INTRODUCTION:

It is possible to create extensive social reforms and action by adopting non-violent means. Gandhi firmly held the view that the negative forces in man are overcome by his own analysis and ability to resolve issues and man”s good nature always prevails.

Satyagraha of Gandhiji combines the traditions of Indian as well as western philosophies. Discovery of non-violence is in pursuit of truth and this further formulated the approach to Satyagraha. Satyagraha is an active state where physical force is not allowed forever and Leeds to winning over the adversary, by suffering in one’s own person. Patience and sympathy are important parameters. In a disturbed world of today there are many frictions and conflicts and when negotiations fail to resolve such issues, recourse to Satyagraha becomes necessary. Sometimes the indifference grows and Satyagraha produces results and combines the two important aspects of human nature and common good inspiring to stimulate the needed outcome. Results achieved through wars do not give permanent results. The British rule in India had to end because of the mahatma’s role using non-violent Satyagraha.

Meaning of Satyagraha

The word Satyagraha is Sanskrit in origin which literally means holding on to Truth. “Satya” means truth and “Agraha" is adherence. The origin of Satyagraha can be traced to the Indo –Aryan practice of yajna. It means therefore truth force. The Word Satyagraha was coined in South Africa to distinguish the non-violent resistance of the Indians of South Africa from the contemporary passive resistance, of the suffragette and others but it is not conceived as a weapon of the weak (Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, 2012:3)

The word Satyagraha was developed by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa. He also called it love-force. He discovered in the earliest stages that pursuit of truth did not admit of violence being inflicted on one’s opponent but he must be weaned from error by patience and sympathy. What appears to be truth to one person may appear to be error to the other person. For Gandhi patience is self-suffering. The doctrine came to mean vindication of truth not by infliction suffering on the opponent but on one’s own self. (Sharma, Shashi Prabha, 1992:88)

Passive Resistance:

Satyagraha is the method of strong determination to stick to what is truth and right. While passive resistance suggested something negative, conceived as the weapon of the weak, Satyagraha suggested the active principle of love; “Satyagraha differs says Gandhi from passive resistance as the North Pole from the South. The latter has been conceived as the weapon of the weak and does not exclude the use of physical force or violence for the purpose of gaining one’s end. Whereas the former has been conceived as a weapon of the strongest and excludes the use of violence in any shape of form” (Dalton, 2012:38).

Gandhi felt ashamed of using the word passive resistance wrongly attributing the qualities of Satyagraha. Passive resistance is commonly understood in the west in its historical setting as a weapon of the weak meant for the unarmed and helpless. A passive resister eschews violence not as a matter of principle but due to the lack of means of violence. Passive resistance is based on sheer expediency. Passive resister harasses the opponent and forces him to do the desired course of action. It is not proved to be serviceable and constructive.

Satyagraha to be genuine may be offered against one’s wife or one’s children, against rulers, against fellow citizens or even against the whole world. Such universal force does not make any distinction between kinds of man and strangers, young and old, man and woman, friend and foe. The only universal application would be ahimsa or love. Satyagraha is based on love – love does not burn others but it burns itself. Therefore a Satyagraha will enjoy suffering even into death (Gandhi, Mahatma, and Dennis Dalton, 1995:81).

Satyagraha is very deferent in spirit from physical force or violence. Violence is the negation of this great spiritual force. It can be wielded by those who will entirely give up violence in any form. It is a force that may be used by individuals as well as communities. It may be used in political and domestic affairs. Its universal applicability is a demonstration of its permanence and invincibility. It can be used alike by all men, women and children. It is totally untrue to say that it a force to be used only by the weak so long as they are not capable of meeting violence by violence. Only those who realize, that there is something in man superior to the brute nature in him, and that the latter yields to it, can become an effective Satyagrahi. This force fights against violence, and therefore against tyranny, all injustice, it is what light is to darkness.

Duragraha

Duragraha takes it for granted that what the person thinks is truth and justice. In duragraha the tactics adopted are similar to that of Satyagraha but the essentials of duragraha are entirely different. It is opposed to the spirit of non-violence for coercive measures are adopted. The distinction between Satyagraha and duragraha is similar to that of the notion of good and evil.

