ABSTRACT
The objective of this chapter is to explore in all possible ways the relevance and effectiveness of Gandhi’s ideas to contemporary India. I address the issue of Gandhi’s continuing relevance under three headings. First, the politics of violence. How did Gandhi address the question of violence? Where is the tension between violence and non-violence in India today? Are there forms of violence beyond the reach of non-violence? For eg. contemporary terrorism. Second, the politics of social protest. I preface this section with a look at resistance in Burma and the recent triumph of Aung San Sui Kyi and the National League for Democracy. There is a history of satyagraha in independent India but my focus would be on the Adivasi struggle and the major conflict between the Government and the Maoists in the tribal belt, focusing on the Saranda forest. Third, the politics of identity. Where does Gandhism stand in relation to a search for new forms of personal morality, feminism, demand for gay rights? Today there is a growing threat to India’s pluralism from the resurgence of the Hindutva agenda. Ever greater social inequality has been opened up by Shining India. I bring up all these issues for critical inquiry by invoking Gandhi’s philosophy.
