August - 2015 Odisha Review Relevance of Gandhi and Vinoba Rabindra Kumar Behuria I know nothing which is of greater value than him, human life was a synthetic whole which could reading the Gita. And yet, I have found a living not be arbitrarily divided. It was a gift from nature person who follow the philosophy of Gita in his to be used carefully and judiciously. A life was own life. He is my master and lives in an Ashram destined to be lived decently and worthily. In order on the bank of Sabarmati river in Gujurat said to do so it had to be regulated in consonance Vinoba Bhave, while concluding his fiftieth talk with a design or a integrated scheme. It was to on Gita. Perhaps these were the apt words in be guided by some basic priniciples and desirable which a disciple could pay tribute to his master. values. Acharya Vinoba Bhave is not known for wasting Gandhiji lived his life in conformity with words superfluously, for he does not possess even the principles and values which he cherished most. a grain of sycophancy in him. Being a student of Life for him was a God given gift and as such it Mathematics and also having a scientific was desirable that it should be integrated and temperament, he knew the worth and significance purposeful. It was to be harmonious whole. His of the word as medium of expression. His teachings and schemes of reforms reflect the same estimation of Mahatma Gandhi was as good as integration and purposefullness. These qualities any judicious person could give. Not only does it provide him with a basic unit of purpose and aim. shed proper light on the character of Mahatma, This unity might not appear on the surface only but also speaks volumes on the character of his because Gandhiji had no time and perhaps no follower. desire to reduce them to a system. For Gandhiji The whole gamut of man¶s activities today was never an intellectual in the academic sense of constitute an indivisible whole.You can not divide the term. He was neither a scholar nor a life - social, economic, political and purely religious philosopher anxious to establish a theory of what in to water tight compartments. I do not know of he perceived around him. He was pre-eminently any religion apart from human activity.It provides a man of action. He has written a great deal and a moral basis for all other activities, which they on various subjects but it was more to guide would otherwise lack, reducing life to a maze of people to action rather than presenting a thesis to sound and fury signifying nothing. The man said decorate scholarly parlours. this was Mahatma Gandhi. He believed in the Many of Gandhiji¶s ideas are noteworthy wholeness of human life and sanity of society. To and revolutionary. They grew out of creative mind. 60 Odisha Review August - 2015 Such creative process in his mind was generated decentralisation, so that people can become by the challenges of his time and his earnestness partners of progress. Gandhi and Vinoba believed to cope with those challenges. For him historical in democracy and had immense faith in innate precedents and examples were no barrier to fresh wisdom and capabilities of common people. They thinking and discovery. Much of his direct contact lived closer to the common people and one among in the life and the practical experience it offered them. Thestrength of Gandhi and Vinoba was their him. At times, he did remember the old masters, simplicity. but rarely quoted them.His studies were instinctive Acharya Vinobaji in one of his remarks and more of general nature. For instance in placing said science plus spirituality form Gandhian before the nation the programme of khadi and thought. One of the major reasons of the present village industry, he did not systematically work day crisis is absence of that blending of science out all the implications of his scheme in the and spirituality. Gandhian philosophy of language of an economist. Neither did he write a Sarvodaya - welfare of all is based on the ancient scholarly thesis to prove the need for, and the value of decentralised industry in the economy of scriptures and tradition of India. All sages and India.Instead, he gave simple and homely reasons saints of this land have prayed and worked for and illustrations for his new and revolutionary the good of not only all humans but of all creation. ideas. He tackled of the poverty of the masses It is very heartening that the latest science has and their enforced idleness and never forgot to also come closer to this philosophical approach. emphasize the fact that real India lived in her Some of the basic principles of ecology are villages. limitation, complexity and interdependence. Ecology tells us that if a part or section is harmed The world is in a crisis. Old order is or destroyed it will affect the whole. This also changing but the new is yet to emerge. All systems gives strong philosophical and scientific basis to are crumbling. Socialist model of the Soviet Union non-violence. If you harm others, you are harming has collapsed and capitalism in on the verge of your ownself. collapse. Even in India, the rate and pace of change is great and many old methods, values The power of non - violence is manifested and institutions are losing their credence. However, even in the life of an individual, but it becomes a the Gandhian alternative is emerging to the fore mighty power through mass movement as shown for the peaceful solution of the problems that by Gandhiji during the freedom struggle. Peoples confront the modern society. power is manifested when they adopt non violent means. It is for all those who have faith in Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Gandhian Ideology to awaken the inner power demonstrated the efficacy, as well as the necessity, of the people and make them realise the greatest of people¶s involvement in resolving problems. No power on earth is people¶s power. Violence and progress can be achieved without the active war have never been able to solve any problem. participation and involvement of people. They have lost all relevance in this nuclear age. Thus, Gandhi and Vinoba had immense Nuclear weapons are more dreaded than faith in the ability and capacities of the people in understood. Vinobaji could see that the nuclear the process of social change. In fact, they weapons are a blessing in disguise as they could advocated GRAM SWARAJ, democratic make humanity realise that violence is futile. In 61 August - 2015 Odisha Review this background, non- violence assumes special heartedness and collective efforts for the national significance. It is not violence alone that can offer reconstruction. As partisan approach is the bane solutions to various problems pestering humanity. of nation progress, and the communal frenzy in One of the major problems is how to bring about the name of caste and religion leads to social and a social change? Vinobaji¶s Bhoodan Movement political disintegration, it is high time that we learn had proved the efficacy of non violence in this lessons from the past and, follow the path of field. The objective of Bhoodan Movement was Gandhi and Vinoba. not only to redistribute the land to the landless Gandhiji had strongly advocated the and home to the homeless but also to bring about decentralisation of political and economic power change in the attitudes of people which could have in favour of more or less self sufficient and self the way for a non violent revolution. We would governing village Panchayats . He regarded these like to tell our friends who are using violence to local instituions as the models of non- violent bring about a revolutionary change that they organisations. The 73rd constitutional Amendment should not waste their energies in this futile invigorating the Panchayati Raj system is a timely exercise. Revolution "Yes´ but violence - "No´. and decisive step in the right direction. It is also Then how to fight the exploitation, injustice, most appropriate to analyse in the present day corruption, inequality, they would ask. We the context, the Gandhian ideals as to how far the humble followers of Gandhiji, would like to assert village Republic will meet the demands of with conviction based on practical experience that decentralisation with people taking more these evils can be successfully fought with a non - responsibilities in governing their own affairs violence method as we are doing in various fields instead of a platonic approach of guardian in this country. planning. In the words of J.C Kumarappa ³You Gandhi and Vinoba are embodiments of can not have dictatorship in economics through people¶s power. They did not occupy any position centralised planning and democracy in politics.´ but they wielded enormous authority through their We have to strengthen the Panchayati Raj, the moral power. They were one with the people and grassroot democratic institution. enthused them to move ahead to achieve social On April 30,1936 at Sevagram during change. his prayer meeting Gandhiji said´ I can only try to The non-violent movement under their persuade you to shed the ideas on caste and leadership not only strove for political untouchability. Gandhiji¶s purpose in life was to independence but also for change in all spheres fight poverty, remove exploitation and put an end of life. Their aim was not mere political to suffering and starving of poorest people of India Independence but total social reconstruction. - Harijans and downtrodden and untouchables.