Chapter 1

Introduction
The world has witnessed the propagation, experimentation and implementation of various
socio- economic concepts and principles from time to time. We have a very fine theory of
Sarvodaya born out of the rich experiences of a practical idealist Mahatma Gandhi – though it
received only less applause from the world. Sarvodaya believes in the survival and
development of all. It is an all round development of all people irrespective of class, creed,
religion of caste.
21st century is the era of globalization. New economic policy of globalization moves on to
make the world a global village. New challenges and problems have emerged before youth.
The belief that all emergent problems - ecological, social, economical, political and moral-
could be resolved by discoveries and technological innovations persists, filatures in the past
notwithstanding. What is happening today is in line with what Gandhi almost predicted in Hind
Swaraj as he prepared its manuscript in 1908.Gandhi put forward four main goals before youth
for humanity, so as to move towards its destiny. These are Swaraj, Non-violence, Swadeshi
and Sarvodaya. These are the main pillars of the thesis he has propounded in the Hind Swaraj.
In this paper an attempt is made to focus on Sarvodaya as one of the pillars to bring Hind
Swaraj. Objectives of this project is to know Gandhian philosophy of Sarvodaya for changing
attitude of youth & aware youth for their rights & duties.
Sarvodaya is a term meaning 'Universal Uplift' or 'Progress of All'. The term was first coined
by Mohandas Gandhi as the title of his 1908 translation of John Ruskin's tract on political
economy, "Unto This Last", and Gandhi came to use the term for the ideal of his own political
philosophy. The word Sarvodaya is Sanskrit in origin. It is a compound of two words “Sarva”
which means “all” and “Udaya” means “Welfare” or “Upliftment”. Thus the etymological
meaning of Sarvodaya is the welfare of all. In the words of Gandhi, “the welfare of all should
be the aim of all human activities. It is our highest Sammaum Bonum. It is the welfare not only
of men but also of animals and even of the natural world. “In Sarvodaya society, there is no
scope of exploitation, discrimination, inequality and violence. It seeks the realization of a self
– sufficient social order that would put an end to economic and political dependence. Later
Gandhian, like the Indian nonviolence activist Vinoba Bhave, embraced the term as a name for
the social movement in post-independence India which strove to ensure that self-determination
and equality reached all strata of India society.

1
 Chapter 2
Literature Review
The entire Gandhian philosophy is derived from the principle of spiritual unity. In the words
of Gandhi, "I do not believe that spiritual law works on a field of its own. On the contrary, it
expresses itself only through the ordinary activities of life. It thus affects the economic, the
social and the political fields. "The greatest truth being the unity of all life, self-expression
consists in striving after 'the welfare of all' which is the essence of Sarvodaya ideology. This
was his life mission. To achieve this, he advocated pure means. The sum and substance of the
teaching of Gandhi is to be found in the two words: Spirituality (Siva) and Service (Seva).The
same has been practiced by the Sarvodayites in the movement. Sarvodaya, today, does not
represent a mere vision or an Utopian notion. We still have an opportunity to promote a
Sarvodaya society in which everyone can play a vital role. High synergy society is another
name for Gandhi's Sarvodaya society." Our society is now at the cross-roads and we will have
to choose between Sarvodaya-'Welfare of all' and Sarvanasha—'extinction of mankind.

With the above remarks in view, the literature in this report has been presented from the
following :

1. Article by Dr. Thomas Joseph Parathara- Gandhian philosophy of Sarvodaya : A

critical Study. ISSN : 2319-7064.

The above mentioned article was very informative. It gives a brief description about
“Sarvodaya” as a critical study. The article has briefly explained the etymology, sources
and concept of Sarvodaya. It gives an outline on the concept of Sarvodaya.

2. Article by Ms. Pooja Monda -The Gandhiji’s Concept Regarding.

The above mentioned article gives the implications and criticism. It gives a brief upon
the economic, political, philosophical etc. implications which were laid down from the
concept of Sarvodaya. This article mentions a few criticisms as well which help us to
narrow down on the future scope of the concept of Sarvodaya.

2
3. B.K.Gokhale: Political Science ( Theory & Govt. Machinary). Himalaya Publishing
House.

In the above mentioned reference book, the concept of Sarvodaya and Sarvodayan
principles have been laid down. It gives solutions for solving and dealing with problems
in a Gandhian methodology. The principle of Sarvodaya has been an important
instrument for dealing with welfare and social issues.

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 Chapter 3
Legal Analysis
Sources of Sarvodaya :
1. Ruskin’s Unto This Last :
Gandhi received a copy of Ruskin's "Unto This Last" from a British friend, Mr. Henry Polak,
while working as a lawyer in South Africa in 1904. In his Autobiography, Gandhi remembers
the twenty-four hour train ride to Durban (from when he first read the book, being so in the
grip of Ruskin's ideas that he could not sleep at all: "I determined to change my life in
accordance with the ideals of the book." Gandhi advances the concept of Sarvodaya, which
were the based on three basic principles:
• That the good of the individual is contained in the good of all.
• That a lawyer's work has the same value as the barber's in as much as all have the same right
of earning their livelihood from their work.
• That is a life of labour, i.e., the life of the tiller of the soil and the handicraftsman is the life
worth living.
The first of these I knew. The second I had dimly realized. The third have never occurred to
me. 'Unto This Last' made it clear as daylight for me that the second and third were contained
in the first. I arose with the dawn, ready to reduce these principal to practice."
2. Leo Tolstoy’s ‘Kingdom of God is within you’ :
Gandhi was greatly influenced by Leo Tolstoy through his book ‘God is within you’ and his
essay on “Christianity and Patriotism”. Tolstoy’s simplicity of life and purity of purpose
influenced Gandhi very much. Both Tolstoy and Gandhi respected the instrument of love to
solve all problems in their lives. In the Kingdom of God is within you. Tolstoy has given
great emphasis on the truth, love and non violence. Gandhi firmly believed that these virtues
can establish peace on earth and good will among mankind.
3. Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience :
Gandhi heard an echo of his own voice in Thoreau. He was a well known American anarchist
who refused to pay his taxes as a protest against slavery in America. He gave more importance
to man. According to him, no society can progress on a denial of individual freedom. This
idea is expressed in his revolutionary essay on ‘Civil Disobedience’. It was greatly influenced
by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi liked the classical statement of Thoreau that, ‘that government
is best which governs the least’. This thought provoking statement furnished Gandhi and he
moulded his political ideas.

