India - Information - News, Features and Essays: Hind Swaraj - Independence for India

Mahatma Gandhi on Independence for India - 1908 Publication
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About the Book

Gandhi wrote this book in 1908. The concluding paragraph is " I have endeavoured to explain it (Swaraj) as I understand it (Swaraj), and my conscience testifies that my life henceforth is dedicated to its attainment."

Gandhiji explained his concept of swaraj and also methods of how to attain it in this book. He used and tried to use methods he had delineated in this book and brought independence to India. This book is considered as an essential means to understanding the philosophy as well as practical work of Gandhiji. I plan to write a summary of this book in this knol. Initially some important statements from the book will be given and later the summary will be attempted.

Important Thoughts

"It is a bad habit to say that another man's thoughts are bad and ours only are good and that those holding different views from ours are the enemies of the country"

"The seed in never seen. It works underneath the ground, is itself destroyed,and the tree which rises above the ground is alone seen."

"The English have not taken India. We have given it to them. They are not in India because of their strength, but because we keep them."

"Humdug there undoubtedly is about all religions. Where there is light, there is also shadow."

"India cannot cease to be one nation because people belonging to different religions live in it. The introduction of foreigners does not necessarily destroy the nation, they merge in it. A country is one nation only when such a condition obtains in it."

"God set a limit to a man's locomotive ambition in the construction of his body. Man immediately proceeded to discover means of overriding the limit. God gifted man with intellect that he might know his Maker. Man abused it so that he might forget his Maker."

On Globalization

"I am so constructed that I can only serve my immediate neighbours, but in my conceit I pretend to have discovered that I must with my body serve every individual in the Universe. In thus attempting the impossible, man comes into contact with different natures, different religions, and is utterly confounded."

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