. In 1915, Gandhi returned to India and in administration of his services to his countrymen began to be called Mahatma.

After that he radically transformed the Indian nationalist movement, and led three great popular movements that eventually wore down the British Government and led to Indian Independence. The parliament of Independent India officially recognized him as the Father of Nation. Today entire world is celebrating his 150th Birth Anniversary.

About the Author Dr. Devendra Kumar is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Ramlal An and College, University of Delhi and has been teaching in this college since 1992 in a permanent capacity. He attended a number of National Conferences and International Conferences since then and published numerous papers in the proceedings of Indian History Congress. His main published book is "A Comprehensive Study of The Harivansha Purana" New Delhi, 2019 . He is a life member of Indian History Congress since 1993. He worked with Professor R. S. Sharma a great scholar of Ancient Indian History, University of Delhi in preparing bibliography and the entire proof reading of "A Comprehensive History of India, Vol. IV" . He also worked a lot in the field of Gandhi and Studies that's why he was awarded by Humble Vice- Chancellor of Delhi University Prof. Yogesh Tyagi on 2nd October, 2019 on 150th Birth Anniversary.

Preface Mahatma Gandhi was a very empowering and popular leader, not only in India but in the entire world. The whole of Gandhiji's philosophy based on non-violence was all pervading and it could not be restricted within any definition Or a set of words that's why he inspired the Indian people to follow the path of non-violent struggle: A true devotee of Truth, Gandhi maintained' that God is Truth and Truth is God and further that God is Love (of humanity) and love is God. He resorted to simple living, just like millions in the country, hence people look at Gandhi as one of their own and he emerged as a leader if the masses. In 1893 at the age of 23, he arrived in South Africa on a one year assignment to assist an Indian merchant in a civil suit. He had shown little interest in politics and had less experience in organizing and leading people. But he had a strong sense of duty, an attachment to truth and an open mind. In South Africa, Gandhi protested against the discriminating treatment meted out to Indians. He also protested the Asiatic (Black) Act and Transvaal Immigration Act and started his civil disobedience movement. The South African government repealed most of the obnoxious acts against the Indians. In 1915, Gandhi returned to India and in administration of his services to his countrymen began to be called Mahatma. The next four years he spent in studying the Indian situation. In 1917, the first major initiative taken by Gandhi was the Champaran Satyagraha. It was not with any political ambition that Gandhi started the movement in Champaran. It was to invite the attention of the authorities to the existing poor living conditions which denied indigo workers in large numbers basic minimum living facilities and freedom to live like human beings. Gandhi was invited to visit the place and make a study of what was happening. On his arrival, Gandhi was prevented and was barred entry there. Undeterred, he continued his mission and made a report which altered the situation, almost overnight. And the awakened people convincing demonstrated that they could never be subjugated by a tyrannical setup rules and formulations whosoever be the perpetrators of this crime-be it 1 biggest empire in those days, over which the sun never set.

Gandhi himself said that South Africa was very essential to his person. achievement. He spent 21 years - 1893 to 1914 in South Africa. The pass resistance: Satyagraha (of truth force in Sanskrit) was born and evolved South Africa before coming to India. At the age of 46, Gandhi left the count he also left the way of thinking and acting that found an echo in many of I country's struggles, most notable that of Nelson Mandela. Even as Grandly adventure in South Africa started in Durban, Johannesburg witnessed main struggle. The Satyagraha House is thus a place that left its imprint the life of Mahatma. His ideal of non-violence inspired, besides India, seven other countries who willingly adopted them. The Frontier Gandhi, About Gafar Khan is also an ardent follower of this principle. Similarly, Mar Luther King was a staunch devotee of non-violence and an earnest follower Gandhi. He connected the Christianity to Gandhi's teachings that 1 Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhi an method of non- violence was one of ~e most potent weapons available to oppressed people their struggle for freedom. It shows that Gandhi’s has influenced in the wok and even today his name is revered everywhere and by everybody.

Introduction In my contribution, I would like to analyze some of Gandhi considerations on Gita'. Throughout his meditation on Gita, Gandhi aims show that the knowledge of the Revelation of Gita can give the correct more education and the correct moral foundations to people. Only the process learning obtained through meditating on the whole Gita can give us this knowledge of Truth, of God, of reality, and of ourselves, and only through this process are we able to organize and modify our own mind towards goodness.

Learning proves to be, therefore, indispensable for strengthening in ourselves our good component, sattva, and for diminishing in us the influences exercised by our negative components, rajas and tamas'. The three factors are in . constitutively, and we ought to decide which factor we want to strengthen. we wish to strengthen sattva, we ought to follow the learning process while: enables us to understand what we ought to know, what we ought to do, are what we ought to avoid. Through and thanks to the Revelation of Gita, education finds the due foundation. Only the morally correct education is the basis of a correct political and social order, since it represents the indispensable foundation of the dialogue between individuals and of the pacific coexistence between individuals.

The human condition: Human beings are battle fields

Throughout his meditation on Gita, Gandhi is searching the contents for a correct moral education. This education consists in establishing in individuals a correct disposition that will enable individuals to take the morally correct decisions and to have the morally correct dispositions. The Revelation of Gita explains to us, among other things, that our own condition corresponds to that of a battlefield: the human condition is to be compared with a battlefield where reciprocally hostile moral potencies fight against each other. Our moral starting point is, therefore, not positive and not easy at all. The first step we ought to take in order to begin a process of moral self-improvement consists in our becoming aware of our own condition, essence, and constitution because only through this awareness can we understand the necessity of finding a correct formation for our moral constitution. As regards our moral condition, Gandhi expresses the following positions, basing his reflections on his general interpretation of Mahabharata:

« ... the epic describes the battle ever raging between the countless Kauravas and Pandavas dwelling within us. It is a battle between the innumerable forces of good and evil which become personified in us as virtues and vices."

Gandhi interprets the Mahabharata in a metaphorical way. The battle of Mahabharata is, actually, the battle between the good and evil present in us. This means that we are composed of forces of evil and of good. Therefore, we cannot wait and see. We ought to take a decision in the direction we want to give to our moral constitution. The morally correct disposition will not come about on its own. Gandhi adds on the internal division of the individuals:

Book's Contents and Sample Pages