INTRODUCTION

The technique of satyagraha can be described as the most potent legacy that India
inherited from Gandhi. Gandhi was a well-known Indian freedom fighter.
Satyagraha was Gandhi’s political philosophy.

It was his technique of nonviolent activism. The term can be translated, for
example, as passive resistance, non-violent resistance, non-violent direct action,
and militant nonviolence. The philosophy of satyagraha is centered on the
foundations of nonviolent action and resistance. It is a technique of social change
that can be successfully applied in all forms of social and political conflict.

Satyagraha is a form of applied sociopolitical action consisting of a series of

methods that employ a type of force that is different from conventional violent
action. It is highly effective in effecting change through moral coercion and
persuasion. A variety of nonviolent techniques are adopted by satyagraha
practitioners including civil disobedience, economic boycotts, and varying forms
of strikes. The entire procedure is carefully planned, prepared, and executed
depending on the dispute, the involved parties, and the final consequences. It
possesses the capacity to force change against a totalitarian regime and be an
effective and perhaps the only possible alternative . . open to oppressed people.
Satyagraha, with its nonviolent approach and its innovative and original concepts
rooted in morally and ethically based psychological manipulative powers, has
immense potential in the field of management and in the areas of conflict
management and labor relations.

The Philosophy of Satyagraha

The concept of satyagraha lies in the beliefs and philosophies of Gandhi >a pioneer
in leading eight militant struggles against racism, against colonialism . for popular
democratic participation, against economic exploitation, against the degradation of
women, against religious and ethnic supremacy, and on behalf of nonviolent
methods for social and political transformations. The basic essence of satyagraha is
firm adherence to the principles of truth, nonviolence, and suffering.

Truth: Truth can be defined as the right path and therefore powerful and
persuasive. There is no greater duty than adherence to. But the search for truth is a
continuous process. Man/woman is not capable of completely understanding or
interpreting the meaning of truth in its absolute form. Truth could have different
meanings to different people. It could be interpreted differently by different people.
This emphasizes the need for man/woman to be open regarding the meaning of
truth and its numerous interpretations. The path of truth leads to justice. Justice
requires that the adversary’s views and requirements be given due consideration.
An effort should be made to be empathetic and understanding with regard to the
viewpoint of the adversary. Justice requires that the final agreement should be
acceptable to all concerned.
Nonviolence. Nonviolence could be considered as a path toward the realization of
truth. without ahimsa [nonviolence] it is not possible to seek and find Truth.
Ahimsa and Truth are so intertwined that it is practically impossible to disentangle
and separate them. Ahimsa is the method to seek the path of truth. If one follows
the concepts and techniques of nonviolence, s/he is bound to discover truth and
emerge victorious while keeping within ethical boundaries. Nonviolence means
not only complete abstention from all physical, mental, and emotional injury to
others but also cleansing oneself of all hatred and desire for revenge. One has to
hate and confront evil but this should be done without conforming to any violent
means. In fact, nonviolence always seeks to propose mutually acceptable
agreements without any form of humiliation or manipulation of power over the
opponent. It is a program for transformation of relationships ending in a peaceful
transfer of power

Self-Suffering. The third fundamental rule of satyagraha is self-suffering.

Nonviolence requires the victim to undergo suffering. And the mere fact that the
victim willingly and consciously endures suffering does not mean she/he is
submitting to the will and might of the opponent. Instead it means pitting one’s
whole soul against the will of the tyrant. Self-suffering in satyagraha is directed
toward the moral persuasion of the opponent. Self-suffering means voluntary
injury to the self to persuade the opponent to become empathetic to the sufferer’s
situation and concerns.

The three elements in Satyagraha. The three elements, truth, nonviolence, and suffering, come
together to explain the technique of satyagraha. An individual is interested in seeking and
discovering the path of truth. The term truth is relative, that is, it is judged in terms of human
needs. The discovery of truth leads to differences of opinion, which is the focal point of the
strategy of satyagraha. Conflicts, according to satyagraha, can be resolved using nonviolent
action. Nonviolent action is based on the concept of refusing to harm the other opponent and
also undergoing self-suffering to morally persuade the opponent to allow justice to be done. As
Bondurant explicitly explains: Truth leads to an ethical humanism. It follows that ahimsa (non-
violence) which includes the concept of love, leads in turn to social science. Self-suffering . . to
demonstrate sincerity . . implies sacrifice and preparation.
SATYAGRAHA IN ACTION

A satyagraha campaign would usually adhere to certain fundamental rules:

