Gandhi Jayanthi is celebrated the world
over today marking the birthday of Gandhiji- the father of our nation.
During Gandhiji's boyhood, two
books inspired him greatly: Shravan Pitribhakti Natka and Harish Chandra.
According to Gandhiji, the purest form of repentance is a clean confession
accompanied by a pledge never to sin again.
The works of many notable
personalities influenced Gandhiji's ideas. Leo Tolstoy's work inspired him,
'The Kingdom of God is within you', John Ruskin's, 'Unto this Last' and Henry
Thoreau's, 'Civil Disobedience'.
Gandhiji mentioned in his
autobiography, a short book, Unto the Last, by English author John Ruskin
(1819-1900), which formed his political ideology was given to him by Leon
Polak, an Englishman living in South Africa.
In 1904, Mahatma Gandhi had an
unforgettable encounter with John Ruskin's book 'Unto the Last', which created
a lasting impact on Gandhi. He was highly influenced by Ruskin's work which
worked as a basis for his political philosophy and actions. Unto This Last is
an important mid-19th-century economic essay written by social critic John
Ruskin.
Unto This Last is an essay critical of economics by John Ruskin,
who published the first chapter between August and December 1860 in the monthly
journal Cornhill Magazine in four articles.
On a deeper level, the book's
emphasis on respect for others, equality for all, concern for one's
neighbors, and an insistence on justice for all are directly connected to
Christian values. Despite this, Unto This Last was highly controversial when
first published.
SARVODAYA:
Unto This Last by John Ruskin was
first published in 1860 as a series of articles in Cornhill Magazine. In 1908 Gandhi
serialized a nine-part paraphrase of Ruskin's book into Gujarati in Indian
Opinion and later published it as a pamphlet under the title Sarvodaya (The
Welfare of All).
The term Sarvodaya was the title
of Gandhi's 1908 translation of John Ruskin's book, Unto This Last.
Later into his life, the concept of Sarvodaya became a central part of his
political philosophy.
Thus for Gandhi, 'Unto The Last'
would mean only the uplift of the last (Antyodaya). Ruskin's Unto The
Last had directly or indirectly had a profound influence on Gandhi in adopting
the ideal of Sarvodaya as his life's mission.
Sarvodaya means 'progress of all'
or 'Universal uplift'. Gandhi started this Sarvodaya movement, and people
consider it an addition to his efforts in his non-violent movement.
THE MOVEMENT:
The Sarvodaya Movement was a
social movement in India that was inspired by Gandhi's ideals. It was founded
by Vinoba Bhave in 1951 and aimed to promote social justice and
economic equality through nonviolent means. The movement was particularly
focused on land reform and rural development.
By the concept, Sarvodaya Gandhi means universal
uplift or the welfare of all men and women and not just the welfare, or greatest
happiness, of the greatest number. Sarvodaya is the name Gandhi gave to the new
society embracing the betterment of the entire humankind and the world at
large.
Gandhiji paraphrased Ruskin's book
'Unto This Last' as 'Sarvodaya', which meant the upliftment of all. The
goal of Gandhi was to change society and each individual using the values of
honesty and nonviolence. These ideas were further developed by many followers
of Gandhi who proudly called themselves “Gandhians”.
Thus, John Ruskin's book Unto This
Last significantly influenced Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy, focusing on
social justice, economic equality, and manual labor. Gandhiji incorporated
Ruskin's principles into his teachings and activism, shaping his approach to
nonviolent resistance.
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