Gandhi And His Religion

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Dr. (Lt. Col.) Poosapati A. Raju commissioned on 02 February, 1964. Before commissioned, he obtained two post Graduate Degrees: M. A. in Political Science and M.A. in Public Administration in the years 1958 and 1960 from Nagpur University. After joining Army Education Corps he secured M. Ed. in 1974 from Poona University. In 1982 he was awarded Ph. D. Degree in Political Science from Aurangabad University. His first book: Social and Political Ideas of Kandukuri Veeresalingam (a study in political thought) a renaissance writer in later half of nineteenth century in Andhra Pradesh was published in 1986.

Presently he is editing his short stories: 'An Enquiry Into Spirit', At present he is the President of Shobha Memorial Degree College, Jami, District Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh.

It is a pioneering effort of analysing Gandhiji's ideas on religion. How he viewed the religion? And how he utilised it in his struggle for freedom? These questions are answered in this book. When Gandhiji had taken out politics from committee and conference rooms on to the streets he had to speak the language the masses understand. He spoke on religion intelligible to the lay as well as intellectuals. Both had drawn their conclusions. Both called him reverently as Mahatma.

GANDHI was like the Himalayas. One can see his magnificence from numerous view points. Today Gandhi is relevant and will remain relevant in future. Keeping this in view. I have tried to analyse his ideas on religion. In this realm there is hardly any research. His admirers and masses failed to see an atheistic streak in him. It is because of his radiance emitted from him, they missed this reality. From the lenses of social sciences if viewed, rationalist in him is found. He was a man of action. He had hardly any time for theoretical discussions. An atheist like Gora and an agnoistic like Jawaharlal Nehru his chosen heir were associated with him in action but not in thought. In reverse Gandhi admired Gora calling himself a 'super atheist' and he did not hesitate to declare that this country will remain safe in the hands of Jawaharlal Nehru. The meeting ground was action, aim and purpose in the context of making India a strong unified nation.

Gandhi never believed in any denominational religion. He found his religion in the heart of man. Unity of religions was the favourite theme of the Mahatma. He made the man the centre of every thing. In his programme of action, man became the ultimate measure of all things. When heart rules the man the divinity in him oozes out bringing succour to the weak and the meek. What this divinity is? It is the good in man. In India, both her soil and her people seeped in and lulled by religion, need theistic language and idiom to comprehend secular principles. Gandhi could reach the masses with his impeachable theistic word and phrase. Hence secular ideas were neatly wrapped and aesthetically designed packets producing decor to theology and presented to the masses. The Western press dubbed this phenomenon in Gandhi as 'God Stunt'. Gandhi's aim was to remove evil in man and to strengthen the moral fibre in him. He wanted heart to take priority over mind. His religion lies in ethics. He was a Hindu. It is not the ritual and rite of Hinduism touched him. The higher realms of philosophy embedded in the Upanishads and the Vedas caught his imagination. Gandhian theology if at all there is one, it aims at selfless service and self realisation. As a practical individual his plan of action to this end was carefully textured by him. If it is followed, the individual will be on the trail of Gandhian ideology of selfless service and self realisation. With the progress of realising divinity in self he will become a better Hindu if he is a Hindu, a better Muslim if he is a Muslim, and a better Christian if he is a Christian. In short he will become a better individual. For the first time in the realms of theology God an imperceptible concept concretised identifying Truth with God or vice versa. Gandhi could feel the mysterious power in the march of this universe to a certain predetermined destination. He felt the mysterious power but did not spell out what the predetermined destination of this universe. He simply said it is 'Godward'. Because of this mysterious power, creation and life persist amidst destruction and death. The pangs of new life can be reduced if possible can be eliminated fully only when nonviolence becomes the carrier of growth of the individual from one stage to the other in his ceaseless march towards truth. Transformation of society from one stage to the other becomes painless. Revolutions will be there. At the same time societies need not get stained with blood.

**Contents and Sample Pages**