Question

today,role of gandhism in republic india

Answer 1

The fundamental precepts of Gandhism are more relevant today when caste, class and religious differences are so pronounced, said Douglas Allen, professor of philosophy at the University of Maine, US, and distinguished chair in Gandhian philosophy, IIT Bombay.

Prof Allen, who was talking at IIT Bombay on Wednesday on the significance of Mahatma Gandhi in India in 2016, said, “Some might think it’s a rather silly question. He is after all Mahatma, the father of the nation. But it’s equally true that people in India today pay lip service to Gandhiji and use him for non-Gandhian and anti-Gandhian purposes,” Prof Allen said.

He said his concepts and definitions of truth and non-violence as absolutes are values to be aspired for not just for better co-existence but enhanced quality of life for all and a strife-free world. Gandhi may not have the whole answer to today’s world but it can be complemented with other ideas to great success, he said. “One has to approach Gandhi in a dynamic, open-ended, and selective way. We need to reinterpret his basic principles in a new creative voice that speaks to India in 2016.”

Advocating an inclusivist, pluralistic democracy in which you do not just tolerate but also respect others as the Gandhian view of India, Prof Allen said, “Gandhiji learnt from all religions.” The India of today needs a radical paradigm shift to move from its unsustainability towards an enlightened and enriched society. And it is here that Gandhian thought can be hugely instructive.