1- Self-reliance: A satyagraha campaign should never accept outside aid (at least,
not count on it). It should be completely independent.
2- Initiative: Satyagrahis> ( people who adopt the philosophy and strategy of
satyagraha) should continuously assess the situation and initiate pressure through
the tactic of passive resistance, to take the movement forward.
3- Propagation of the campaign’s objectives, agendas, and goals: Satyagrahis
should continuously educate the opponent, the public, and the participants in the
campaign about the overall goals and objectives of the campaign.
4- Reduction of demands to minimize deviation from truth:
Satyagrahis are required to continuously reassess the situation to adjust and
minimize demands as much as possible.
5- Advancement of the movement: The satyagraha campaign should be analyzed
at each stage in the light of ever-changing circumstances, and modifications
should be made as required.
6- Examination of weaknesses: Satyagrahis should maintain morale and discipline
within the group and minimize any development of impatience, aggression, or
negative and violent attitudes.
7- Search for avenues of cooperation: Satyagrahis should make every possible
effort to persuade their opponent through demonstrations of sincerity, honesty,
and self-suffering.
8- Refusal to bargain: Satyagraha does not believe in compromise with regard to
predetermined agendas and goals. There should be no deviation from the path of
truth. Satyagrahis should not engage in bargaining or barter (Bondurant, 1965).
9- Code of discipline: A code of conduct was developed by Gandhi for his
followers during the 1930 campaign:
>All satyagrahis had to willingly suffer the anger of the opponent
without any retaliation.
>All satyagrahis had to refrain from obeying any orders from the opponent even
when threatened with severe punishment.
>All satyagrahis had to refrain from insults and swearing. They also
had to protect opponents from insults or attacks even when the satyagrahis’ lives
were at risk.
>All satyagrahis were required not to resist arrest nor to resist the attachment of
property unless they were holding the property as trustees. They were also
expected to refuse to surrender any property held in trust even at the risk of their
lives.
>All satyagrahis were expected to behave in an exemplary manner when taken as
prisoners.
>As members of a satyagraha unit, all satyagrahis were required to obey the
orders of their leaders and resign from the unit if any serious disagreement arose.
They were required to be prepared not to expect any guarantees for the
maintenance of their dependents.

Steps in a Satyagraha Campaign

A satyagraha campaign usually follows a sequential order of stages. These stages
are applicable to any movement of grievance against an established political
system. The stages can also be adapted to other conflict situations as needed

1. Negotiation and arbitration: Every effort should be taken to resolve the

conflict or grievances through normal established channels before proceeding
further. The preliminary action should be centered on activities that minimize the
risk of conflicts or crises occurring. Satyagrahis should show that direct action will
be their last and final weapon. They will use it only when no other course of
action is available. The first stage of satyagraha includes exploring various
legislative channels, entering into negotiations with the opponents, sending
deputations consisting of influential and notable citizens to persuade the opposite
side, and seeking assistance through arbitration carried out by a third party
acceptable to both the disputants. When all avenues fail, the satyagrahis should
move toward the stage of nonviolent direct action.

2. Direct action: On recognizing that a conflict situation cannot be resolved by the

methods of the first stage, participants are required to carefully assess the
circumstances, their opponents, the climate of public opinion, the group’s
capacity for self-discipline, and so forth.

3. Agitation: In this stage, the satyagrahis seek the support of the people who are
most affected by the dispute. The objective now is to generate cause consciousness
among all the affected groups. This stage includes action by the participants
against the opponents taking the form of demonstrations, slogan shouting,
boycotts, mass meetings, and strikes. Pamphlets, books, and papers explaining the
reason for the dispute, its implications, and its consequences are circulated and
distributed. Media such as radio, cinema, and television are used as instruments of
mass propaganda to publicize speeches, group meetings, debates, and discussions.
The main objective is to gain widespread interest in the issue from a sympathetic
population so as to influence the decisions of the opponents.

4. Ultimatum: When no agreement is in the offing, satyagrahis are required to

issue an ultimatum to the opponent. An ultimatum offers a constructive solution to
the problem, contains no offensive language, and is broad and flexible in terms of
wording. The leader, with the consent of the group, clearly lists the demands of the
group, which need to be met within a specific time. An ultimatum amounts to a
conditional declaration of war. The aim is to force the issue on the opponent and
threaten direct action if it is ignored or not settled.

5. Self-purification: The satyagrahis now move toward the technique of

compulsive force. They begin their revolutionary strategy with self- purification.
Fasting and public prayers and the refusal of lucrative government posts,
luxurious articles and products, and intoxicating drinks and drugs are notable
examples of self-purification. The idea is to emphasize the concept of self-sacrifice
and suffering in order to morally persuade the opponent, embarrass him/her, and
pressurize him/her toward a just settlement of the dispute.

