The Message of Mahatma Gandhi

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One of the topmost recognized and coveted personalities of the last century, Mahatma Gandhi today belongs to mankind as an icon of Truth and Non-violence and the Messiah of poorest and the meek. He had become a statesman saint during his life time. From his entry into politics of the public domain from his South African days to his magical re-christening of India's Freedom struggle, this simple man with a loin cloth, steel-rimmed glasses, rough sandals, a toothless smile and a walking stick, evoked unprecedented mass following among the rich and the - poor and the mighty and meek alike both in India and outside. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, anointed him with the title of Mahatma, that represented the unanimous collective wishes of the people of India, as well as across the world. The millennia to come his name shall do Indians, in fact the whole world proud. This "half naked fakir", shaped much of the civil society philosophy of the last century as done before by the Buddha and Christ. Mahatma's views on subjects like truth, non-violence, democracy, daridranarayan and a host of other issues, are compiled in this handy volume for easy and rapid reading and of course, inculcation.

In this brief anthology, culled from Gandhiji's voluminous writings and speeches, the compiler's aim and effort has been to present the message of the Master both as a coherent system of values and as a series of specific do's and don'ts addressed to various sections of his followers during the freedom struggle. In the result, it is hoped that the Message will be found to have been apt and acceptable when the words were uttered and at the same time to embody a philosophy of life possessing enduring relevance at all times and in all circumstances. Based on a fresh study of the rich material from the vantage point of "twenty years after" the selections by their choice and arrangement seek to present both the familiar and less known passages in an effective sequence.

Owing to various causes, the idea persists today that while Gandhiji was admirable as a leader of the masses and a saintly person, his ideas on politics, economics, education and social problems were obscurantist and outmoded and have no relevance today in our fast moving world of science and technology.

How mistaken this notion is, can be found only by studying Gandhi's writings and trying to gather the essence of his teachings. In the history of mankind, there have been great saints, philosophers, thinkers, scientists, statesmen and political leaders whose contributions in their own fields have been outstanding. But Gandhiji was unique, because while he was actively leading a mass struggle for freeing his country from foreign rule, he conceived swaraj at once in individual and political terms and tried through reflection and experiment to evolve a philosophy of life which would have permanent validity. The solutions which he offered for social problems were often breath-taking by their very simplicity, and made many people doubt their efficacy.

**Contents and Sample Pages**