Gandhi and Family
Mahatma Gandhi is well known and recognized for the leadership he provided for the Indian state to peacefully relinquish English oversight by withdrawing from British institutions, denying British awards, and, most important, by learning the art of self-reliance. Yet Gandhi's thoughts on family, although not as well known, are none the less historically pertinent. His concepts about family as an institution and national symbol of support were a central point to his overall political and social stance. From the nuclear family, to the entire community and nation of India to the world at large, Gandhi strived for one family of mankind. It is important to understand that when Gandhi uses the word "family" he does not only mean the nuclear family as is the common definition. "Family" is also a metaphor for a group of people who are concerned about the same things as in a national family or the global family of humankind. In his autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth, 1Gandhi's understanding of this term was stated clearly as "When we come to think of it, the distinction between heterogeneous and homogeneous is discovered to be merely imaginary. We are all one family." Such a statement showed Gandhi's early Utopian ide
For Gandhi, the term human family could be taken quite literally. He believed in the brahmacharya or moral restraint to reach the realization of Brahman. This becomes evident in Experiments when talking about the Ruskin community at Phoenix Settlement, he uses the term family to describe the community. In his book Gandhi and His Critics, Nanda notes the ridicule that Gandhi received from some people because of his concept of brahmacharya "Not only has this concept been ridiculed, but doubts cast on his own practice of it,"6 given his situation with his wife while young. That family consisted of men and women of the same society, of all backgrounds, working together for their total greater good. His first actions concerned making the nuclear families more equal by supporting the wife's cause. Rather, it is for his civil disobedience and ability to bring about change through nonviolent means. " 9Further, he stated that he truly believed that God who created his wife, children and himself would take care of them all. He asked that his savings, which his brother had been collecting, would be used for the the "benefit of the community" and explained that the meaning of family had to be widened and the reason for his decision would become evident. My mission is not merely freedom of India, though today it undoubtedly engrosses practically the whole of my life and the whole of my time. 15 Ironically, however, Gandhi did this by never holding a high political office, commanding an army or even being a compelling orator. It was founded on the ideals of communal living where everyone regardless of social class and occupation would receive an equal wage. Gandhi's granddaughter, for example, notes that most people remember Gandhi for leading a civil rights movement in his homeland, which resulted in India gaining independence from British rule. The British officials questioned the ability of the Indian people to be strong enough for self-governing and disputed the right of the rising class of educated Indians to speak for the masses. the life of the tiller of the soil and the handicraftsman is the life worth living.
Common topics in this essay:
India Gandhi,
Mahatma Gandhi,
Home Rule,
Critics Nanda,
Ironically Gandhi,
Ruskin Gandhi,
Phoenix House,
Experiments Ruskin,
Gandhi's Utopian,
Mahatma Gandhi's,
nuclear family,
phoenix house,
gandhi noted,
family community,
india gandhi,
national family,
british rule,
india community,
direction gandhi,
freedom india,
|
Acceptance Essays
