Gandhian Satyagraha Research Articles

The veil of resistance in Shaheen Bagh: Muslim women’s activism and the differential solidarity networks

ABSTRACT This paper seeks to comprehensively examine the complex dynamics surrounding the protests of Muslim women at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India. It emphasizes the emergence of distinct forms of solidarity among this unassuming group of women and underscores the significance of their collective action in challenging prevailing narratives within South Asian feminist discourse. The paper posits the CAA protests as emblematic of the evolving interplay between digital platforms, grassroots activism, and scholarly dialogue in contemporary South Asia. Furthermore, the paper elucidates how the modalities of resistance in South Asian revolutionary politics diverge from the traditional binary framework of Gandhian Satyagraha and radical leftist revolutionary strategies. The protests which also interweaved Dalit Ambedkarite politics, digital hashtag movements, counter-ableist politics also exemplified the ways in which identity politics in South Asia could be reconfigured in terms of a differential paradigm. The paper explores how the protests at Shaheen Bagh exemplify a nuanced approach to resistance that transcends simplistic categorizations, thereby contributing to a reconfiguration of established paradigms in the region's political discourse. This analysis underscores the complex interplay between diverse ideological currents and grassroots mobilization, illuminating the evolving landscape of resistance within South Asia's socio-political context.

Satyagraha After Cancel Gandhi: Race and Caste through Labor and Architecture, C. 1896-1942

In the early twentieth century M.K. Gandhi articulated Satyagraha as a decentering quest for truth through everyday politics. Satyagraha privileged the “minor” or the marginalized over the dominant and everydayness and dwelling over history. In light of the contemporary criticisms of Gandhi, this paper examines Gandhian Satyagraha as a minor force that may hold him accountable for his entrenchment within dominant race and caste relations. The paper is divided into three sections devoted to “minor” matters of dwelling and ordinariness. I begin with an examination of Gandhi’s politics through race and labor in South Africa, between 1896 and 1905. To understand Gandhi’s racism in South Africa it is necessary to pay attention to his marginalization of social and legal narratives related to labor, agriculture, rent and places of habitation such as the hut. I then foreground Gandhi’s marginalization of architecture in his discourses around Akash (the sky) and his body in 1932 and in 1942 during his incarcerations in Pune. Finally, I focus on the architecture of the huts built for him in Wardha in 1936–37 and the conflict that emerges between his conception of the social reproduction of labor as a minor voice within the self and his embrace of caste through varnashramadharma.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Paradigm of Peaceful Conflict Resolution: A Critical Assessment

Human life frequently involves conflict, yet man has also tried to resolve conflicts practically since the dawn of time. Conflict can be resolved in one of two ways: violently or nonviolently. Humans always have to decide whether to use violence or nonviolent means to settle disputes. Gandhi is remembered for his decision to choose Satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance, to resolve disagreements. Many scholars and individuals have described the nonviolent approach to settling problems both before and after Gandhi, but Gandhi was the one who not only spoke and wrote a great deal about it, but also exemplified it in his thoughts, words, and deeds. Through the assistance of a mediator, the modern Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) movement has developed a mechanism meant to prevent litigation and give parties to disagreements some degree of control over how they are resolved in a Gandhian spirit. The goal of the essay is to reexamine ADR from a Gandhian standpoint and show how Gandhian satyagraha and ADR techniques are related. Gandhi advocated for out-of-court settlements in numerous situations during his career and in public. Therefore, he might be referred to as the founder of ADR in India.

Gandhi and the Global Satyagraha

It is a common view to say that satyagraha was conducted by a person like Gandhi who was brought up in a cultural setting familiar with the concept of self-suffering and non-violence. But it would be a mistake to judge the Gandhian satyagraha in terms of cultural background. The recent global history of non-violent action has shown us clearly that satyagraha is a seed that can grow and flourish in other cultures and religions as well. Among the followers of Gandhi in the twentieth century who successfully launched their own satyagraha against racial, religious and economic injustice and struggled for human rights are names such as Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Lech Walesa, Vaclav Havel, Benigno Aquino and Aung San Suu Kyi. The trans-Indian experience of satyagraha assumes that non-violence in its broadest sense remains exemplary as a political action and is transferable as a human experience from one tradition of thought to another, making it universally applicable as a method of action.

