CMR UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF LEGAL STUDIES

RESEARCH PAPER
On

CONCEPT OF GHANDIAN CONCEPT OF SARVODAYA

POLITICAL SCIENCE-5

Submitted to Prof- Mrs.Tabbassum

Submitted By- Gautam Chinnappa
Registration Number-17BALB019
Second Year BALLB

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.NO CONTENTS PG.NO

1 Abstract 2
2 Introduction, Research questions 3
3 Drawbacks 6
4 Conclusion 7
5 References 8

ABSTRACT

“Of course, the last one’s uplift is included in the uplift of all, but in emphasizing the last, the object is that
work should begin from that end” has been rightly said by Vinobha Bhave. The 21st century is the period of
globalization. New financial approach of globalization proceeds onward to make the world a global village.
New difficulties and issues have risen before youth. The Faith or belief that all emergent problems such as
the - ecological, social, economic, political and moral-could be resolved by discoveries and technological
innovations persists. Gandhi set forward four fundamental objectives before youth for mankind, in order to
move towards humanity. These are Swaraj, Non-brutality, Swadeshi and Sarvodaya. The aim of this paper is
to know Gandhian theory of Sarvodaya for changing frame of mind of youth and mindful youth for their
rights and obligations.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 Whether Sarvodaya ideals are practicable and are they followed in this generation?
 Is there any relation between sarvodaya with socialism and communism?

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 INTRODUCTION

Most people in The Western World as indeed in India itself, will remember Mahatma Gandhi not for his
social reform movement but for his part in the emergence of India as an independent republic. And yet
Gandhi consistently preached and practised a particular way of life, pointing to a certain interpretation of the
ideal State, and showing the political techniques and the type of education necessary to give them effect.
The word ' Sarvodaya' is a compound Sanskrit world comprising ' SAVRO' (all) ' UDAYA' (rising) – means
all-round wellbeing or good for all. This 'all' included all human beings. The term Sarvodaya has been
variously interpreted as “the uplift of all”, “the greatest good of all”, “welfare to all”, “service to all”.
Sarvodaya is an idea, a concept, a wish, desire or aim and objective of humanity. Humanity is the basis of
Sarvodaya because it does not differentiate man from man.

According to Encyclopaedia of Social work in India. "Sarvodaya stands for a philosophy of life and a
programme of action which embraces many aspects of life, including the social, the economic and the
political. It aims at a complete transformation of the present social structure through quiet, constructive,
Social work carried on primarily at the village level, with a view to initiating a non-violent revolution and
establishing a more just social order."

The germs of Sarvodaya can be found in the ancient civilization of the world. Still as a Philosophical
doctrine, it has developed and is yet growing in the pious land of India. The development of Sarvodaya
movement is the development of the human race and its civilization.

Simple and High Thinking

Mahatma Gandhi was of the firm view that the earth gives enough to fulfil each man's needs, yet not for
each man's ravenousness. Mahatma Gandhi was of the firm view that the earth gives enough to fulfill each
man's needs, yet not for each man's ravenousness. In the Sarvodaya society of his fantasy, in this manner,
each part will be free from any eagerness for boundless securing of material riches and increasingly more
lavish living and they will pursue the proverb of straightforward living and high reasoning. Everybody will,
along these lines, get plentiful chance to deliver and gain adequately through legitimate work for tolerable
and honourable living. Thus, there will be no issue of joblessness. Obviously, clearly, salary of various
individuals might be extraordinary, contingent upon their ability, capacity and exertion. Be that as it may,
the individuals who will gain more will utilize the heft of their more prominent income for the benefit of the
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general public all in all. In such a general public, all riches, including land, will be accepted as normal
property to be used for the welfare of all. In the event that an individual has more than his proportionate bit,
he turns into a trustee of the overabundance riches to assist the less lucky individuals from the general
public. As regards the use of machines in economic activity Gandhi said that "In the event that we feel the
need of machines, we absolutely will have them. In any case, there ought to be no place for machines that
gather control in a couple of hands and transform the majority into insignificant machine-minders, assuming,
for sure, they don't make them jobless." In request, subsequently, to limit utilization of machines in a
Sarvodaya society, Gandhi firmly pushed that everybody should do some beneficial physical work in any
event to procure his/her day by day bread as was likewise upheld by Leo Tolstoy " the incomparable
Russian mastermind and essayist and everybody ought to maintain the poise of work regardless of the kind
of legitimate work performed by an individual.

