Mahatma Gandhi: A Federal

Perspective
M K Gandhi (1869-1948)

• People of India bestowed MK Gandhi as Mahatma and whom they

regarded as “the father of the nation”
• Gandhi is not a systematic philosopher of the academic field or a
sophisticated administrative theorizer.
• But certainly, he has laid stress on some basic principles of the
reconstruction of society and politics, and public management.
Cont.
• He was highly influenced by western thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle,
Ruskin, Tolstoy and the greatest spiritual leaders like Buddha,
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda, as well as the philosophy
contained in the Vedas, the Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads and
Ramayana.
• Gandhi thought combines influences of west as well as the east,
traditional as well as modern ideas and individualism as well as
collectivism.
 Mohandas Gandhi
• Studied law in England, practiced in
South Africa
• Joined the INC before WWI
• Became leader of the INC because he
was better able to relate to the
problems of the common people
• Believed in the idea of non-violent
resistance (Satyagraha)
Gandhi’s major works
• CONSTUCTIVE PROGRAMME: Its meaning and place
• HINDU DHARMA
• BASIC EDUCATION
• AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OR THE STORY OF MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH
• BUILDING OUR VILLAGES
• HIND SWARAJ OR INDIAN HOME RULE
• NON-VIOLENT WAY TO WOLD PEACE
• VILLAGE INDUSTRIES
• THEORY OF TRUSTEESHIP
• THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI
 FOUNDATIONS OF GANDHIAN THOUGHT

• RELIGIOUS FOUNDATION:
- He strongly be leaves “no religion higher than truth”
- He says “ Action is my domain what I understood according to my rights,
to be my duty and what comes my way I do”
PSHYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION

- For Gandhi, the real individual Atma is an immortal spiritual entity.

Hence, man can be said to be a divine spark and not a mere mechanical
and organic aggregation of physical and chemical forces. The individual,
conceived in moral ad spiritual terms.
• ETHICAL FOUNDATION
- Gandhi believed that human life is guided by a set of principles and that
moral considerations are superior to material advantages. He thought
that through a life of ‘Karma yoga’, freedom could be won.
As Gandhi’s movement grew, British officials were
forced to meet with him.
ECONOMIC FOUNDATION

- He regarded economics as a moral science instead of a mere positive

and analytical science. He believed in principles of “plain living and
high thinking”
- He criticized the pervasive economic exploitation engineered by
capitalism
- He strongly believes in SARVODAYA, meaning “the rise of all”
1934-Collecting money for Harijan Fund at Bhavnagar
 Fusion of Hindu Traditions and Western Thought

• Followed Hindu religious

practices (no meat) and
beliefs (Polytheistic)

• Wore traditional Hindu

clothes: ________
Equality for Caste and Women
• Gandhi fought to improve
conditions for women and
untouchables in India
In 1933 Gandhi went on a fast
for 21 days to draw attention to
the treatment of the very
poorest people in India, who he
called ‘The Children of God’.
 Equality for Women
• At this time, ideas on women’s participation in the nationalist movement grew out of
commonly held cultural beliefs on the nature of Indian women as essentially self-sacrificing
and thus ideally suited to non-violent protest.
• Emphasizing these feminine qualities and their role as mothers, specifically as mothers of the
nation, empowered women to find places in the public arena of protest.
• Gandhi and other nationalist leaders believed women were specifically well-suited to spread a
message of non-violence and to bear the hardships of protest.
• The emphasis on the essential nature of the Indian woman created a new place for women in
public life, a new self-view, where women could become agents of change in public spaces.
This political
cartoon shows
Gandhi putting all of
his focus on India
while creating chaos
in India.
Influences of Gandhi
• Mahatma Gandhi’s devotion to truth and nonviolence had influenced
leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
• The great scientist Albert Einstein said of Gandhi: “Generations to
come will scarcely believe that such a one as this walked the earth in
flesh and blood.”
• Gandhi’s beliefs continue to be studied and analyzed today.
The Legacy
• The legacy of Gandhi lives on.
• He has influenced such leaders as
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson
Mandela.
• Both of these leaders have used
his principles of civil disobedience
as a way to enact change.
 Why every corporate office stresses on leadership?

Why everyone talks so much about leadership capabilities?

Why leadership is so important?

Why should I focus on leadership?

Why in all management schools ‘Leadership’ is taught as a separate subject?

Gandhian Management

When he initiated compromise between two opponents

– he was a mediator
When he applied his trident of truth, love and non-violence
-he was an uncompromising autocrat

When he gave procedural details to accomplish a goal

- he was a bureaucrat

When he delegated power to his colleagues or juniors

- he was a trainer and developer
Gandhian Management

Gandhian Philosophy

NON-VIOLENCE
TRUTH

LOVE
For my business I need people who
can take initiatives
, can generate
, innovative ideas , have courage to take risks
have ability to manage people
, have long term vision

For my society I need people who

standthe
can take initiatives, have courage to stand against wrong, have against wrong
ability to manage people, can generate innovative ideas,
have long term vision
conclude

Whenever you are confronted

with an opponent, conquer
him with love.