Gandhi Book

Gandhi: A Very Short Introduction reflects on the life of one who was as revolutionary and spiritual as he was provocative and abrasive to the status quo. The book is split up into mainly three categories: Gandhi's view on religion, his view on human nature, and his view on politics. The book dives mostly into his view on politics and how he became the first politically significant figure who achieved the freedom of his people through non-violent means. His detractors say that he, "hindered the development of radical political movements…burdened the Indian psyche with a sense of guilt about economic development…and perpetuated unrealistic ideas about human sexuality" (p. 111). His admirers vehemently oppose such claims and say that he, "was a man of both thought and action….he discovered a uniquely moral method of political change…and offered a rare example of morally responsible leadership" (p. 111). I was personally moved by much of what I learned about Gandhi even though there were most certainly aspects of his ideas that I disagree with. I was most moved by what he said regarding law and how it should be neither partisan in nature, nor discriminatory to any race, gender, or religious persuasion. It made me think about how a man of such integrity is needed in our current political climate here in America. I also want to strive to be that true to my personal views and ideas. Gandhi was a man who despite shortcomings that plague all creatures, was without guile and strove to act in the morally best interests of all those involved. Gandhi while not known for his rhetoric, was a master at communication and eliciting responses from people through non-violent, non-coercive means of persuasion. He did this through fasting and through one-on-one interactions. He did this in court by telling the judge what sentence he deserves due to the law and the actions he took that were not supported by the law, which received an emotive response from the judge who said that he cannot wait until the law no longer requires that such a man be put in jail. Mahatma Gandhi sealed his legacy through his martyrdom, the cruel juxtaposition of a man who preached non-violence all his life being murdered at gunpoint was enough to ascend this man into the upper echelon of world-renowned spiritual and political figures.