SUBJECT: POLITICAL SCIENCE I COURSE: BA LLB SEMESTER I TEACHER: MS. DEEPIKA GAHATRAJ MODULE: MODULE VII, GANDHISM

Structure: Gandhian concept of Freedom

GANDHIAN CONCEPT OF FREEDOM

Gandhian theory of freedom is commonly rooted in Hind Swaraj. The idea of swaraj entails two important meanings - individual and collective. At the individual level, swaraj projects human being to be self-disciplinary as well as controlling the individual passions to build a good individual in the collective society; the collective meaning of swaraj comprises the freedom from colonial rule as the first priority of every Indian. It is the political freedom demanded from the British imperialism simply on the ground of self-determination. Being an advocate of civil liberties of individual persons he stated in 1917 that a person can disobey governmental orders and declared that the person of a citizen must be held inviolate. It can only be touched to arrest or to prevent violence. He also admired most important freedom of individuals like freedom of speech and expression. Gandhi wrote:

Freedom of speech and corresponding action is the breadth of democratic life. Freedom of propagating non-violence as substitute for war is the most relevant when indecent savagery is being perpetrated by the warring nations of Europe.38 In 1940, Gandhi pleaded for freedom of speech, a free press and pure justice, independence of judiciary and complete civil liberty, lie also included right to legal counsel and defence as part of civil rights. He believed in economic and spiritual freedoms. The economic freedom constitutes equal distribution, adequate wages for any labourer and most important thing for doing this was to bring the state into business. In other words, state must, intervene to produce an opportunity where saruodaya would be possible. Everybody's good is collective good and vice-versa.

Apart from these two important meanings of it, swaraj to Gandhi comprises many other things. It is a part of truth which is God. Freedom is considered very sacrosanct. It is the essence of man's personality. The renunciation of freedom could be attained only through severe suffering and struggle. He simply suggested to the masses in India that freedom they quest for is not going to be easily obtained but to achieve at the cost of a serious struggle, hi the second Round Table 1 Conference he said that 'the page of history is soiled red with the blood of those who have fought for freedom.'

Self-rule is the process of removing the infernal obstacles to freedom. When achieved it is nothing other than spiritual freedom. Self-rule is the unique quality of an individual and found in no other living beings or brutes. Self-rule presupposes the agency of the spirit (individual atman). The spirit exerts its influence on the empirical ego, on emotions, and intelligence. Under the influence of the spirit, the inner powers of the moral agent become integrated, such that he/she becomes a spiritually aware person, guided by the self- knowledge. The process by which the spirit integrates the inner faculties has a dynamic quality, which is suitably expressed by the concept of 'ruling.' Hence, the terminology of self-rule is swaraj. The spirit of higher self 'rules' the lower self of empirical ego.' Self-rule/spiritual freedom is derived from Bhagavad Gita. Nineteen verses of the second chapter of this work draw the celebrated portrait of the person of steady wisdom, the sthitha-prajna. Sthiiha-prajna, for Gandhi, is a model of self-ruling, spiritually free person.

Self as a virtue directs the inner power of a person to their proper purposes. Gandhi draws it from the Indian tradition of Patanjali Yogasutras. Patanjali lists five virtues necessary for anyone contemplating the attainment of spiritual freedom. They are non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity and greedlessness. Gandhi added six more virtues to the traditional list - swadeshi, removal of untouchability, bodily labour, control of palate, fearlessness, and respect for all religion.

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