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(C) Non-violence and Truth both are comple- (G) Complete unity and integrity of body, mind mentary to each other. It is more appropriate to say and soul are in the individual human being. The "Truth is God," rather than saying "God is Truth". body should be controlled by mind and the mind He equated God with Absolute Truth as ultimate by the soul - a harmony among three. But this reality. Soul is the spark of this God of Truth. It is the control is not to be achieved by despising or moral, The spiritual force, the divine spirit which neglecting either the body or mind or soul. regulates our body and mind. It is the voice of God, (H) Means are at least as important as and often the voice of Truth within us.
more important than, ends. It is, of course, Both are two sides of the same coin. Both have desirable that ends should be good and reasonable. same value. Difference consists in approach only. They give direction to life while the means adopted The derivation is that Truth stays with permanence constitute life itself. The means confirm to the test and that Truth is permanent. Non-violence on of truth and no-violence, even mistakes, errors, and account of being permanently present stays to be failures aid the growth of the individual. We can not true. Non-violence is both a means and an end in get a rose by planting a noxious weed. There is an itself.
inviolable connection between the means and end (D) Non-Violence is the strongest weapon as there is between the seed and tree. The
It is not a weapon of the weak. It has no place relationship between the two is organic. There must for cowardice. It is an active force. Non-violence is be purity of means. Those who grow out of violence, impossible without bravery / courage/fearlessness. they will end in violence. This is what makes Gandhi Doing at any cost something that one ought to do. distinctly different form Kautilya, Machiavelli, The courage of dying without killing. Having decided Bentham, Karl Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and others. upon the rightness of a situation, Gandhi would not like one to be passive spectator to evil. This is the
Examination of Gandhi's view on State may, essence of Non-Alignments which is different from
perhaps, lead to a better understanding of his vision neutrality. "When freedom is menaced or justice is
of democracy. Sometimes a confusion is made threatened or where aggression takes place we can between the acts of the individuals and those of the not and shall not be neutral."
State, and it is expected that Gandhi's State is to (E) Non-Violence has individual and social aspects be non-violent. But how is the State act non-violently, too. It fosters co-operation and cooperative when it represents violence in a concentrated and progress. Progress is difficult to achieve without co- organized form ? Indeed a non-violent state is a operation. Co-operation is possible only when there contradiction in terms. It could only be called a nonis no violence. To him, regulation of mutual relations violent stateless society. This is the ideal for Gandhi. in society is through non-violence to considerable Non-existence of State as cherished by Gandhi is extent. He wished it to be developed on large scale. impossible instantly or in near future. At the level of He called upon the people to continue to develop it imperfect nature of man, among the existing states, in practice throughout life as the basis of life. democratic governance appears to be best. (F) Non-Violence is not utilitarianism.
But the paradox is that being theoretically It is all-timely and all welfaristic. A non-violent is the best system of government, there is tidal waves always ready to face punishment for the maximum of violence and other related problems sweeping benefit of all whereas a utilitarian is not.
across the world and seems to be having no respite. L(ઑકટોબર- ૨૦૧૮) પ્રબુદ્ધ જીવન : ગાંધી સાર્ધશતાબ્દી વિશેષાંક (સત્ય-અહિંસા-અપરિગ્રહ) (૧૦૦)