Qualifications of Satyagrahi:

Satyagraha prescribes certain qualifications to be possessed by a satyagrahi. Satyagraha presupposes self discipline, self control, self purification and a recognized social status in the person offering it.

The object of Satyagrahi is to convert but not to coerce the wrong doer. A Satyagrahi must not harbor ill will against the evil doer. He will overcome evil by good, anger by love, untruth by truth and himsa by ahimsa. An evil may be converted by the article of faith. Gandhi held that the following qualifications are essential for every Satyagrahi in India:

1. “He must have a living faith in god, for he is his only Rock.

2. He must believe in truth and non-violence as his creed and therefore have faith in the inherent goodness of human nature which he expects to evolve by his truth and love expressed through his suffering.

3. He must be leading a chaste life and be ready and willing for the sake of his cause to give up his life and his possessions.

4. He must be a habitual khadi-weaver and spinner. This is essential for India.

5. He must be a teetotaler and be free from the use of other intoxicants in order that his reason may be always unclouded and his mind constant.

6. He must carry out with a willing heart all the rules of discipline as may be laid down from time to time.

7. He should carry out the jail rules unless they are specially devised to hurt his self-respect (Jolly, Surjit Kaur, 2006:103).

Although a Satyagrahi can operate silently, it requires a certain amount of Action on the part of Satyagrahi. He must first mobilize the public opinion against the evil and eradicate it be means of wide and intensive agitation. When public opinion is sufficiently aroused against a social abuse, even the tallest would not dare to practice or openly lend support to it. An awakened and intelligent public opinion is the most potent weapon of Satyagrahi.

A Satyagrahi has to observe perfect charity, adopt poverty, follow truth and cultivate fearlessness. He regards the spinning wheel, village crafts etc as the pillars of ahimsa. Besides observing non-violence with his parents, brother, sisters, children and relatives and servants, he must be in a position to stand in the test at the time of political or communal disturbances or under the menace of thieves and dacoits. Mere sacrifices are no good. It must be followed by some qualification.

In the event of any communal fights, he will not take sides. But he would assist only that party which is demonstrably in the right. As a Hindu he must be generous towards Muslims and will sacrifice himself if the situation demands in his attempt safe non-Hindus from a Hindu attack (Chakrabarty, Bidyut, 2006:197). As a Hindu he must fraternized the Muslims and the rest. He must not make any distinction on the grounds of faith or religion without any fear. If a satyagrahi is qualified himself by his selfless service, he will Make a fit offering of himself as a firm believer on non-violence in the event any communal conflagration. Similarly to meet the menace of thieves and dacoits, he will need to go among and cultivate friendly relatives with the communities from which the thieves and dacoits generally come.

Conditions of Satyagraha:

Mahatma Gandhi advocated the following conditions for the success of Satyagraha.”The Satyagraha should not have any hatred in his heart against the opponent. The issue must be true and substantial. The Satyagraha must be prepared to suffer till the end of his cause”( Harijan,1946:64).

The Satyagraha must stand for the just cause without the use of violence. If violence is excised the just cause is defeated. He should exclude the use of violence in any shape or form whether in thought, speech or deed. If the cause is just, with the capacity for endless and avoidance of violence, victory is a certainty. Therefore a satygrahi cannot be resorted for personal gain but only for the good of others. Satyagraha can achieve any worthy object. It is the highest infallible means and the greatest force. Satygraha rids society of all its political and economic.

The methods of Satyagraha may be classified into four categories.

1. Purificatory

2. Forms of non-cooperation

3. Methods of civil Disobedience

4. The Constructive programme.

All these methods may be employed by individual groups or through mass movements in the political arena and in different spheres of social life. These methods are consistent with non-violence.

Civil Disobedience:

Gandhi held that Satyagraha in the political sphere assumes the form of civil Disobedience. Gandhi defined civil disobedience as “Civil breach of unmoral statutory enactments”. It seems that this word was coined by Henry Thoreau to signify his own resistance to the unjust laws of a slave state. Thoreau has left a masterly treatise on the duty of civil Disobedience. Gandhi thought that Thoreau was perhaps not an out and out champion of non-violence. Thorean probably limited his breach of his statutory laws to the revenue law, i.e., the payment of taxes but the term civil disobedience as practiced in 1919 covered a breach of any statutory and unmoral law which signified the resisters outlaw in a civil, i.e., non-violent manner. Thoreau invoked the sanctions of law and cheerfully suffered imprisonment. Civil Disobedience presupposes the habit of obedience out of will to laws without fear of their sanctions (Gandhi, Mahatma, and Dennis Dalton, 1995:51).