Sudhandhira Sangu: The Torch Bearer of Gandhian Satyagraha Movement in Colonial Tamilnadu,1930–1934

Sudhandhira Sangu: The Torch Bearer of Gandhian Satyagraha Movement in Colonial Tamilnadu,1930–1934

Women, Press and the Gandhian Satyagraha Movements in Tamil Nadu, 1920–1947

Gandhi believed that their mental courage and spiritual determination bettered that of men which were the essential rudiments of the Satyagraha. The Nationalist movement of Gandhi was not merely a political struggle but a means of regenerating and rejuvenating society. He encouraged women to participate in all aspects and phases of nationalist movement particularly in the constructive programmes. The press not only in Tamilnadu but all over India served as mediator between Gandhi and masses. His charisma and call brought large number of enthusiastic women into the national movement.

'Gandhi' I.B.Arangasamy Raja - An Apostle of Gandhian Satyagraha in Rajapalayam 1886-1950

The nineteenth century was a period of nationalist upsurges in many countries of the world. India was not an exception. Beginning as it did with a demand for a share in power, the freedom, movement in India assumed the role of a full-fledged struggle for full freedom. In this chapter we will see how the land of the Rajus-Rajapalayam-played its part in the freedom movement by prolong the life and mission of L.B. Arangasamy Raja. The people of Rajapalayam conferred the title 'Gandhi' to him for his dedication and involvement in the Gandhian Satyagraha Movements.

Gandhian Satyagraha Movement: The Political Control of the British at Rajapalayam, 1920-1947

Rajapalayam thus played a prominent role in the nation's struggle for independence. This small town produced leaders of great standing who worked with determination to spread the Gandhian ideology. This proved the point that they had the capacity to fulfill the aims and objectives of the Congress. The popularity of the Khaddar movement testifies to the point. Further, the success of any movement depends upon the nature of volunteers. Rajapalayam had many congress volunteers who were known for their devotion. It might be a call to boycott foreign goods or an appeal to picket toddy shops or a suggestion to violate anti-people law, the congress workers of Rajapalayam whole heartedly extended their support to the same. Another salient feature of the movement in Rajapalayam was that the Congress workers fought unitedly and there was not a semblance of caste or communal politics. Thus Rajapalayam produced men of high polish who toiled with determination to attain the goal of Purna Swaraj. The leaders like P.S. Kumarasamy Raja, who became the Premier of Madras Presidency and I.B.Arangasamy Raja were fortunate to have a band of dedicated volunteers who worked with conviction to transform the ideal of Purna Swaraj into reality.

Young Protest: The Idea of Merit in Commercial Hindi Cinema

This article depicts the closing of the distance between a rational public sphere and popular Hindi cinema in view of a spurt of youth-related Hindi films in the 2000s, especially Rang de basanti (2006). Rang de basanti is taken as the starting point for a discussion of the idea of politics deployed in and through Hindi cinema. The film provides an eclectic mishmash of Gandhian satyagraha and revolutionary rhetoric, a combination that resonates ironically within a neoliberal educational imagination. The media-orchestrated response of the avowedly apolitical, but staunchly antireservationist, upper-caste students' group Youth for Equality (YFE), which emerged as a direct offshoot of the film, definitely echoes this. However, the YFE's investment in academic capital and merit has deep roots in the discredited popular Hindi cinema of yore. This essay argues that the YFE's overture to politics flows from a dawning realization that the mainstream political sphere no longer shares its concept of merit, since a new political consensus about reservations is now apparent even in the most Brahmanic and right-wing of established political parties. The essay then attempts to come to terms with how the YFE class goes about adjusting to the new playing field of cultural politics. Finally, it tries to place the role of education and student politics in a broad historical perspective, exposing the links of the contemporary public sphere to a more privatized and subterranean location in Bombay films.

Decolonising Knowledge Production: The Pedagogic Relevance of Gandhian Satyagraha to Schooling and Education in Ghana

In this article, I examine how Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non ‐ violent resistance (Satyagraha) can be applied to decolonize schooling and education practices in Ghana. Satyagraha consists of three fundamental elements: appeal to the oppressor, non ‐ cooperation, and civil disobedience. Part of an anti ‐ racist and anti ‐ colonial dis ‐ course, Satyagraha is a strategy, epistemology, and methodology for creating spaces for inclusion of Ghanaian Indigenous knowledge and worldview in school curricula and pedagogy. This article is also informed by my lived experiences and observations as an Indigenous student from Ghana. I conclude the article with a discussion of the benefits and dangers inherent in such transformative work. Key words: anti ‐ racism, anti ‐ colonial, non ‐ violence, spirituality Dans cet article, l’auteur montre comment la philosophie de non ‐ violence (satyagraha) de Gandhi peut etre mise a profit pour decoloniser l’ecole et les pratiques pedagogiques au Ghana. Le satyagraha comprend trois elements essentiels : l’appel a l’oppresseur, la non ‐ cooperation et la desobeissance civile. Partie integrante d’un discours antiraciste et anticolonial, le satyagraha est une strategie, une epistemologie et une methodologie visant a creer des espaces pour l’inclusion d’une vision du monde et d’un savoir proprement ghaneens quant aux programmes scolaires et a la pedagogie. Cet article repose aussi sur l’experience personnelle et les observations de l’auteur en tant qu’etudiant ghaneen. L’article se termine par une discussion des bienfaits et des dangers inherents a un tel travail de transformation. Mots cles : antiracisme, anti ‐ colonial, non ‐ violence, spiritualite

