Explain Gandhian Approach to politics and identify its core elements?

 GANDHIAN APPROACH AND POLITICAL SCIENCE IN INDIA

In Political Science the most common themes which have been studied by Gandhian approach are social movements and usage of Satyagrah in them; critique of Indian state as a coercive institution; the notion of Swaraj, communal and social harmony, and decentralisation (Panchayati Raj Institutions) or the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts, and the influence of Gandhism on development debate, and on perspectives, etc. Gandhian way is used to assess the influence of Gandhism on intellectuals such as Charan Singh, Lohia and other socialist leaders. Lohia and Charan Singh attacked industrialization in favour of small-scale/village industries. Although Charan Singh was influenced by Gandhian Gandhi, he disagreed with Gandhi on some issues. For instance, he opposed to Gandhi’s notion of cooperative farming. He opined Gandhi’s views in support of cooperative farming. However, Charan Singh was not opposed to cooperative in service in farming. The tenets of Gandhism/Gandhian philosophy which influenced Lohia included – unsuitability of European model of socialism; he critiqued Nehruvian model of development from the point of view of Nehruvian model of development. He was most influenced by Gandhian ideas of civil disobedience or Satyagrah and economic and political decentralization. As in Gandhian perspective, the state has generally been viewed as a soulless machine which uses coercive methods, Gandhian perspective seeks to explain the extent to which state is required to provide security. Indeed, he is not opposed to state; instead, he supports minimum state. It provides security. The role of the state can be performed by Panchayati Raj Institutions. State should perform minimum functions. Gandhism supports a kind of democracy in which people share power and participate in decision making process through decentration or Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Social and Social Harmony 

The question how Gandhism has helped to combat communal polarisation has been used by historians, especially with reference to Noakhali riot (Batbayal 2005): in Noakhali, Gandhi could use religion in politics, and sanctification/ justification of violence by religion, the question which was addressed in Noakhali was if Gandhi’s doctrine was failing and how idea was of conversion made to justify violence. In the case of Noakhali riots, the historians have attempted to see the impact of Gandhian method of Satyagrah to achieve communal harmony. It was so despite the fact Gandhi was criticized both by Hindus and Muslism. Bhikhu Parekh viewed Noakhali riot through the notion of inter-relatedness of personal purity (Personal suffering through hunger strike, etc.) and political success achieved in communal harmony. The Gandhian perspective attempts to analyse how different communities can be brought together in situations of communal strife.

Social Movements 

Studying Gujarat movement in Gujarat 1974 against the price rise, Ghanshyam Shah shows the role of Satyagrah in anti-levy. The movement which was launched by the students began against inflated mess bills took up varieties of issues, i.e., corruption, black-marketing, price rise, denationalisation, civil liberties. The agitation forced Gujarat chief minister Chimanbhai Patel to resign. It later got linked with JP movement. It provided a background to imposition of emergency in 1975. Some scholars underline the importance of Satyagrah and non-violence in farmers’ movements, and in movements against corruption. Gandhians like Subba Rao and Rajagopal, P.V. and Jayprakash Narain used Gandhian ways to convince dacoits in Chambal to surrender abjuring violence and follow non-violence, to mobilize of youths in Bihar in the JP movements against corruption and, against emergency. Balagopal founded Ekta Parishad to mobilize tribals against encroachment of their land, and for granting land rights to them. Ekta Parishad is inspired by Gandhian philosophy of non-violence and non-cooperation. It sought to bring the state and society. For this purpose a Joint Task Force (JTF) was formed in the 1980s. It pressurised the Congress/Digvijay Singh government to introduce land reforms. Over three decades from the 1990s, Ekta Parishad took up various issues – wages, migration, bonded labour, rehabilitation, employment, etc. Ekta Parishad launched an “alternative mobilization”or new social movement in Bundelkhand and Chhattisgarh. It organised long march (pad yatras, dharnas, chakkajams, etc, land satyagrah) of peasants from MP to Delhi passing through different states of India (Pai 2010).

Party System 

Revising his views on revisiting the Congress system in an article in Asian Survey December 1974, 14 (2), Rajni Kothari states that a government will not be able to deliver without grass-root organisation. In the post-Nehruvian period, the Congress was lacking it. Even conflict which assumes the form of mass agitation grows outside the legislature and electoral channels. It develops rapport with the people. In the absence of organization, police and hirelings from outside make up for the gap in organizational structure. If the Congress fails in building grassroot cadres, it can be filled up by the opposition. Without bring back the party structure, elections will lose credibility.

 Impact of Gandhian Philosophy on Public Policies 

The Janata government’s policies attempted to replace Nehruvian model of development: investment priorities and plan allocation in favour of agriculture rather than industry; employment through investment in agriculture and small scale industry, and “appropriate” policy. Through such policies India was supposed to become a nation more of farmers than of bureaucrats. These are some examples of impact of Gandhism on state policies. Such issues have been influenced by Gandhian perspectives Charan Singh’s attack on Nehruvian model, and his views on alternative model of development giving priority to agriculture, village community and small scale industries can be viewed to be cast in Gandhian framework. He accused Nehru of having “de-industrialized” India. Using Gandhian approach, Rahul Ramagundam (2008) underlines role of material and ethics in sustenance of life. The material aspect was influenced by Nehrurian philosophy and ethical by the Gandhian. However there has been lack of adequate policy-oriented assessment of Gandhian socio-economic practices. 

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