Anthony J. Parel, ed.. Gandhi, Freedom, and Self-Rule. New York and Oxford: Lexington Books, 2000. 176 pp. $70.00, cloth, ISBN 978-0-7391-0137-7.

Reviewed by Eric L. Martin

Published on H-World (December, 2000)

Unlocking Gandhi's Worldview The essays that focus specifcally on Hind Edited by Anthony Parel, professor emeritus Swaraj include contributions from Anthony J. Par‐ of political science at the University of Calgary, el, Ronald J. Terchek, Fred Dallmayr and Sudar‐ Gandhi, Freedom and Self-Rule is a compact eight shan Kapur. Parel's introduction, "Gandhian Free‐ essay volume circulating around the heart of doms and Self-Rule," ofers a four pronged typolo‐ Gandhian thought-- swaraj (self-rule). Written by gy of Gandhi's understanding of freedom: nation‐ several prominent Gandhi scholars, this material al independence, political freedom of individuals, originated from a 1997 Mahatma Gandhi confer‐ economic freedom of individuals, and self-rule. ence. At issue is nothing less than Gandhi's place Parel's introduction is a vital assessment of Gand‐ in world history. Parel has addressed this ques‐ hi's conceptualization of freedom and crucial in tion before, most prominently through his editor‐ setting up the other essays in this collection. In ship of Hind Swaraj and Other Writings, an essen‐ the words of Parel "To pursue one aspect of free‐ tial annotated version of Gandhi's most important dom without simultaneously pursuing the other work.[1] While Hind Swaraj and Other Writings aspects was [for Gandhi] to distort the meaning of was intended to make Gandhi's underrated 1909 freedom and to interfere with the process of hu‐ classic more widely known, Gandhi, Freedom and man development." (p. 18) Self-Rule functions as critical commentary and "What is Swaraj? Lessons from Gandhi," by analysis of Gandhi's masterpiece. I have divided Dallmayr begins with a basic review of swaraj the essays of this volume into two main cate‐ (self-rule) which according to Gandhi was more gories: those primarily furthering the reader's ex‐ than simply removing the British from Indian soil. posure to Gandhi's conception of swaraj and those Gandhi blamed Indians for allowing the British to exploring the relationship between swaraj and dominate the subcontinent as Indians had be‐ the western intellectual tradition. come hypnotized by the comforts of modern (western) civilization. Only by learning how to ex‐ H-Net Reviews ercise the power of self-control could Indians (or rize Hindudom!"(p. 120) [3] Hindutva's aim was to anyone else) learn the true meaning of freedom create a Hindu state directly opposed to Gandhi's according to Gandhi. Dallmayr explores Gandhi's vision of a religiously tolerant society where state critique of modern civilization as well as the prac‐ and religion would remain separate. tical possibility of moral swaraj. His basic point is On July 1, 1909, Sir William Curzon-Wyllie that Gandhi used swaraj to address British colo‐ (the ADC to the Secretary of State) was assassinat‐ nialism, untouchability, violence, and moderniza‐ ed by Madan Lal Dhingra (c.1887-1909) who was tion. (p. 57) Dallmayr examines the compatibility/ under the infuence of Savarkar and his vision of incompatibility of Gandhi's swaraj with western Hindutva. This assassination shook London im‐ ethical and political thought (via Kant and Hanna mediately before Gandhi arrived to discuss the Arendt) while emphasizing the Indian foundation South African Indian problem. While in London, of Gandhi's ideas by placing Gandhi's thought into Gandhi met with Savarkar, prefering to stay in the context of the Bhagavad Gita. contact with this group of Indian revolutionaries. In "Gandhian Autonomy in the Late Modern In fact, Gandhi had briefy stayed with a close as‐ World," Tercheck explores Gandhi's notion of in‐ sociate of Savarkar's, Shyamji Krishnavarma dividual autonomy expressed in Hind Swaraj. (1857-1930) during his 1906 visit to London. Gand‐ Gandhi understood modern civilization as fo‐ hi attempted to convert Savarkar to his vision of cused on comforting the body at the expense of Swaraj. Savarkar rejected Swaraj, but they agreed the soul. One's bodily well-being was often de‐ to disagree and Savarkar continued to promote rived from the domination of other people, not Hindutva while Gandhi promoted Swaraj. only in the form of world-wide colonialism, but On his return voyage to South Africa, Gandhi also in the form of our everyday activities. Gandhi wrote the clearest expression of his worldview -- did not accept comfort and security as legitimate the 100-page Hind Swaraj. Gandhi was deter‐ goals for any civilization if they were achieved mined to provide an answer to the expanding role through violent means. According to Tercheck, of violence and assassination within Indian politi‐ "Gandhi's expansive view of swaraj is meant to cal circles. Hind Swaraj is both an elegant expres‐ cover everyone; that is, no one is to be the object sion of Gandhi's worldview and a dialogue on is‐ of domination." According to Gandhi each one of sues of ends and means. Hindutva, however, be‐ us must take personal responsibility for those less came the foundation for the Rashtriya Swayamse‐ fortunate and not only refuse to participate in op‐ vak Sangh (RSS) who trained cadres for Hindu re‐ pressive practices, but to fght domination when‐ vivalist organizations such as the Hindu Mahasab‐ ever we see it; Gandhi's was a moral path of ac‐ ha and was banned for its compliance in the mur‐ tion. der of Gandhi in 1948. The Bharatiya Jana Sangh One of the real jewels of this collection is Ka‐ (BJS) was founded in 1951 and was directly in‐ pur's essay, "Gandhi and Hindutva: Two Confict‐ spired by the RSS understanding of Hindutva. The ing Visions of Swaraj," which looks at two of the BJS developed into one of the major Hindu nation‐ competing worldviews that emerged in response alist parties in India today, the Bharatiya Janata to the rule of the British Raj. Swaraj as advocated Party (BJP). If India has rejected Gandhi's vision of by Gandhi and Hindutva promoted by Vinayak Swaraj, does Gandhian thought on freedom and Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966). Savarkar, an Indi‐ self-rule have any place in the modern world? To an anarchist living in London and a major theo‐ answer this question in might helpful frst to ex‐ retician of the revolutionary nationalist move‐ plore the relationships between Gandhi's ideas ment, sought to "Hinduize All Politics and Milita‐ and the western intellectual tradition.

