Understanding Gandhi (Gandhians in Conversation with Fred J Blum)

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About the Book This book is a collection of interviews of six of Mahatma Gandhi's closest associates-J.B. Kripalani, Raihana Tyabji, Dada Dharmadhikari, Sushila Nayar, Jhaver Patel and Sucheta Kripalani. The interviewees reflect on Gandhi's ideas in the light of changes that took place in India after Independence.

These interviews have been conducted by Fred J Blum (1914-1990), an academician and consultant to the US Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, whose lifelong commitment was to understand Gandhi's approach to social, economic and spiritual issues.

The book provides glimpses of Gandhi's ideas and working relationship with his colleagues who came from a wide range of backgrounds, professions and geographical regions. It also brings out the thoughts of Gandhi and his followers on several important issues such as Satyagraha, non-violence, Brahmacharya, spirituality and fasting. This blend of an intimate knowledge of Gandhi and the reflective hindsight gives the book a unique vantage point that promotes a holistic understanding of Gandhian thought and philosophy.This book is a collection of interviews of six of Mahatma Gandhi's closest associates-J.B. Kripalani, Raihana Tyabji, Dada Dharmadhikari, Sushila Nayar, Jhaver Patel and Sucheta Kripalani. The interviewees reflect on Gandhi's ideas in the light of changes that took place in India after Independence.

These interviews have been conducted by Fred J Blum (1914-1990), an academician and consultant to the US Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, whose lifelong commitment was to understand Gandhi's approach to social, economic and spiritual issues.

The book provides glimpses of Gandhi's ideas and working relationship with his colleagues who came from a wide range of backgrounds, professions and geographical regions. It also brings out the thoughts of Gandhi and his followers on several important issues such as Satyagraha, non-violence, Brahmacharya, spirituality and fasting. This blend of an intimate knowledge of Gandhi and the reflective hindsight gives the book a unique vantage point that promotes a holistic understanding of Gandhian thought and philosophy.

About the Authors Usha Thakkar is Honorary Director, Institute of Research on Gandhian Thought and Rural Development, and Honorary Secretary, Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Mumbai. She retired as Professor and Head, Department of Political Science, SNDT Women's University, Mumbai.

Jayshree Mehta is Vice Chancellor, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth University, Piparia, Vadodara. Earlier, she was Professor and Head of Surgery in the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

Foreword A STUDENT OF GANDHI is puzzled by many aspects of A his life and legacy. Gandhi said that religion and poli- tics were inseparable and that his own politics was moti- vated and shaped by his religion. But he also insisted that the state must be thoroughly secular, and should not have any formal ties with or give any kind of political or finan- cial support to religious institutions. He was committed to non-violence and its 'absolute efficacy. But he made several exceptions to it in personal and political life and gave it a kind of militancy that deeply worried and even alienated some of the traditional Christian, Jain and even Hindu votaries of non-violence. Gandhi undertook fasts, even fast unto death, that were prima facie coercive, but he insisted that they were wholly non-violent and did no more than exert 'pure' moral pressure on their intended targets. He was deeply religious, but also claimed to be a scientist engaged in 'experiments with truth' with a view to arriving at experimentally corroborated scientific principles of a new moral and social order.

Acknowledgements WE ARE INDEBTED to many friends and colleagues who have helped in our understanding of us Gandhi and preparation of this book. This book has been possible mainly because of the unstinted support and en- couragement received from Prof. Bhikhu Parekh. We value his help to us in the project at all stages, from location of the interviews to the fruition of the project as a book. Discussions with him have been immensely stimulating and intellectually motivating. Our special thanks to him.

We are thankful to Mrs Arna Blum for giving permission to use transcripts of the interviews taken by the late Dr Fred J. Blum and for contributing his life-sketch for the book.