A LANGUAGE PHASE – A PRESENTATION

ON AHIMSA : REPLY TO LALA LAJPAT RAI By Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Imad Shahid Khan │ Siddharth Bhagat │ Soumya Suman │ Ansai Sony

GROUP 10

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Introduction

In the July 1916 edition of the Modern review, an Indian Nationalist Movement journal, Lala Lajpat Rai had strongly condemned Mahatma Gandhi’s views on Ahimsa. And wondered why had not Gandhi clarified before, if the statements were misconstrued.

Accusing his concept of Ahimsa as an act of cowardice and unmanliness, Lala slammed Gandhi on his statements based on various media reports during that time. This was widely covered by various media outlets, including the Gujarati ones which caught Gandhi’s attention.

In the October 1916 edition of Modern Review, Gandhi not only makes a subtle disclaimer about the statements imputed on him and the necessity in getting facts straight before opining, but he also clears and elaborates his stand on Ahimsa and its inspirations as well as its applications.

Ahimsa

Defined by Gandhi as “a panacea for all evil mundane and extra-mundane”, he said “Ahimsa requires deliberate self-suffering, and not a deliberate injuring of the wrong-doer”.

Stating that “an exaggerated practice of Ahimsa” does not in any way falls in line with us becoming devoid of other virtues, he reverentially tries to refute Lala Lajpat’s claim that “elevation of Ahimsa to the highest position contributed to the downfall of India”, pointing to the 1500 years history of internal dissensions and selfish motive, that has plagued the nation despite of it consistently demonstrating its ample physical courage in vain.

Inspirations of Gandhi on Ahimsa

Vaishnavite Upbringing Gandhi being a Vaishnavite (Vishnu devotee) by birth, was taught Ahimsa in childhood. Vaishnavism believes that the first qualification of a devotee is Ahimsa. A devotee should be tolerant and should be very much compassionate towards others.

Inspirations of Gandhi on Ahimsa

Raja Chand Kavi (Shrimad Rajchandra 1867-1901) A Jain by birth, he was a prominent philosopher, poet and a scholar. After they were introduced to each other in Mumbai in 1891, Gandhi called him as a “refuge in moments of spiritual crisis”. He deeply influenced Gandhi’s views on Ahimsa.

Inspirations of Gandhi on Ahimsa

St. Francis of Assisi An Italian Catholic preacher, an epitome of compassion and mercy, he believed the duty of men is to protect and enjoy nature.

Gandhi exemplifies St Francis’ experience, that not even the snakes or other venomous reptiles bother to the ones who practise Ahimsa at the fullest. He finds this as the similarity between the Saint’s experience and the Shastra’s teachings.

Inspirations of Gandhi on Ahimsa

Theological Understanding Gandhi’s view on Ahimsa was shaped also as a result of cumulative influence and understanding of religious scriptures.

However, his interpretation was not dependent upon the authority of that scripture. He says he will not budge from his understanding even if he finds out that the conventional interpretation differs from what he believes.

Ahimsa

Ahimsa and its forms in brief

Negative Form Positive Form

Withdrawing a child from the harm of a wrong-doer.

Passive resisters of South Africa supporting the Union Govt. during crisis.

General Gordon.

The Moors.

King Ambarish.

Helpless girl finding more safety with the Ahimsa follower.

Negative Form of Ahimsa It means not injuring any living being, whether by body or mind.

Not bearing any ill-will to a wrongdoer or intention to hurt him or cause him mental suffering. This, however, does not cover suffering caused by natural acts which do not bear ill-will to the wrongdoer.

The proper practice of Ahimsa requires an intended victim to be withdrawn from the wrongdoer. For a child going to get struck by a tyrant, Negative Ahimsa does not prevent the child to be withdrawn from his presence.

This was shown by the passive resisters of South Africa, even as they resisted against the apartheid Union Government, helped them whenever needed (Boer Wars). Their resistance was of disobedience, even to the extent of suffering death in Government’s hand.

Black soldiers of South Africa supporting the Union Government in the two Boer Wars, despite of its inhumane racist policies. An example of Negative form of Ahimsa. (AFP)

Positive Form of Ahimsa Ahimsa in positive form, means the largest love, the greatest charity. A follower of Ahimsa

has to love his enemy, applying the same rule to a wrongdoer, as he would do to his wrongdoing son or father.

It is an active Ahimsa which requires truth and fearlessness.