Gandhi said that disobedience to be civil must be sincere respectful restrained, never defiant. It must be based upon some well understood principle. It must not be capricious. Above all it must not have ill will of hatred behind it (Kwatra, Suman, 2001:55). “The use of Civil Disobedience’ Says Gandhi, will be healthy, necessary and effective only if we otherwise conform to the laws of all growth.( Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, 2012:73) We must therefore give its full and therefore greater value to the adjective ’civil’ than to disobedience’. Disobedience without civility, discipline, dis-crimination, non-violence is certain destruction. Disobediences combined with love is the living water of life. Civil Disobedience is a beautiful variant to signify growth; it is not discordance which spells death (Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, 2012:173).

Gandhi held the opinion firmly that civil disobedience is the purest type of constitutional agitation. But it becomes degrading and despicable, if its civil, i.e., non-violent character is a mere camouflage. If the honesty of non-violence be admitted, there is no warrant for condemnation even if it is of the fiercest disobedience. “Civil disobedience” says Gandhi, is never followed by anarchy. Criminal disobedience can lead to it. Every state puts down criminal disobedience by force. It perishes of it does not. But to put down civil disobedience is to attempt to imprison conscience. Civil disobedience can only lead to strength and purity (Gandhi, Mahatma., 1993:148). A Civil resister never uses arms and hence he is harmless to a state that is at all willing to listen to the voice of public opinion. He is dangerous for an autocratic. State for he brings about its fall by engaging public opinion upon the matter for which he resists the state. Civil disobedience therefore becomes sacred duty when the state has become lawless or which is the same thing, corrupt. And a citizen that barters with such a state shares its corruption or lawlessness (Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, 2012:174).

Civil disobedience is conceived as the inherent right of a citizen (Rai, Ajay Shanker, 2000:85). A Satyagrahi obeys the laws of society out of his freewill as he considers it to be his sacred duty to do so. When a person obeys is the laws of society scrupulously, we would be in a position to judge which particular laws are good and just and which laws are unjust and iniquitous. It is only then does the right accrue to him of civil disobedience of certain well defined circumstances (Gandhi, M. K.1966:347.).

Gandhi held that the first indispensable condition precedent to any civil resistance is that there should be surety against the outbreak of violence either because of those identified with evil resistance or of general public. It is not answerable in the event of an outbreak of violence that has been instigated by the state or other agencies hostile to civil resistance. Civil resistance cannot flourish in an atmosphere of violence (Harijan, 1939:53).

Non-Cooperation:

Non-cooperation is a branch of Satyagraha. It is not non-cooperation with the evil-doer but with his evil deed. The satyagrahi cooperates with the evil-doer in what is good for he does not treat him as his enemy. By cooperating with him in what is not evil. Satyagraha wins him over from evil (Gandhi, M. K. 1951). “Non-cooperation” says Gandhi, “Predominantly implies withdrawing of cooperation from the state that in the non-cooperators views has become corrupt and excludes civil Disobedience of the fierce type”( Kwatra, Suman, 2001:51).

Non-cooperation includes all non-violent resistance for the vindication of truth. It may include strike, walkout, hartal and resignation of offices titles and so on. Gandhi held that non-cooperation is an attempt to awaken the masses to a sense of their dignity and power (Young India, 1920:3). It is a protest against an unwitting and unwilling participation in evil. In the words of Gandhi “Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as cooperation with good”( Rai, Ajay Shanker, 2000:75)”

Non-cooperation is not a passive state but it is an intensively active state, more active than physical resistance or violence. It must be non-violent. Therefore it is neither punitive nor based on malice, ill-will or hatred (Chacko, K. C, 1986:74).

Gandhi said that the duty of non-cooperation with unjust men and kings was strictly enjoined by all the religions which is same as the duty of cooperation with just men and kings. Most of the scriptures of the world seem even to go beyond non-cooperation and prefer violence to effeminate submission to a wrong (Young India, 1920:4).