Main Features of Sarvodaya

Trusteeship

The theory of trusteeship, elimination of exploitation in every shape or form; a classless society which
offers no privileges by the birth or wealth or talent; mutual cooperation being the driving force of motivation
and behaviour; and above all, securing the welfare of all without any distinction of race, religion, sex,
political affiliation: these may be said to be the highlights of the Sarvodaya society envisioned by the
Mahatma. Sarvodaya is the utilization of the guideline of non-violence in the change of social orders: from
their present structures which are generally exploitative of and ominous to the disadvantaged, toward more
balanced, inclusive and comprehensive forms in which can be revered the rule of social equity for all.

Economic Equality

According to Gandhi economic equality is the master key to non-violent transformation ARY independence.
Working for economic equality means abolishing the eternal conflict between capital and labour. A non-
violent system of government is clearly and impossibly so long as the wide gulf between the rich and the
hungry millions persists. The most disadvantaged sections of the community being the economically, the
physically and the mentally poor, it is obvious that no egalitarian society could evolve without the poor
taking part in the evolutionary process. And for this sector to take part, focus must be put on raising their
status to an acceptably decent level. However, as it should be for all the other sectors of society, if an

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acceptable level of existence is to be reached and maintained for the disadvantaged sector, it is imperative
that it should be self-sustainable through their participation in their own management.

Sarvodaya Network

Sarvodaya Network During his lifetime, Gandhi never allowed Sarvodaya organisations to be formally
instituted. His thinking was that once you served people, as ‘sevakas,’ within the Sarvodaya philosophy
there was no need for institutionalization. But since his demise Sarvodaya organisations have been
established world-wide genuinely helping people towards building new societies from the ‘grassroots’ up.
At the operational field level, the most successful Sarvodaya programmes have most often been those which,
apart from being self-created and self-managed, have employed practical hands-on-learning-by-doing
methods, including a lot of income generation, skills training and conscientisation; rather than the theoretical
‘talk-shop’ or workshop approach.

Gandhian concept of Sarvodaya is both social and political in nature. It is not easy to distinguish both. For
Gandhi politics was a means to social change and social transformation. Therefore, all his political agendas,
principles and movements were social in nature. The main pillars of Gandhian political philosophy are
philosophical anarchism, party less democracy and decentralization.

Philosophical Anarchism

In political struggles we find the causal role of ruthless competition for power and dominance. In such
dangerous games of politics, we can discover at the action of the fundamental urge for domination over
others and the working of an elementary rule that if one person renounces the attempt for obtaining power,
others will begin to dominate over him. Sarvodaya accepts the sacrosanct character of the human spirit.
Hence, it is emphatic on the inculcation of the values of freedom, equality, justice and fraternity. Thus, it is
opposed to the state machine. In most cases the state operates by methods of intimidation, coercion,
persecution and organized violence. Gandhi wanted that swarjaya should be based on the moral sovereignty
of the people.

Party less Democracy

The activities and operations of the political parties in modern states become mainly oriented to the ruthless
pursuit of power. Even in democracies, in spite of the theoretical adherence to the principles of the basis of
government, in actual practice, there is the domination of the all-powerful parties. Consequently, there are
no occasions for the continuous dynamic political initiative of the masses and for the sovereign exercise of
that general will of the community conceived. Sarvodaya is definitely hostile to the mechanism of

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representative democracy which amounts in actual practice to the dictatorship of the cabinet and the party
oligarchy. Hence Sarvodaya advocates party less democracy.

Decentralization (Ramarajaya)

In place of the ever-growing centralization of power Sarvodaya pleads for decentralization. Gandhi was
hostile to all types of concentration of power and he pleaded for decentralization at the economic and
political levels. What is essential is that the people should be trained and disciplined into the management
and control of their own affairs. These workers should behave as the brethren of the people and not their
rulers and educate the people through tier co-operative solicitude. The advocates of Sarvodaya are quite
correct in holding that if genuine self-government or real democracy is practised at the village level, then
that would be the greatest bulwark against any totalitarian encroachment. Sarvodaya accepts the
universalization of self-government. This means the activization of the people for vigilant and active
participation in cooperative action. If the officials at the top are liable to perversity and corruption, it is
equally essential to guard effectively against the corruption of the workers and petty officials at the level of
the villages. Sarvodaya wants to elevate the people. Hence the people and not the central parliament of
cabinet have to become the focus of political attention.

