Mahatma Gandhi was a remarkable individual in the 20th century because of his ability to combine his personal convictions with the political climate in India. He thought it was his particular duty to guide India's people toward independence. (Gandhi and Judith, 64). As a result, he made an effort to strike a balance between the moral standards he had set for himself, the need for his own leadership, and the dictates of realpolitik. According to Mahatma Gandhi, swaraj entails strong organizational skills, penetration into every village, and widespread populace instruction. Gandhi explained that education involved empowering, mobilizing, and conscientizing the populace. As mentioned above, the non-violence means of fighting against colonialism was introduced by Gandhi. This is because his religious beliefs did not permit any violent acts for self-gain and therefore, he used the non-violence method for it was aligned with his personality.
What were the relation between politics and the persona of Mahatma Gandhi?
Mahatma Gandhi emphasized a lot on self-rule (Swaraj) for he believed that the people must rule their country and overcome their self-interest. As such, Mahatma Gandhi viewed the fight for independence as not just a mere political battle but a religious fight too. Therefore, the relation between the political and personal aspects of Mahatma Gandhi is that his interests for independence were purely based on his religious/philosophical beliefs. Additionally, his personal beliefs brought about the famous non-violence intervention that he used to lead his people of India into independence (Dalton 34). He reminded his people that Swaraj would not drop from the sky but rather, it would come as a result of patience, courage, ceaseless toil and intellectual appreciation of their surroundings.
His main agenda was to free Indians not just from the English yoke but any yoke whatsoever. He was once quoted as saying, "I have no desire in exchanging a king log for a king stork." Gandhi advocated for self-rule for it expressed the creation of policies from the purest of hearts. As such, Gandhi's relation between politics and his persona was through Swaraj, which would ensure there was no discrimination against the weak and sick, or the blind, and crippled. Mahatma Gandhi shaped the Indian freedom movement into a multidimensional one (Chakrabarty, 76). His quest was not limited to ending the British rule in India as much as it was a priority in the Gandhian agenda. Mahatma Gandhi aimed at attaining SwarajPoorna Swaraj (Complete freedom), which entailed sovereignty of the people on the foundation of clear moral authority.
Why Gandhi believes it is important to change one's hearth than one's political status.
Mahatma Gandhi understood that it is more crucial to change the heart of a person than his/her political status. As such, his pursuit for non-violent ways of attaining independence is an example of his assertions for personal change on the people over political change. Why Mahatma Gandhi claimed it was important to change the heart of people was because he believed that if the Indians used violence against the British, then it was possible for them to use violence against fellow Indians in an attempt to get what they want. Additionally, Gandhi claimed it was important to change the heart of people instead of their political status because he understood that influencing positive virtues into a person would lead to the creation of policies that favored every race, social class, and gender (Guha, 65). Furthermore, Gandhi supported the notion of changing the hearts of the people instead of their political status was because he believed it stimulates the senses of the masses and educates them on their ability to control and regulate authority.
Why I agree with the views of Mahatma Gandhi
I agree with the views of Mahatma Gandhi on prioritizing the change of the hearts of the people rather than their political status. Given that democracy entails the voices and choices of the people, it is important to ensure the multitudes have a clear and definite conscience. Additionally, if the people are aware of their hearts, it enhances their ability to decide on the leaders and policies that are best for their country. Moreover, changing the hearts of the people creates an enormous sense of peace and unity. The non-violence method brought Indians together in the fight against colonial rule through the demonstrations in the streets and the boycotts (Bligh and Jill, 844).
India was a victim of a lot of subjugation. However, these social cancers could not be entirely blamed on foreign domination as the Indians also participated in the ills and evils that existed (Chakrabarty, 76). As such, I agree that changing the hearts of the people is more important than their political status because Mahatma Gandhi sought to find ways that would help cleanse the society of India through self-motivated voluntary acts that involved constructive work. Lastly, it is important to note that Mahatma Gandhi is a paramount figure in the social, political and economic aspects of India. His personal concept and beliefs of Swaraj were crucial in leading India to independence and giving his people more than just political freedom.
Work Cited
Dalton, Dennis. Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent power in action. Columbia University Press, 2012.
Gandhi, Mahatma, and Judith M. Brown. The essential writings. Oxford University Press, 2008.
Chakrabarty, Bidyut. Social and political thought of Mahatma Gandhi. Routledge, 2006.
Guha, Ramachandra. "Mahatma Gandhi and the Environmental Movement in." Environmental movements in Asia (2013): 65.
Bligh, Michelle C., and Jill L. Robinson. "Was Gandhi "charismatic"? Exploring the rhetorical leadership of Mahatma Gandhi." The Leadership Quarterly 21.5 (2010): 844-855.