Fasting:

Gandhi Considered fasting as a potent weapon in the armory of Satyagraha. He held that it cannot be taken by everyone. To observe fasting mere physical capacity is no qualification for it. It is of no use one needs to have a living faith on God. It should not be a mechanical effort or a mere imitation. It is because it should come from the depth of one’s soul (Harijan, 1939:56), lack of faith or impatience. Gandhi held that infinite patience, firm resolves, single mindedness of purpose, perfect clam and without anger are absolutely necessary there.“Since it is not possible for a person to develop all these qualities at one time, no one who has not devoted himself to following the laws of ahimsa should undertake a Satyagrahi fast (Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, 2012:322).

Gandhi Says that fasting is of fierce type which is altogether not free from danger. Gandhi condemned fast when it was found to be wrong or morally unjustified. But to shirk a fast when it has moral basis is a dereliction of duty. He held that such fast has to be based upon unadulterated truth and Ahimsa (Harijan, 1946:2235).Fasting unto death is the last and the most potent weapon which is a sacred thing. It must be accepted with all its implications. It is not fast that matters but what it implies that matters. (Dāsa, Ratana, 2005:92)Fasting cannot be under taken mechanically. It is a powerful but dangerous if handled amateurishly. Complete self purification is required(Harijan,1946:272).

He held that fasts can be really coercive, but such fasts are to attain a selfish object (Harijan, 1935:5). A Satyagrahi should fast only as a last resort when all other avenues of redress are explored and failed (Gandhi, Mahatma, and Dennis Dalton, 1995:86). He who has no inner strength should not dream of it. If a Satyagrahi once undertakes a fast with firm conviction, he must stick to his resolve whether there is chance of his action bearing fruit or not. But this does not mean that fasting cannot or can bear fruit. He fasts with the expectation of fruit generally fails. Even if he does not fail, he loses all the inner joy that a true fast holds (Harijan, 1946:93).

Constructive Programme:

Gandhi stressed the need for Satyagraha to engage in silent active, constructive work of reform and social service. He pointed out that the votaries of satygraha must store up the necessary non-violent energy. They cannot become non-violent unless they undergo a process of corporate cleansing. This they can do only by engaging themselves in carrying out a well thought out constructive programme which requires a combined effort to promote common good. He later pointed out that the constructive work should be for its own sake. Yet it will develop the quality required for non-violent responsible government. The capacity to take political power will increase in exact proportion to the ability to achieve success in the constructive effort. It is only through such a constructive programme, that a system of non-violent self rule could emerge. Gandhi pointed out: “This depends on individual workers, cultivating non-violence in thought, word and deed, my means of a concentrated effort in the fulfillment of the four fold constructive programme. Maximum of work and minimum of speech must be your motto. In the centre of the programme is the spinning wheel – no haphazard programme of spinning, but scientific understanding every detail, including the mechanics and mathematics of It, study of cotton and its varieties and so on, there is the programme of literacy. You must concentrate exclusively on it and not talk of any other thing”(Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, 2012:100).

Constructive program includes communal harmony, removal of untouchability, adult education and village improvement, peasant uplift, the development of non-violent labour unions, economic and social equality, decentralized economic production and distribution through the promotion of cottage and small scale industries and the abolition of various social evils. Gandhi pointed out that civil Disobedience could be most effective in the redress of local wrongs and in arousing the local conscience where as it could never be directed for a general cause like constructive programme. Civil Disobedience is itself an aid to the constructive effort and a full substitute for armed revolt. The best training for proper civil disobedience is through the constructive programme.

In a Satyagraha campaign the mode of fight and the choice of tactics to offer civil resistance or organize non-violent strength through constructive worth and purely selfless humanitarian service are determined in accordance with the exigencies. A Satyagrahi must carry out whatever plan is laid out with a cool determination without excitement and depression. Thus we clearly see that though rooted in eternal moral principles Gandhi’s concept of Satyagraha is a very original approach to conflict-resolution, at the group, national and international level.

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Received on 22.11.2017 Modified on 28.12.2017

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2018; 9(1): 24-28.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5828.2018.00005.0