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The essays that explore the relationship be‐ education and held great admiration for such tween Gandhi's thought and the western intellec‐ western thinkers as Tolstoy, Ruskin, and Thoreau. tual tradition include selections from Antony Cop‐ Brown reminds us that Gandhi's thinking was not ley, Dennis Dalton, and Judith M. Brown. "Is There founded upon western liberal human rights dis‐ a Gandhian Conception of Liberty?," by Copley ex‐ courses centralized on the freedoms of individu‐ plores the connections between Gandhian als; but, upon Indian philosophical traditions con‐ thought and Western libertarianism. Copely ceptually grounded to protect the community as a briefy compares Gandhian thought to such west‐ whole. Gandhi's worldview emphasized dharma -- ern intellectuals as: Isaiah Berlin, John Stuart Mill, as performance of our duties to the people John Rawls, and Jean-Paul Sarte. An incomplete around us -- as a way we can achieve true swaraj. comparison is the natural result of the space limi‐ According to Gandhi, people have no natural indi‐ tations, but his point clearly emerges. Gandhi did vidual rights, only rights earned through their not identify with the aspirations of the Indian performance of duty, as he understood all individ‐ middle class, "and this inevitably takes him away ual humans to be interdependent. from a tradition of bourgeois liberalism." (p. 42) The appropriation of Gandhi for human In "Gandhi's Originality," Dalton argues for rights causes, according to Brown, is based on a more recognition of Gandhi's contribution to simplifed picture of Gandhi's thought (and his thought on means/ends relationships -- key to un‐ life) which if more closely studied show us that derstanding Gandhi's swaraj. Dalton examines Gandhi's had diferent goals for humanity than Machiavelli (via Isaiah Berlin), Leon Trotsky, human rights proponents. "For them rights are Emma Goldman, John Dewey, and Saul Alinsky to the device for protecting core values and at‐ highlight the originality in Gandhi's means/end tributes of individual and group life, vis--vis the thought. Dalton also places Gandhi's ideas into the forces of the state and society. For him recognition context of Indian philosophy utilizing Swami of individual duty and social and moral interde‐ Vivekananda (1863-1902) whose writings contain, pendence were the foundation of an authentic hu‐ "the seeds of practically every major idea of twen‐ man existence." (p. 100) In Gandhi's worldview tieth-century Hindu thought.."(p. 76) Vivekanada's human rights must frst be earned by performing thought infuenced Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, duties. The distinction is not insignifcant. Gandhi B.G. Tilak, Aurobindo Ghose, Subhas Chandra clearly thought that for the majority of the world's Ghose, Vinoba Bhave, J.P. Narayan, and M.N. Roy. peoples 'Human Rights' in the western sense were However, the concept of satyagraha was a Gand‐ unattainable until the method in which the hian originality and has not received its deserved wealthy minority lived changed. A more lucid as‐ recognition as a major development in the history sessment of the relationship between western of ideas at the global level. According to Dalton, thought and Gandhi can begin when Gandhi's the Indian intellectual tradition could prove use‐ ideas are understood in their own context and not ful for solving modern day problems, if only we just as an extension of the western intellectual would familiarize ourselves with it. tradition. Brown's "Gandhi and Human Rights: In The major weakness of this collection is that Search of True Humanity" is an excellent piece di‐ none of the authors does a very good job making rected toward those who appropriate Gandhi as a the argument for Gandhi's relevance to modern defender of Human Rights. Brown focuses on problems. The strength of this collection is that is some of Gandhi's key thoughts revolving around helps to position the intellectual contributions of dharma (duty). Gandhi received a western legal Gandhi onto the stage of world history by focus‐

