Gandhi’s leadership was unique, strong, and modern, yet he faced many critics who loathed what they viewed as Gandhi’s forced universalism of his ideals. The three main areas of contention with regard to Gandhi’s leadership were: communalism, untouchability and gender issues. These issues were part of a deeper debate on Indian identity and social reform as part of its move towards independence. Most - if not all - leaders of the time were concerned with defining the culture of the (potentially divided) Indian state in a manner that would ensure the continuity of such a state and therefore was as much a part of pre-independence politics as the struggle for independence itself. These issues were not and arguably could not have been resolved entirely, but highlighted incidents and views that fell in the realm of Gandhi’s ‘blind spot’.
Communalism
The notion of communalism was discussed in two very different ways. The first was the role of communities in a polity, and the second was the rising tension between Hindus and Muslims. The role of communities was disputed largely due to the manner in which Gandhi took a communal view of justice and upset those nationalist leaders who felt that such a form of governance would undermine the power and legitimacy of the newly minted Indian state. Gandhi was a proponent of village-centered communities in India as he considered villages the source of civilizations. Jayaprakash Narayan, a Gandhian, agreed and contended that the local or primary community “is a creation of man’s social nature and the unit with which the structure of society has to be built” (Hay, 375). These primary communities would combine to form regional communities, which then formed district communities that were a part of p...
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...campaign demonstrated his progressiveness. A number of other Indian men took on the issue of gender equality. One, Rammohun Roy, condemned the unequal practice of men having one or more wives whereas women were not even allowed to remarry after the death of their husbands. Despite that, some spiritual leaders were less supportive of such endeavors. After a trip abroad Vivekananda said, “Nowhere on earth have women so many privileges as in America. They are slowly taking everything into their hands and, strange to say, the number of cultured women is much greater than that of cultured men. Of course, the higher geniuses are mostly from the rank of males.” Nevertheless, such statements ignore the common backdrop in the period leading up to the partition and Indian independence, of cheers of “Bharatmata ki Jai” that evoked a feminine, maternal image of the new state.
Through Imperialism, Britain oppressed many countries, including India. British influence stripped Indian culture and in some way, civil rights. As a result, a civil rights activist by the name of Mahatma Gandhi refused to replace his culture with that of the British. He also refused to accept that violence was the only way to gain independence. Throughout his philosophical journey, Gandhi went through trial and error to accomplish his ambitious goal. Conversely, Gandhi successfully approached India’s oppressors, inspired his followers, and built a loyal community through nonviolent protests.
In Nehru’s India, women were victims of a “passive revolution” that subtly advanced bourgeoisie men of higher castes under a guise of parliamentary democracy. Though women have presided over the Indian National Congress, served as a prime minister, and represent a large part of India’s la...
Mahatma Gandhi, a nationalist and spiritual leader was perceptive and objectively so, perhaps most eminently when he instructed his zealots, “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win” (Mahatma). Gandhi has a remarkable sagacity at a young age and strengthened it throughout the succession of his life. Although the aforementioned quote merely previews the extent of his intellect, it effectively summarizes his political approach. After becoming a member of the Indian National Congress Gandhi had the potential to become a most influential leader for the Indian people, and he did. Gandhi committed his political title towards fighting against the unlawful oppression of British rule. His method of fighting, however, was a politically innovative, mental type of fight. As a firm believer in the value of Pacifism, Gandhi developed the theory of non-violent civil protest and vowed to prevent his followers from succumbing to the allure of bloodshed. The irenic nature of Gandhi’s leadership won him the admiration of many Indian people, and is now considered to have political genius prestigious enough to be studied today (Mahatma 2). In some instances, studying Gandhi’s political strategy demonstrates the benefits of an actively participating governed majority. In today’s society, many people tend to make uneducated political decisions and sometimes even refrain from making one completely. In a variety of circumstances, related to any category of politics, from the election of a new president to the enactment of new laws, a group of Americans remain unrepresented because of their refusal to exercise their right to vote. A topic such as gun control would be a fitting example of a subject that while put ...
Dalton, Dennis. “Mahatma Gandhi Selected Political Writings.” Indianapolis, Indiana. 1996. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 125. Text
Rudolf, Lloyd L., and Susanne Hoeber Rudolf. Post Modern Gandhi and other essays. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2006. 92-120. Print.
