Gandhi developed the concept of Satyagraha, or truthful action, as a method of nonviolent civil disobedience derived from Indian traditions. Key aspects included voluntary discipline, non-violence, transparency, and leaders who compel respect through purity of life. Gandhi believed Satyagraha could be effective against dictatorships. Gandhi's concept of Swaraj emphasized spiritual liberation and self-rule over mere independence. It implied non-submission and non-exploitation through participatory democracy. Sarvodaya aimed to promote the good of all through decentralization of political and economic power, encouraging local production and equality for oppressed groups.

1. I. Gandhi’s Satyagraha: Truthful action
1. The concept is his contribution to political thought and practice
2. It was derived from Indian tradition: Vedas, Vedanta, Gita and Bhuddha’s Ahimsa
3. In Satyagraha, religion & politics are inseparable. It is way of integrating politics &
morality.
4. In Satyagraha, the vow is the starting point. It constitutes a bulwark of strength. Gandhi
insists on purificatory vows which demand self-control.
5. Voluntary discipline and restraint are the essential prerequisites of Satyagraha
6. Satyagraha will become a mass movement only to the extent to which every participant is
willing to comply with the prerequisites.
7. Ahimsa is another important characteristic of Satyagraha
8. Gandhi’s demand from a Satyagrahi is 1. All his actions must be transparent through 2.
Diplomacy and intrigue can have no place in his armoury. Satyagraha cannot be
conducted secretly
9. Gandhi’s Satyagraha leader must be a man of God who will compel reverence and love
even on the opponents by the purity of his life, the utter selflessness of his mission and
the breadth of his outlook.
10. Gandhi believed Satyagraha will be effective even against dictatorship.
II. Gandhi’s Swaraj-Ruling your own self, Integral Democracy
1. For both Gandhi and Tagore, Swaraj means more than mere political independence; it
meant India’s spiritual liberation through a fundamental change in each individual’s
moral perception. This could be hardly be achieved through legislative reforms.
2. Swaraj implies not to allow any outside power in the world to exercise control over
oneself and not to exercise power over any other. No submission and no exploitation.
3. It is for participatory democracy and against one dimensional liberal democratic tradition
4. Swaraj is to be attained by educating masses to a sense of their capacity to regulate and
control authority.
5. It is connected to his Oceanic circle
6. Swaraj is having four dimensions: Political, Economic, Dharma and Social i.e. the square
of Swaraj
7. The people of Europe have no doubt political power but no Swaraj-Gandhi
III. Gandhi’s Sarvodaya – A social order promoting the good of all.
The goal of Sarvodaya is Ram Raj (Kingdom of God). The assumption is that all men and
women are created equal.
It does not mean good government or majority rule. It means freedom from government, it
means decentralisation of power. The first aim of Sarvodaya worker must be to diffuse political
& economic power and decentralise the politico-economic structure. The aim of Sarvodaya
movement is that production, distribution, defence, education – everything to be localised.

2.  On a political level, it meant gram panchayats (village councils) were to handle the
problems of the villages on a day-to-day basis.
 On an economic level, discouraging big industries designed along capitalistic lines, and
encouraging gram udyog (village cottage industry).
 On a social level, the harijans (untouchables), tribals, and members of the lower castes
would be given all the rights of equality.
Gandhi said that the Utilitarian, unlike the votary of Sarvodaya, takes happiness to mean only
physical happiness and economic proseperity and is never willing to sacrifice himself.
Characteristics of Sarvodaya
1. Evolution of all
2. Truth& Non-violence
3. Harmony
4. Stateless society
5. Opposed to representative democracy and party system
6. Decentralisation
7. Faith in popular power-Lokniti not Rajniti
Similarities between Sarvodaya & Communism
1. Opposition to social injustice
2. Stateless society
3. Classless society
4. Support to repressed class
5. Humanist
6. Emphasis on Labour
7. International peace
Differences between Sarvodaya & Communism
Communism Sarvodaya
Determinism-Materialism Nature of Divine & Spiritualism
Not in the purity of means Means-End relationship, both to be good
Methodology-violent Non-violent
Elimination of Capitalism Capitalists may remain, if they think
themselves as trustees of public wealth
Against religion Encouragement of religious activity
Elimination of private property Not evil having private property
Not support to democracy Support to democracy
Centralisation of political &economic field Decentralisation
Practice Questions
1. Suffering is the badge of the human race, not the sword-Comment
2. Gandhi is the most significant political theorist in the context of mass society-Comment

3. 3. Gandhi made an inversion of the Hobbes to Lenin approach to political theorising-Substantiate
Source:
1. Sarvodaya in Crisis: The Gandhian Movement in India Today Author(s): Ishwar C. Harris Source:
Asian Survey, Vol. 27, No. 9 (Sep., 1987), pp. 1036-1052 Published by: University of California Press
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2644652
2. Title:Social Change and Social Control, Author: Rajendra K. Sharma, Publisher: Atlantic Publishers &
Dist, 1997, Page 58 to 66.
3. Political Thought in Modern India Paperback – 1 Apr 1986 by Thomas Pantham (Editor), Kenneth
L Deutsch (Editor)