Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule - Essay Example

Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule Introduction Hind Swaraj is a book written by Mohandas Gandhi in 1909; Gandhi expresses his views regarding modern civilization, mechanization and Swaraj among others. The book involves a dialogue between two individuals, the reader and the editor, with the reader being an Indian countryman who voices out his beliefs concerning the Indian independence. Gandhi acts as the editor who responds to the reader’s arguments with his own arguments. Gandhi bases his arguments on several themes; he argues that it is not favorable for the Englishmen to leave India, only for the Indians to adopt their British culture, arguing that, Indians would prefer an English rule in the absence of Englishmen. On Indian independence, Gandhi argues that Indian independence was successful due to passive resistance. He also argues that self reliance is a vital tool, which can be utilized by the Indians, in that, the British must adhere to the Indians demands if they desire any kind of deal. In addition, Gandhi argues that India must reject the western civilization if it yearns for freedom. What is Gandhi’s main objective? Gandhi, in his own words says, “It is my duty patiently to try to remove your prejudice” (Gandhi p7, ch1). Gandhi’s main objective was to free India from the domination of the British Empire. The title of Gandhi book, Swaraj means self governance; here, Gandhi’s focus was on empowering Indians to discard the British economic, political, legal, and social way of life. Gandhi believed in a world of peace and harmony, free from any colonialism; but one is self sustained and capable of managing its affairs. What are Gandhi’s political and social positions? According to Hind Swaraj (p5 ch1), as the editor, Gandhi explains to the reader on the desire for home rule by arguing that, home rule is similar to self rule, claiming that the British should not only leave the country, but they should also not leave behind their British style, only to be adopted by the Indians. He further explains to the reader that the British desired home rule for India, claiming that, the Englishmen were not ill and the Indians had to cooperate with them in order to achieve home rule sooner, hence becoming free. Secondly, Gandhi argues on Indian’s independence, which would only be achieved through passive resistance, insisting that the magnitude of love and pity is higher that that of firearms. He explains that the use of brutality is harmful, but not in the use of pity. According to Gandhi (p10 CH2), swadeshi or self-reliance, can be exercised by the Indians with an aim of declining all trade dealings with the British, if the British do not meet their demands. He further describes partition as an awakening call, which sends a message to the British that the Indian’s have the will from unrests, meaning that they are discontented. Gandhi continues to argue that, India has to reject the western civilization in order to be free, claiming that western civilization is not only unfit for India, but it is unhealthy as well. Gandhi (p14 ch4) criticizes the British parliament as a sterile woman or a prostitute, one whose members are concerned about their powers than the welfare of the public. Gandhi bases his arguments on truth and non violence. Importantly, his political views also pointed at the prevention of concentration of political power in the hands of few individuals; he preferred that political power be distributed to many, therefore adopting a democratic nature. Economic power should also be in the hands of many compared to few in order to ensure that competition and exploitation are minimized. When production is based on need rather than greed, poverty can be eradicated; Indians would also realize the dignity of labor, which improves productivity. Gandhi also insists on self-reliance by Indians in their villages, religion and the nation at large. The absence of oppression by the British or among the Indians in terms of language, race, gender or religion would have a positive impact on their social life. However, Gandhi insists on resistance where necessary, but discourages violence and cowardness as well. Gandhi (p27 CH 10) insists that foreigners do not destroy a nation; socially, he attributed to interaction between different communities and religions, insisting on peace and harmony. He also argues that receiving English education would enslave India, emphasizing that the English books ought to be translated to Indian language, as they were useful. Can these still be useful in the 21st century?  Gandhi’s moral lessons on political, economic, and social issues are relevant in the modern days; truth and non violence are what make a nation stable. Therefore, Gandhi’s teachings are also applicable today, when a government distributes its resources fairly, such that, discrimination does not exist. Here, a country will be able to enjoy peace and stability without unrests. Gandhi distastes a parliament whose members are concerned with their own powers rather than the public’s interest; this is common especially in the developing nations, which ringer in poverty as a result of leader’s selfish nature. Nevertheless, Gandhi’s focus on modern civilization is seen in his rejection of industrialism, which acts as a limitation and is criticized today. Gandhi’s rejection of civilization discourages the Indians from learning anything from the modernized west. This has led to some countries being grouped as developed and developing such as India, whilst most westernized countries take the lead. Therefore, we can not reject modernization, especially from the west countries, since they bring along knowledge and technology advances. In a world that is filled with oppression and violence, conflict resolution is the answer. Gandhi did not advocate for oppression, neither did he support war or violence. he identified the source of conflicts, where human dignity and justice are at stake; however, Gandhi requires that individual find ways of solving such issues in a non-violent manner. This is an element that can be useful in modern day nations who result to violence and war, and as a result, tearing their countries apart such as Ethiopia and Sudan. Conclusion Gandhi is a respected philosopher, whose aim was to lead his country to independence, insisting on self-reliance rule and a non violent peaceful nation. However, he was opposed to industrialism, which would have benefited India, disregarding the British power. moreover, Swaraj brings about self-respect, self-realization and self-reliance, which are important concepts for citizens of any nation. However, Gandhi condemns modern civilization for its hypocritical nature, as it promises to increase bodily comforts but fails in fulfilling its promises. Needless to say, Gandhi’s teachings are vital not only to the Indian nation, but also to the rest of the world. His thirst for uniformity, self-rule and democracy are evident in Hind Swaraj; such thirst is evident in most nations today. Works Cited Gandhi, Mohandas K. Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule, 1910. (Attached document). Read More