“The Gift of life is the greatest of all gifts”. A man who gives this gift in reality, disarms all hostility and has paved the way for an honorable understanding. And this gift cannot be bestowed by a coward.

The practice of Ahimsa requires the greatest level of courage, it is the most soldierly of a soldier’s virtues.

General Gordon (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885)

General Charles Gordon was a British officer, who was killed, alongside his comrades and local inhabitants, in the Siege of Khartoum by Mahdist Sudan Forces led by Muhammad Ahmad, a self-proclaimed brutal Messiah.

He is generally represented holding just a stick in the face of the onslaught.

Gandhi however states that even a stick is not needed for protection by a true soldier, and is to that extent makes much of a less soldier.

King Ambarish

King Ambarish, a humble king and an ardent Vishnu devotee during Satya Yuga, he was bestowed with Sudarshan Chakra by Lord Vishnu. Lord Indra, had sent Sage Durvasa, one of the saptarishis who was short-tempered, to break the fast with King Ambarish.

As Ambarish waited for the Sage to come, he realized that the Sage was late and the auspicious time for breaking the fast was getting over, so he had a sip of water.

King Ambarish

This infuriated the Sage who tried to put a curse in the form of demon to kill him.

The Sudarshan Chakra killed demon and then charged towards the Sage, who after all the attempts with Gods had to finally ask for the King’s forgiveness.

Taking this as an example of “courage due to love”, Gandhi admires how the King stood his ground even as the Sage did his worst.

The Moors

Moors, the black Muslims of North Africa, who were always in conflict with the conquest of the white Europeans, rushed to their death as they were powdered by the French gunners with ‘Allah’ on their lips. This courage won them over their enemies, ending with truce with the conscience-stricken French forces.

Exemplifying their courage as a “courage of desperation”, Gandhi appreciates the Moorish valour, readiness to die which subdued the French gunners.

Ahimsa never barters away Honour

Gandhi believed that a helpless girl would be more secure in the hands of a follower of Ahimsa than the one who is prepared only to the point to which his weapons would carry him .

The tyrant, in the case of the armed defender, as per the generally accepted convention (“canon of propriety”) will simply have to walk to his victim over the dead body of the protector.

However, an Ahimsa follower will have matched his very soul to the mere body of the tyrant, making more odds that he would be overpowering the wrongdoer by touching his soul and thus having a greater chance in protecting the girl than any other imaginable circumstance – except for the strength of the girl herself.

Who cannot be a follower of Ahimsa

Gandhi reasons out that today we have failed, not because of lack of physical courage, but rather because of cowardice.

He states that a person can not be a follower of Mahavira, the apostle of Jainism, or of Buddha or of the Vedas, who flees away from the sight of a danger, all the while wishing that someone else would remove that danger by destroying the person causing it.

In other words, he highlights how cowardice, hypocrisy and bigotry can not allow a person to follow Ahimsa.

Who cannot be a follower of Ahimsa

In agreement with Lala Lajpat Rai, Gandhi firmly states that a man not giving a little thought before killing a fellow human for trivial things by deceiving him in trade does not deserve by any chance, to be called a follower of Ahimsa.

Sharply targeting hypocrisy and pseudo-righteousness, Gandhi gives examples of how hollow the claims of the people are, who protect a few cows but make away with butcher, or who in order to do a supposed good for the country don’t mind shedding the blood of a few officials.

All these actions are motivated by hatred, cowardice and fear; and so no matter what purpose do such people claim, they are doing nothing but simply trying to satisfy one’s vanity or soothe a stinging conscience.

Making our Land – The Abode of GodsConcluding the article, Gandhi firmly believes that Ahimsa is the remedy of all evil , be it

ordinary or extraordinary. It never can be ‘overdone’, particularly when we are not doing it at all.

Ahimsa does not displaces other virtues, rather requires those practices importantly before it can be practiced at fundamental level.

Gandhi asks Lala to not repulse the Ahimsa which has been practiced by his own ancestors, a Ahimsa of whom Mahavira and Buddha were soldiers and so were thinkers like Tolstoy.

They not only saw a deeper and truer meaning behind it, but also were able to lead a happy, honourable and godly life – something which we, if share the same ambition can make our land once again the abode of Gods.

References

oEnglish Language Text Phase- A.

oClassroom Notes.

oWikipedia.

oVaishnava Internet News Agency.

oDaily Mail UK.

oArchive of Mkgandhi.org

o Saint Peters Basilica.

o History Channel.

o Blog: Stories from Hindu Mythology.

oJainism.org