3 H-Net Reviews ing on his understanding of swaraj. Often when [3]. Nageshwar Prasad, editor. Hind Swaraj: A dealing with Gandhi we emphasize his thoughts Fresh Look New Delhi, 1985. on ahisma (non-violence) and satyagraha (passive resistance) ignoring the fact that for Gandhi these were inseparable means to achieve and end, swaraj (self-rule). To understand Gandhi's world‐ view we must frst understand swaraj. As a whole, this collection assumes the reader is familiar with Hind Swaraj and focuses on a critical examina‐ tion of swaraj. Gandhi scholars will fnd these a welcome edition to the excellent collection of sim‐ ilar essays located in Hind Swaraj: A Fresh Look, which up until now has been the major collection of essays examining Gandhi's classic.[5] Those us‐ ing Gandhi in the college classroom should fnd several essays that are easily manageable by stu‐ dents as long as the essential Hind Swaraj has also been utilized. I have used Hind Swaraj several times in the classroom and have found that a guided reading with students is a useful tool to encourage critical thinking on the nature of our own lives. Students fnd Gandhi's thought com‐ plex and usually dismiss his non-violence and anti-technological positions as impractical for the modern world. However, once students begin to understand Gandhi's meaning of swaraj, then his worldview and critique of modern civilization be‐ gins to make more sense. Not that his positions need be taken in whole, but swaraj does provide many points from which to reconsider our cur‐ rent society and our own lives. Gandhi, Freedom and Self-Rule is a welcome collection for under‐ standing Gandhian thought as it highlights the key to unlocking his worldview, his notion of swaraj. [1]. M.K. Gandhi. Anthony J. Parel, Editor. Hind Swaraj and Other Writings. Cambridge Texts in Modern Politics. Cambridge University Press, 1997. lxxvii + 208 pp. bibliography, and in‐ dex. [2]. Original quote from S.S. Savarkar and G.M. Joshi, eds., Historic Statements of V.D. Savarkar (Bombay: Popular Prakashan, 1967), 1.

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Citation: Eric L. Martin. Review of Parel, Anthony J., ed. Gandhi, Freedom, and Self-Rule. H-World, H-Net Reviews. December, 2000.

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