Mahatma Gandhi Speaks: Selected Speeches and Writings

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Mahatma Gandhi was a creative man and visionary par excellant. He changed the course of history and created history by using new techniques of non-violent protest. His concerns were contemporary but timeless. Gandhi reached at the top step by step where no one has reached before. Gandhi an iconic personality, who inspired millions of people during his lifetime, is still inspiring people all around the globe.

Gandhi was doing something unique and original for an aspiring Indian masses. Gandhi derived power from masses. Gandhi was a mass mobilizer who redefined India's struggle for swaraj in a way as to solicit support for the cause.

Being a iconic man, Gandhi used to deliver speeches and write the letters every day. These speeches and letters are treasure of information and function like a lighthouse in the journey of thought in the ocean of knowledge. This book will open new vistas of research and meta narratives for proper understanding of Gandhi.

A reader friendly book will be useful for policy maker, researcher, students and general reader to know about India, Indians and father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

Dr. Anil Dutta Mishra is a distinguished Gandhian Scholar and Writer. He started his career as Assistant Professor in the Department of Non-Violence and Peace Studies, Jain Vishva Bharati University, Lodnun, Rajasthan, became Deputy Director of National Gandhi Museum and Honorary Professor, Centre for Gandhian Philosophy and Human Development, Gayatri Vidya Parishad Degree and P.G. College [Autonomous], Visakhapatnam.

Dr. Mishra has held the post of General Secretary of Indian Society of Gandhian Studies and Alliance for Sarvodaya Member Board of Studies, Nagpur and Panjab Universities and is Member of Gandhian Studies Centre of different colleges and universities across India sponsored by UGC and Executive member of IIPA Delhi Regional Branch.

Dr. P.V. Sarma is a renowned Social Scientist and Philanthropist, retired as Professor of Economics, Andhra University. Besides teaching and research, he is known to be an able administrator served the University in different capacities like-Dean of Arts, Director, School of Economics, Special Officer, University Extention Centre and other. He is founder member of Gayatri Vidya Parishad a premier educational institution in Andhra Pradesh, offering several courses in Engineering, Science and Technology, Computer Science and Management Studies. Presently, Director, Research and Development, Gayatri Vidya Parishad, Visakhapatnam.

This work is an outcome of collaborative efforts of two dedicated friends' work miticulously without any financial support who are trained in Socia Sciences. Dr. Mishra is trained in political science and specialized in Gandhi and Peace Research having wide experience of teaching, research, administration and field experience. He has a first hand experience of so called Gandhians and Gandhian Institutions. Whereas, Dr. Sarma is trained in Economics and having taught more than three decades in university having wide experience of teaching, research and administration and founder of Gayatri Vidya Parishad Trust which runs number of colleges and imparting education to the youths on principle of Gandhian Concept of Trusteeship. Bore unique in the sense that Dr. Mishra born, brough up and worked in North India and Dr. Sarma born, brought up and worked in South India but they have same vision of how to promote Gandhian values in the contemporary world where immorality is taught in the name of morality. The purpose of this book is to understand the evolution of Gandhi through his speeches and writings without any distortion.

There are three types of man in this world. One who reads history. One who takes part in the making of history. And one who creates history. In fact Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a creative man, creating history for himself and rest of the world to follow. He was the most simple but complex thinker; a unique personality and master strategist. He was greatly admired all over the world even by critiques and opponents but also misunderstood by followers, admirers and critiques. There is lot of misconceptions about Gandhi. Neither his political mentor [Guru] Gopa Krishna Gokhle, nor his political heir, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru coulds fully understand him. Finally, Nathuram Godse killed Gandhi. Everyday: so called Gandhians, Gandhian Institutions and followers of Gandhi are killing Gandhi because they killed their self respect, self esteem and integrity. Now the time has come to follow the basic tenets of Gandhism which is core of all religious thoughts and essential for human centric approach. One can learn much from the successful experiment of Gandhian values from Gayatri Vidya Parishad with whom we are associated and proud of it.

In recent years there is a revival of Gandhi everywhere in form of Arab spring or various movements in India. Gandhi represents the continuum of Indian culture and aspirations of downtrodden and underprivileged, voiceless and powerless people. His concerns were contemporary but timeless. Gandhi reached at the top step by step where no one has reached before. Gandhi an iconic personality, who inspired millions of people during his lifetime, is still inspiring people around the globe. His thoughts are everlasting, time tested and written for common man in a simple language. He emerged as a giant among men and brought awareness of political, social and human freedom to many millions of people, and also gave them a practical method for achieving redress against Wrongs, by practice of non-violent assertion of rights. Through practice of non-violence Gandhi became a powerful symbol of protest for people in most adverse circumstances.

Gandhi inspired masses and masses inspired Gandhi. Gandhi derived power from masses. Gandhi was a mass mobilizer who redefined India's struggle for swaraj in a way as to solicit support for the cause. Fear is a greatest sin. Gandhi removed fear from the masses and masses rose in revolt against humiliation and injustice done by Britishers. Gandhi converted Indian National Congress into mass party. He brought in people from all walks of life. He spoke the language of the masses. He dressed himself like them. In a sense he lived, spoke, dressed like an ordinary man and by doing so he won the heart of the most ordinary man. In fact it was a masterstroke by a master strategist who transformed himself and the Indian masses and emerged as the undisputed leader of the Indian National Congress.

Being a leader, Gandhi used to deliver speeches and write the letters every day. These speeches and letters are treasure of information and function like a lighthouse in the journey of thought in the ocean of knowledge. These speeches and letters are reproduced here without any distortion and alteration so that the readers drew their own conclusions. We have arranged the Seventy-Seven Selected Speeches and Writings chronologically and put headings to enable the reader to understand Gandhi's thinking over the years. We are sure that the book Mahatma Gandhi Speaks: Selected Speeches and Writings will open new vistas of research and proper understanding of Gandhi.

Last but not the least, we are grateful to all those who helped us in completing this work.

**Contents and Sample Pages**