Sarvodaya and socialism

Sarvodaya is closely related to socialism in some respect. First of all, both derived their profound moral
appeal from their rootedness in the fundamental belief in the good of the whole community in place of the
narrow pursuit of the interests of the oligarchical minority of plutocrats. Secondly, both stress that there
should be a social appropriation and equitable distribution of the goods of society. But in spite of some
fundamental similarities between socialism and Sarvodaya, there is great difference between them on the
question of means and methods. The Sarvodaya concept has also specified that for achieving good ends we
should adopt only good means. The good means here represent the path of love, truth and non-violence. The
Sarvodaya workers and all those who have faith in the concept of Sarvodaya, should have clarity about their
goal and should ensure the purity of means. One has to be vigilant about the ends and means. From the
standpoint of Sarvodaya there are two shortcomings in the socialist philosophy. First, the basic technic for
effectuating socialism is supposed to be nationalization whereas Sarvodaya holds villagism. Secondly,
socialism adheres, at least in some cases, to the concept of violent revolution.

Communism and Sarvodaya

Sarvodaya is more or less different from communism in its approach and methods. The difference between
Sarvodaya and communism is far more basic and fundamental. Communism in Russia is a totalitarian
system wedded to the cult of regimentation, violence and party dictatorship. Its all-pervasive aim has been
the transformation of a backward feudal agrarian economy into a modern industrial-collectivist economy

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and this immense transformation has been sought to be achieved by the revival, in more intensified forms.
Sarvodaya, on the contrary, believes in persuasion and change of heart. Gandhi has taught the ethics of self-
suffering to convert the opponent because violence can never be the foundation of a just and equal society.
A society of liberty and equality cannot be built by the capture of state power by a monolithic totalitarian
party. Sarvodaya, hence, is intensely and trenchantly critical of the methods and techniques of Russian
communism.

Drawbacks of Gandhian Sarvodaya

Sarvodaya is a concept which is rich in insight and ideology. However, many consider it as utopian as many
of the things are not very easy to put into practice. Sarvodaya emphatically pleads for small communities.
But it has some practical difficulties in the modern civilization. For instance, if we want the country to be
strong and able to protest itself against the deprivation of the neighbours, we have to industrialize. The pace
of industrialization will be determined by the competitive march of other powers in the race of industrial and
military supremacy. Also, it is true that the growth of factionalism and partisanship is one of the greatest
evils of democracy. But it does not seem possible to abolish parties. It is good to abolish partisanship and
not parties.

CONCLUSION

The Gandhian world-view is spiritually deterministic and ethically planned. The basis of sarvodaya being
spiritual, the means for achieving social order is also spiritual and philosophy such as this implies a living
faith in the one ultimate reality that pervades all. The overall transformation of the entire mankind at all
levels of human existence is the goal of sarvodaya ideology. As an ideology sarvodaya is flexible as it
assimilates all that is good in different political, economic and social ideologies. For example, it takes the
best from democracy and communism and forms what may be called sarvodaya socialism. One finds an
organic unity in the whole of sarvodaya philosophy. Its metaphysical fundamentals from the basis of its
ethical principle which again are the bed rock of the sarvodaya social and political structure. Everyone wants
peace and at the same time social progress cannot be achieved without change. Sarvodaya ideology talks of
the possibility of a peaceful, non-violent revolution. Non-violence is accepted but scientific progress is not
sacrificed. Practising sarvodaya ideals is not an easy task, hence are difficult to practise. As all the ideals
that sarvodaya has are of high moral principles, it is very difficult to find fault with them. It is not easy but
also not an impossible task to form a society based on the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. It is doubtful

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whether the concept of sarvodaya can be largely practised by a great number of people. Features like
decentralization have been implemented and are still in force, which helps in reaching out to the inner
community. As the government at the centre and state cannot always handle the problems of all the people
in the nook and corner of the country. Whereas at the same time having a party less democracy is very
difficult. It is also very difficult to convince the richer sections of the society to contribute all their profits to
the welfare of the society so that all men are equal. We are at a stage in the world where everyone cars only
about themselves and their own needs. It is difficult to practise the principles of sarvodaya in today’s world,
as we have to bring a change in the minds and heart of the youth who is becoming materialistic and selfish
by day. Hence the concept of sarvodaya is seen very less or almost very meagrely in today’s modern word.

REFERENCES

 Ibid.
 B.K. Gokhale: Political Science (Theory & Govt. Machinery); Himalaya Publishing House
 J.C. Kumrappa: Economy of Performance’s Seva Sangha Prakashan,Rajghat;sixth Edition 1997
 . K. Gokhale: Political Science (Theory & Govt. Machinery); Himalaya Publishing House
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarvodaya
 https://www.sarvodaya.org/2003/12/12/peace-and-justice-for-all
 http://www.indusedu.org/pdfs/IJREISS/Relevance-of-Gandhian-Philosophy.pdf