Gender and the Historiography of Gandhian Satyagraha in South Africa

Gender & HistoryVolume 18, Issue 1 p. 130-149 Gender and the Historiography of Gandhian Satyagraha in South Africa Radhika Mongia, Radhika Mongia University of CaliforniaSearch for more papers by this author Radhika Mongia, Radhika Mongia University of CaliforniaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 17 November 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0424.2006.00418.xCitations: 9Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume18, Issue1April 2006Pages 130-149 RelatedInformation

Violence and Non-Violence in Conflict Resolution: Some Theological Reflections

Christian thought on the resolution of conflicts rests on a strong predisposition against violence and a determination to discourage outbreaks of violence, limit the means used, and bring the conflict to as speedy an end as possible. Less attention has been given to the psychological and social roots of violence, the moments of transition from violence to diplomacy and reconciliation, and alternative ways of conflict resolution. These three areas are explored with special reference to the use of sanctions, the WCC’s Programme to Overcome Violence, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, Gandhian Satyagraha, and the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Such measures should be judged against the same criteria as are used in relation to violence and war.

Gandhian Philosophy, Conflict Resolution Theory and Practical Approaches to Negotiation

It is puzzling that links between Gandhian social philosophy and recent conflict resolution/negotiation literature, especially given the latter's Gandhian `flavour', have received so little scholarly attention. While there seems to be no direct causal link between the two bodies of knowledge, conflict resolution literature in the guise of modern problem-solving and win-win (as opposed to power-based and zerosum) approaches leading to integrative conflict resolution (as opposed to mere compromise and distributive outcomes) strongly echoes Gandhi's own writings and the analyses of some Gandhi scholars. This is especially true in the case of non-mainstream writings that see conflict resolution techniques as potentially being about more than the solution of immediate problems, that see a broader personal and societal transformation as the ultimate goal. This article explores these connections and argues that Gandhian satyagraha should be squarely located within conflict resolution discourse.

Search for an Appropriate Game Model for Gandhian Satyagraha

Among different forms of 'nonviolent direct action', an extensive taxonomy for which has been provided by Gene Sharp (1959), Gandhian satyagraha occupies a unique place. This is due to both historical and substantive reasons. A factor analysis of the ingredients of different forms of nonviolent direct action (Chatterjee and Bhattacharjee 1971) shows that satygraha has high loading on Factor III which the authors identify as 'something like active principled striving toward total transformation' of the individual, group, community, or state. Satyagraha has second highest loading on Factor I, identified as 'some sort of absolutist stand toward moral-ethical commitment to nonviolence'. This emphasis on total transformation, on dynamism, and on unswerving commitment to nonviolence may have contributed to some of its success in historical reckoning. First Gandhi and then Martin Luther King have demonstrated the value of nonviolent satyagraha as an effective weapon for correcting untenable positions, when obtaining redress through constitutional means is slow, difficult, or beset with hurdles. In recent times social scientists have started taking an interest in analyzing the processes underlying satyagraha. Some members of the 'strategic community' who utilize approaches from game theory, decision theory, and general systems theory in elucidating complex social processes have also tried to apply such methods for a deeper understanding of the satyagraha process. The present paper, while reviewing some of these attempts to analyze the strategic aspects of satyagraha, seeks to show that more sophisticated effort is required for finding the most appropriate game model for Gandhian satyagraha. Some of the observations will be supported with empirical evidence, collected by the author, on a series of three satyagrahas resorted to by a group of encroachers in a government grazing reserve in Angarkata in north-eastern Assam. A brief account of the three Angarkata satyagrahas is given in the Appendix. For a fuller account, the reader may refer to a report by Chatterjee and Sudarshan Kumari (1969); a short journalistic rendering has been published by Chatterjee (1970).