Gandhism implies the Indian way. And it is the Indian way that can save mankind from self-destructive forces and lead it to harmonious unity and peace. Toynbee has said that we are living in a transitional chapter of the world's history, and this chapter "which has a Western beginning will have to have an Indian ending if it is not to end in the self-destruction of the human race." His argument for this verdict is this: "In the present age, the world has been united on the material plane by Western technology. But this Western skill has not only 'annihilated distance'; it has armed the people of the world with weapons of devastating power at a time when they have been brought to point- blank range of each other without yet having learnt to know and love each other. At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation for mankind is an Indian way."
The Indian way lies in truth and ahimsa (non-violence). The two things essentially constituting Gandhism. According to Gandhi, truth and Ahimsa are the inner force of man, which develops in him self-reliance, fearlessness, sense of amity and of unity in diversity. True non-violence can never make a man inimical to any other man, a nation inimical to any other nation; it annihilates all brutal force and renders inutile the harnessing of technology for the production of destructive arms. Gandhism has shown to the world that without weapons a people in bondage can successfully fight the armed forces of an aggressive imperialistic power, and yet bear no malice or ill-will against the aggressor. However, Gandhism should not be taken for a means to an end, a utilitarian phase of some activity, a temporary measure to achieve some goal. It is a way of life, a principle, philosophy to animate man in every sphere of his activity-political, social, economic, ethical and so on.
"Indian Culture consists of two streams: One is country based and the other city oriented. Because of the lack of cooperation between physical and intellectual labour we have begun to neglect the villages to the extent of criminality". (M.K.Gandhi).
India has about seven lakh villages and ninety crores of people are living in her villages and towns. To speak the truth, only two crores of them are greatly privileged and of the seventy crores living in villages, the majority get no privilege at all. In the plans and programmes worked out by the planning commission there has been little provision for benefit to the rural people.
Even after fifty years of our independence Gandhiji's slogans, "Go to villages", "work for the uplift of the rural people", have remained unrealised. Gandhiji's love never discriminated between the high and the low, the learned and the ignorant, the rich and the poor. His love was showered equally on all. He was the manifestation of the Divine Soul.
'Let God bless all', said Gandhiji and these words came forth out of pain and pity. To what an extent of insult and oppression did he suffer. The history of his life is a life of suffering. He suffered insult and torture not only in India but also in South Africa where he suffered a torture that thrust him to the threshold of death.
Gandhi is a character with many facets. He believed in the essential unity of human life. His approach is synthetic. Life, according to him cannot be divided into separate, watertight compartments. Religious, moral, political, economic, social, individual and collective, and all the seemingly separate segments are to him different facets of man's life. They act and react upon human life. In reality there is no absolute moral, economic, political, social, individual or collective problem. They are all related problems.
"Division of human life into different compartments is often undertaken to facilitate analysis and study". (1) Any artificial division of human life is unrealistic and lopsided. And will not be true to the integrated facts of life. "If relied and acted upon, it will create in the individual a split personality and in the social group a state of imbalance". (2) Life is for living, and analysis and study are not the ends of human life. It is useful only in so far they help man to act correctly and live well and worthily. That explains why the seers, prophets and reformers seek to find an integrated way of life. This integrated way of life is the spirit of the Gita. Life must be regulated in accordance with a plan or an integrated scheme "It must be guided by certain basic principles and values. Bereft of them it would lack direction and purpose. Human conduct is largely social conduct.
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