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from the bondage of self and others. It indirectly asks but more signigicant is the method(s) that Gandhi its readers to see the reader and editor both in used in it to understand various issues of his time, himself/herself, and critique the contemporary and the alternatives he provided. All his alternatives, situation. It equips its readers with a positive attitude suggested in Hind Swaraj, are not 'sacred', for they to see things in a new perspective and methodology. were responses to some dated issues. However, Beyond this, there is much in it that is dated and in Hind Swaraj, Gandhi's attitude and methods to situation-specific
issues of human concerns have 'alwaysness', and At some level, Hind Swaraj 'happens' in alll of humanity can ill-afford to ignore them; if it does so us an the dialogue between reader and editor is at all, then it would be at its own peril. not just between a sceptic and Gandhi, or between Notes an extremist and a liberal, but between intellect and 1. Rajmohan Gandhi (2006:153) adds G. K. soul or differentiating and non-differentiating Chesterton's Comments in the Illustrated intellect. The bhedbuddhi (differ-entiating intellect) London News of September 1909 to the list of operates through binary opposites as it understands reading that had a formative influence on and see different phenomena in terms of their Gandhi's Hind Swaraj. 'other.' The binaries, however, collapse, and get 2. With full awareness of the distinction between merged into abhedbuddhi (non-differentiating neeti and nyaya, Amartya Sen considered that intellect) which is the Infinite Soul. In this, even the the concern for them and the distinction between British rule, or any instrument of exploitation or them figure evrywhere, 'We have, however, suffering, is not the 'other' but a part of the oceanic had a most clear-headed discussion of it. Neeti self or Soul. Here, Gandhi;s Hind Swaraj transcends is about arrangement and rules, about the Hind and its Swaraj, and aims at adhyatmik swaraj right thing to do. Nyaya is about what's (spiritual regeneration) of all that would allow happening in the world. So neeti is about rules everyone to realise one's potentialities by not being and arrangements and institutions and they dependent on others or by not encroaching upon don't necessarily deliver. In the context of others (Gandhi 2006:155).
democracy, the democratic institutions might Hind Swaraj is not a sacred text, as over- exist, but their utilisation might be quite limited, enthusiasts at times might resist critiquing it (though partly through our own fault because we don't Gandhi might be a 'sacred warrior', a Nelson engage enough, partly it's about the way media Mandela, called him). It is a seed-text.' The seed is is organised and its limits or the way parties not judged on the basis of its form or surface but on are organised. That immediately leads to a the basis of the prospective plant/ tree, flowers and clash between the intentions of neeti and the its fruition. If we remain trapped in its exteriority, we actual realisation of the neeti (Sen 2009:12). would never be able to understand either its This partly explains Gandhi's criticism of the seediness or its potential to be a tree in full blossom parliamentary system of governance in with flowers and innumerable seeds for ensuring democracy (Sen 2009a and 2009b) its continuity in future. But for that to happen, the 3. As an instance, one can take the case of seed has to 'unseed' itself in suitable soil, water and Gandhi's concept of buniyadi talim (foundational air. To preserve the seed, as it is, would be education), that we ignored. Despite its tantamount to preventing it from realising its successful implementation in select institutions potential. In Hind Swaraj, message is important. So such as Gujarat Vidyapeeth we allowed it to fail is medium (Gujarati first and English in translation), by not making it an integral part of the
ઑકટોબર- ૨૦૧૮) પ્રબુદ્ધ જીવન : ગાંધી સાર્ધશતાબ્દી વિશેષાંક
(સત્ય-અહિંસા-અપરિગ્રહ) (૧૨૫
