New Book on Sarvodaya

 

Foreword to the Book Sarvodaya Chinthakal 

Foreword

Gandhi found deepest convictions of his broader ideas on Sarvodaya reflected in John Ruskin's   “Unto   This   Last.” Gandhi first   read this   book while he was in   South   Africa. The title of Ruskin’s work comes from Jesus Christ’s parable of the vineyard owner who hires workers at different times of the day, but pays them all the same amount, regardless of how much work they actually did.  When his tale finished, Jesus said, “And that is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.” Gandhi’s friend Henry Polak gave Ruskin’s book and Gandhi wrote in his Autobiography that   that this book brought about an “instantaneous and practical transformation” in his life and translated it later into Gujarati, entitling it Sarvodaya (the welfare of all).Gandhi read this book in a train journey from Johannesburg to Durban.  Gandhi had a sleepless night on that day and he was determined to change his life in accordance with the ideals of the book.  Gandhi summarized the teachings of the book into three: 1. That the good of the individual is contained in the good of all.  2. That a lawyer's work has the same value as the barber's inasmuch as all have the same right of earning their livelihood from their work.3. That a life of labour, i.e., the life of the tiller of the soil and the handicraftsman, is the life worth living.

 

  Gandhi was aware of the first principle which highlights the interconnectedness of whole humanity. It emphasizes that individual well-being is inextricably linked to the well-being of all. When we prioritize the good of all, we ultimately benefit ourselves. He dimly realized the second principle which gives equality, dignity, and respect for all occupations. It challenges social hierarchies and emphasizes the value of every contribution and equal right of earning livelihood regardless of prestige or status. Third principle never occurred in Gandhi’s mind which gives deeper appreciation for the tiller of the soil and the handicraftsman. A worthwhile life encourages us to reconnect with the natural world, appreciate the value of hard work, and recognize the beauty and dignity of manual labour .Together, these principles offer a vision for a more compassionate, equitable, just and meaningful society and Gandhi named it as  Sarvodaya.  The reading of Ruskin' work made it absolutely clear to Gandhi that second and third principles were contained in the first.  Gandhi wanted to reduce these principles to the practice that led to the establishment of Phoenix Settlement near Durban. The community settlements or ashrams established by Gandhi in both South Africa and India paved the way for fine tuning of his ideas on Sarvodaya and its practical application.

 

Gandhi’s philosophy of life was holistic one and firmly believed in the inner unity of all life both sentient and non sentient.  He wanted to establish a new society based on the principles of sarvodaya  which  aimed at  the welfare and enlightenment of all members of the society. Gandhi rejected the utilitarian concept of "the greatest  good  of   the  greatest  number"   as he believed it was full of dangerous consequences. To   bring   a clear       distinction   between the two   Gandhi  wrote  in  1926: A  votary  of  ahimsa cannot  subscribe  to  the  utilitarian  formula.  He  will  strive  for  the  greatest  good  of  all  and die  in  the  attempt  to  realize   the  ideal.  He  will,  therefore,  be  willing   to   die  so  that  the others  may  live.  He will   serve himself   with   the rest by himself dying.  The  greatest  good  of  all  inevitably  includes   the  good  of   the  greatest  number,  and therefore  he  and   the   utilitarian   will   converge   in   many   points   in   their   career,   but   there   does   come   a   time   when   they   must   part   company,  and  even  work  in  opposite  directions.  The utilitarian to be logical will   never sacrifice himself.  The   absolutist will even sacrifice himself. ” The application of the principle of nonviolence to all aspects and departments of life is the crux of Sarvodaya  ideology. In other words, different aspects of life including social, economic, political, moral must be organized on the basis of the principle of nonviolence.  It calls for a satyagraha way of life in the quest for pursuit of truth and nonviolence.

In 1938,Gandhiji sent  his message for the first issue of Sarvodaya published by D. B. Kalelkar and Dada Dharmadhikari.   Gandhi wrote “Sarvodaya is impossible without satyagraha. The word satyagraha should be understood here in its etymological sense. There can be no insistence on truth where there is no non-violence. Hence the attainment of sarvodaya depends upon the attainment of nonviolence. The attainment of non-violence in its turn depends upon tapascharya. Tapascharya, again, should be pure. Ceaseless effort, discretion, etc., should form part of it. Pure tapascharya leads to pure knowledge. Experience shows that although people talk of nonviolence, many are mentally so lazy that they do not even take the trouble of familiarizing themselves with the facts. Take an example. India is a poor country. We wish to do away with poverty. But how many people have made a study of how this poverty came about, what its implications are, how it can be removed, etc.? … ” In conclusion Gandhi reminded them of the duty of editors of Sarvodaya. He wrote: “We shall adopt truth wherever we find it, praise it wherever we see it, and pursue it. In other words, in every sentence of Sarvodaya, we should catch a glimpse of non-violence and knowledge”.

 Bringing out a book based on Sarvodaya thinking is a real tapascharya and it needs a lot of dedication and commitment.  Shri Peethambaran Master made such an attempt by bringing out a volume which is a collection of articles which he wrote on different occasions.  I congratulate the author and present it before the readers for critical appreciation and analysis. Some of the articles included in the collection  covers   certain  areas  which are largely unexplored  and I am sure  they  will  give  fresh insights  to  readers  and  may lead to further  research in the area.

 

Siby K. Joseph

Director

Library and Research Centre for Gandhian Studies

 Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Wardha  

 August 15, 2024