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Gandhi (Past Masters)

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For those seeking a very brief introduction to Gandhi's life and thought, this ought to do the trick. At one point in my life I read intensely if briefly about Gandhi, reading a couple of dozen books by and on him. This book would not break into the books that I would most recommend, but it would be one that I would recommend as a possible first book. Parekh has a deep understanding of the context of Gandhi's thought, which was not purely Indian despite being largely grounded in Hinduism, with major outside influences.

The book is stronger on Gandhi's thought than his life. The biographical details are, in fact, quite minimal, but many books emphasize Gandhi the person so much more than Gandhi the thinker, this is a welcome correction. Although anyone wanting to know about Gandhi should immediately go on from this to read a good biography on Gandhi (the classic biography by Louis Fischer remains a great first read about Gandhi, though the best English language biography is that by Judith Brown), as well as Gandhi's own so-called autobiography, this gives one a glimpse into what made Gandhi click.

Anyone wanting to know about Gandhi should plan minimally on reading as well an anthology of Gandhi's own writings in addition to the autobiography (the three-volume edition edited by Iyer is the best), as well as the aforementioned books by Fischer and Brown. I also strongly recommend the book on Gandhi by Ved Mehta, which is deeply insightful and refutes many Western misunderstandings of his thought. Gandhi is one of the most inspirational figures of the past century. The impact on my own life has been considerable. It was because of him that I became a vegetarian and through his reverence for life I became deeply interested in showing respect for all humans and nonhumans. Definitely read this book, but plan on reading much more. Gandhi is not one of the great systematic thinkers of our age, but he is one of the most moral and visionary. He also combined idealism and pragmatism more successfully than any other figure I can name.

The first half or so of the book is dedicated to a chronological biography. The second half has sections dedicated to the different facets of Gandhi's contributions.

Not only was Gandhi a remarkable man, but I think Parekh does his memory justice with an equally thoughtful and evenhanded treatment of his legacy.

Well done!

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known throughout the world as Mahatma ("Great Soul") Gandhi is one of the foremost political figures of the twentieth century and one of the greatest spiritual leaders of all time. He is credited for the development of the satyagraha - a combination of non-violent resistance and civil disobedience - that has been crucial for India's struggle for independence. He had conceived of the political struggle essentially in terms of spiritual and religious terms, and had striven his whole life to make the political struggle an extension of an internal spiritual one.

Like with most historic figures of Gandhi's stature, it can sometimes be very hard to distinguish myth from reality and create a balanced and critical appraisal of his personal strengths and weaknesses. Nonetheless this short introduction does a remarkable job of doing just that. It also manages in my mind to clear any doubts that despite some of his "weaknesses," Gandhi is truly deserving of the highest esteem that he has been held. No short introduction can do a full justice to its subject, but in terms of quality of writing and the variety of topics in Gandhi's life and work this one comes as close as this format allows it. The book is a pleasure to read, and even if you are not interested in Gandhi in his own right you will most likely enjoy reading this short introduction.

One of the most controversial topics in today's political discourse is the proper role of religion in public life. With that in mind I think it would be important to quote a paragraph from this book that describes Gandhi's attitude to the matters of religion and politics:

"For Gandhi, religion was the basis of life and shaped all one's activities. It could not be compartmentalized, reserved for special occasions or days of the week, or viewed as a preparation for another world. To be religious was to live in the constant presence of the cosmic spirit and to translate that awareness in all one did. It affected the smallest as well as the most momentous activities of one's life, including how one set, talked, ate, and conducted one's personal, professional, and public life, and was nothing more than their `sum total'. Since one lived out one's religious beliefs in all areas of life including the political, `those who say that religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means' (M i. 37-6). This did not imply theocracy or rejection of secular state, for religion was a matter of freely and sincerely held beliefs and ruled out all forms of coercion. Since the state was a coercive institution, it should be secular in the sense that it should not institutionalize, impose or favor a religion, or even support all religions equally. This did not, however, mean that political life should be secular and disallow religious based appeals, arguments, or actions, as that would violate citizens' religious integrity and their freedom to express their religious identity."

I had just finished reading this wonderful book on Mohandhas Karamchand Gandhi. It touched my heart. I am only 12 years old and I am very glad to have an uncle like Bhikhu Parekh(the author of the book). I hope you read this great book on how wonderful Gandhi was to his people and how he fought for the independence of his country.