World wars, mass genocides, and violent revolutions have become unusually iconic in history. However, the efficiency of nonviolent tactics and political strategies is relatively ambiguous. There have been several pacifistic approaches to solve a particular problem, some much more successful than others. Gandhi is primarily known for his work in the Indian Independence Movement and his nonviolent practices. Born in 1869, Gandhi was to respect all religions and taught to treat all living things sacred. Growing up, he encountered several cases of racism and poverty, and from these experiences, he developed a unique lifestyle. Eventually, Gandhi earned the title of “Mahatma,” or “Great Soul.” England was a feared and well-respected country at this time, but Gandhi miraculously changed this prevalent opinion to accomplish independence. Gandhi’s incarceration, teachings of self-control, and altruistic attitude towards the English assisted in his crusade for an independent nation.
...es of past leaders Gandhi gained new perspective and subsequently avoided repeating the past; this lead him to attempt to embark upon a new path--one perceived as better for India. None of this would have been possible without the perspective gained through studying India’s brutal past. Subsequently his efforts and strategies were later emulated by other civil rights activists, effectively impacting the general society. Clearly, the perspective gained through looking back on one’s mistake would be impossible without adversity, which serves as the origin for remediation; society would not be able to progress without certain duress.
Throughout history many men and women have stood up for themselves and their cause. In the late 1800’s and into the 1900’s a man named Mohandas Gandhi led a revolution for racial equality and India’s independence from Britain. Creating the principle of non-violent protesting, he introduced a method known as “non-cooperation”. “Non-cooperation” involved the people of India spurning everything that the British government told them to do. Gandhi called for a campaign of non-cooperation with the British. Indian children were withdrawn from school, Indians in public office resigned and Indians boycotted the legal system”(Edidin 18) . This act caused obstruction in Britain’s government and led to the lessening of social order. Indians crowded the streets making them impassable and refused to fight back even when beaten. During the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King Jr. would go on to follow these methods of civil disobedience. Non-cooperation was a successful non-violent method that ultimately contributed to the freedom of India.
The overview of this situation comes from the perspective of an American born Indian student interested in Indian history and federal systems, so the observations are intended as suggestions designed to encourage more progressive work both in India and the United States. While the prominence of Hindu themes affects many levels of Indian government, this paper will focus only on India's central government on Hindu Nationalism. This conflict is crucial to understanding the current situation in India.
Gandhi is motivated by religious means; he believes that everyone is equal in God’s eyes. He gets involved in several movements for equality, and he stresses non-violence very strongly. The Indians are very mad because British rule continues to limit their rights. They are supposed to all get fingerprinted, and their marriage laws are invalid. Gandhi’s followers vow to fight their oppressors to the death, but he discourages them from violence.
For this paper I want to characterize Gandhi’s leadership styles, analyze them and try to put into context the relevance of his leadership.
There is a distinct difference between popular Indian nationalism, that is the nation believing in a state independent of Britain, and Indian nationalist movements, for example the Muslim League or the Hindu revivalist movement. These movements fought for independence but were far more religiously orientated and were fighting in their own interests. Although Indian nationalism initially found expression in the Mutiny of 1857, its deve...
The intent of Gandhi in Gandhi's inten was to remove the India he loved from trusting in the greatness and infallibility of Western Civilization and to encourage her to take pride in India’s own identity as a civilization and culture. His enthusiasm slightly exaggerates the grandeur of India and accounts for some margin of error in his esteem for his homeland, but Gandhi’s overall message is sound and wise; India must be proud of her heritage and mindful of sacrifice, for by these means, true freedom and true swaraj will be reached.
Mahatma Gandhi's Influence and Ideas Mahatma Gandhi was a man of faith and great conviction. He was born into an average Hindu family in India. Like most teenagers he had a rebellious stage when he smoked, spent time with girls and ate meat (forbidden to strict Hindus). The young Gandhi changed as a person while earning a living as a lawyer in South Africa. He came in contact with the apartheid and the future Mahatma began to emerge, one who championed the truth through non-violent resistance.
Ever wonder what to do when you are in a situation that most people react in violence? Ever think that violence is the only way out? Mahatma Gandhi is a very inspirational role model who not only reacted to violence without violence but overcame it and (for the most part) succeeded in life without violence. He was a victim of bullying and segregation and looked past the odds and was inspirational for many people.