6. Types of resistance: Resistance takes the form of picketing, dhurnas (sit-down

strikes), slow-down strikes, and all nonviolent forms of general large-scale strikes.
Strikes are labor’s instrument to make the employer accede to labor’s demands
for a desired standard of treatment or living. A strike means abstention from work
till the opponent accedes to the demands of the satyagrahis. Strikes are usually
accompanied by continued education of the public about the cause of the
conflict. Picketing is a natural consequence of strikes. Picketing involves an appeal
to the public to withdraw its patronage from certain shops, concerns, and
businesses. Large-scale rallies are held to openly inspire members of the public
and persuade them with powerful arguments to disown certain groups, councils,
and businesses. A dhurna is a type of sit-down strike that was very popular in
ancient India. It involves large groups of people blocking roadways, passage-
ways, entrances to mills, and entrances to company buildings and causing
inconvenience unless their demands are met. This may take dramatic forms such
as people stretching themselves flat on the ground and requesting officials to
tread on their bodies to enter their places of work. Dhurna, the technique of sitting
down to demonstrate, has proved itself to be a powerful technique of manipulation of the public.

7. Economic boycott and noncooperation: This takes the form of nonpayment of taxes, boycotting of schools
and offices, ostracism, and voluntary exile. Such forms of behavior result in the arrest of satyagrahis, the
confiscation of land plots and leases, the confiscation of property and bank amounts, shoot at sight orders,
and so on. Satyagrahis in face of these forms of oppression are pledged to receive all penalties without
retaliation. They
are to suffer in silence. Such suffering usually generates sympathy from community members and officials
and compels them to reciprocate by being unable to continue with the reign of terror. This automatically
breaks down the momentum of the opposition. Because without individuals, there are no groups and
systems to punish the satyagrahis, and this shatters the opponents’ system.
Another strategy, known as hizrat, is an offshoot of no-tax campaigns. In this case, rather than retaliate, the
oppressed group migrates to adjoining territories. Hizrat is an effective means to neutralize the power of the
opponent as it is impossible to govern and punish when there is no one to be governed.
Ostracism or social boycott is a further weapon, where the community completely boycotts those individuals
who refuse to join the general pro- gram of noncooperation with the opponent. The satyagrahis treat those
community members as political pariahs with whom one should avoid any form of social intercourse.

8. Civil disobedience: Laws central to the function of the government that are symbolic of or relevant to the
grievance are boycotted or not obeyed by the satyagrahis. By this refusal to obey the laws and statutes of the
state, the importance and influence of the government is destroyed. Also, disobeying unjust statutes and
bringing people’s attention to that fact assists in generating public sympathy and support. No government
will allow deliberate disobedience or breach of its laws. Civil disobedience is usually met on the part of the
government with the arrest and imprisonment of the law breakers. The satyagrahis, by failing to respond
with violence and by willingly submitting to punishment, will baffle their opponents. Jails and detention
camps will end up overflowing with inmates, thereby neutralizing the coercive agencies of the state. Non-
violent resistance acts as a moral jiu-jitsu. Then the non-violence and goodwill of the victim act like the lack of
physical opposition by the user of the physical jiu-jitsu, to cause the attacker to lose his moral balance. He
[sic] suddenly and unexpectedly loses the moral support which the usual violent resistance of most victims
would render him The opponent’s conscience starts bothering him/her, leading to disgust and the cessation
of violent actions and activities. For instance, as demonstrated in a 1930 campaign by Gandhi in India:

9. Assertive satyagraha and parallel government: In this final stage, satyagrahis should make an effort to
take over or replicate governmental functioning with the support and cooperation of the public. In the final
stage of the campaign, the satyagrahis should gradually take over the functions of the opponent’s government.
They should make an effort to replicate governmental functioning. They should establish a “new sovereignty
by replacing the established order. Parallel government is the community’s act of taking over all the functions
of the tottering government . .squeezing the established order out of existence This has so far never been tried
in practice. But logically it is the final stage of a successful satyagraha campaign.

The nature and type of a satyagraha campaign are determined by the nature of the circumstances and the
conflict itself. They are also dependent upon issues of leadership, levels of commitment and discipline, and
capacity to adapt the principles, procedures, and philosophy of satyagraha to the specific situation. An analysis
of two historic satyagraha campaigns in India is undertaken next, to clarify and provide insights into the
strategies, techniques, and rules of an effective satyagraha campaign to resolve conflicts and avoid any
potential forms of weakness.
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