ADVERTISEMENTS:
Gandhiji was not a dreamer. He gave practical shape to the principles and ideals, which he preached. He did not emphasise the establishment of ideal society and did not consider it proper to discuss it in detail, because it could not be achieved immediately.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Therefore, he laid emphasis on the establishment of a non-violent state. For him, Ram Rajya and Ashok Rajya were ideal states. He believed in Sarvodaya. He gave practical shape to non-violence and Satyagraha, and used these in many of his movements. His Khadi programme, Swadeshi Movement, National Education.
Hindu-Muslim Unity, Village uplift, prohibition, removal of untouchability, banning the child marriage and encouragement of widow marriage were all practical ideals. He took pains to destroy racialism. He used Satyagraha for the achievement of India’s freedom, which aroused and inspired the masses very much. His economic ideas are also very practical.
In order to ‘destroy capitalism, he was in favour of economic decentralization and state ownership of cottage industries and to certain extent big industries. In order to give real Swaraj to the people he suggested to decentralisation of authority and giving more powers to the Panchayats.
In the field of religion he suggested human region and morality. The gist of his religion was tolerance. In fact, he was world citizen. The people frightened of the world war need observance of non-violence. The U.N.O. is also laying stress on Gandhiji’s principles of equality, tolerance and non-violence.
In case, the Third World War breaks out, the humanity will perish by the use of dangerous weapons. Thus, the world needs to act on the principles of Gandhiji. According to Dr. Vishwa Nath Varma, “Gandhiji’s place in Indian history is the same as of Washington and Jefferson in the history of the U.S.A. He was a prophet like Lao-Tse, Buddha, Zoroaster and Saint Paul.”