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 4. The Bhagavad Gita :
Gandhi drew his primary strength and inspiration of Sarvodaya ideal from the Bhagavad Gita.
To Gandhi, the Gita is the eternal mother. According to him, the theme of Gita is self
realization. It teaches the secret of non violence. The sole aim of Gita is to establish Dharma.
It wants to bring prosperity and peace to all. It also highlights the importance of all selfless
service for the promotion of the whole creation. Inshort, Gita preaches the message of the
welfare of all or Sarvodaya.
5. Isavasyopanisad :
The first verse of isavasyopanisad deals with the idealogy of Sarvodaya. The first part of the
verse contains the principles of equality and fraternity. And the second part reveals the idea
of renunciation, non exploitation, and service to the society. In short, the Isavasyopanisad
preaches the philosophy of equality and fraternity, which are fundamental principles of
Sarvodaya.
6. Buddhism and Jainism :
Gandhi was highly influenced and deeply impressed by the Buddhist philosophy which
preached universal love and non violence. According to Buddha the whole world is an
organism. Hence it is the duty of everyone of us to share our fellow beings. Lord Buddha
spent his whole life for redeeming the miseries of the people. Jainism also teaches the
elements of Sarvodaya. The welfare of all is the corner stone of the jain thought. It teaches
non violence not only to humans but also to non human beings.
7. Islamic contribution to Sarvodaya :
The word islam means peace. It is a religion of peace and brotherhood. The prophet
mohammad laid the foundation of brotherhood equality. All these aspects influenced Gandhi
to form Sarvodaya movement.
8. Christian contribution to Sarvodaya :
Jesus christ’s personal life and his sublime message, his spirit of self sacrifice and love for the
neighbor etc. have become the corner stone of Sarvodaya philosophy.

5
Objectives & Principles of Sarvodaya :

The Sarvodaya Movement has as its target the establishment of a whole network of such self-
supporting village communities. The family relationships which are confined at present to the
blood group will be extended to cover the whole village where distinctions based on race,
creed, caste, language and so forth will completely be eliminated. Agriculture will be so
planned that all the people will have enough to consume. Industry will be conducted on a
cottage basis till all the people in the village are gainfully employed. The needs of the village
will be determined by the people of the village themselves, through Village Council,
representative of the whole village.

Some of the main objectives of Sarvodaya philosophy are as follows:

1. Emphasis on Spirit:
The Sarvodaya philosophy attaches a great importance to the pre-eminence of spirit. This
emphasis is evident because it was Gandhi who laid the foundations for the Sarvodaya
philosophy, as he always desired to realize God. His entire set of socio-political and economic
programmes are aimed at realization of human consciousness through the services of the poor.
The paramount position of spirit can be considered the philosophical foundations of the entire
Sarvodaya movement. Sarvodaya aims at bringing about a change in the attitudes of the people
either capitalist or feudal. It emphasized on the idea that spiritual domain is more supreme than
the materialistic world. It, therefore, advises that there is a need for a kind of liberation from
narrow and parochial dimensions of earthly matters to that of light and nobler idea of
spiritualism.
2. Highlights on Moral Values:
The growing moral degeneration of the Indian society as well as humanity disturbed the leaders
of the time. It was indisputable that the lust for power is used in politics for capturing and
perpetuating the political power. As a consequence, the service motive was completely lost and
it became very important to lessen this influence of wealth and power. Sarvodaya, therefore,
aims at rectifying such anomalies and helps in ushering moral and spiritual values in the socio-
political and economic life in India.

6
3. Stateless Society:
Sarvodaya aims at a stateless and classless society and believes that there are two powers or
Shaktis, viz., Jana Shakti or people’s power, and secondly Danda Shakti or the power of
punishment. Sarvodaya believes that this power of the people must pervade all aspects of the
society including the state. Leaders like Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and JP claim that because state
is a coer-cive power, efforts have to be made at the establishment of a stateless society.
In their opinion, it is the authority that is conferred upon the state that empow-ers it to perform
the functions through violent means that is much against the wishes of the people. It is for this
reason the state is viewed as an oppressor and obstruction to the element of growth of the
human society as well as personality. Therefore, advocates of Sarvodaya do not believe that
state is an instrument of socio-economic and political change.
4. Party-less Democracy:
The entire philosophy of Sarvodaya is built on the concept of party-less democracy. The theory
strongly contends that the divergent economic and social ideologies held by the political parties
create conflicts, divisions, factions and groups in the society. Eventually, these parties give
greater importance to their party interests than the social interests. This situation naturally
disturbs the social harmony and unity. Therefore, Sarvodaya advocates that there should not
be any political party or for that matter Sarvodaya considers political parties as undesir-able.
The theory states that if it is a democracy with political parties, it is a curse to the harmony of
the society. Hence, Sarvodaya prefers party-less democracy that alone can enable the genuine
aspirations of the people. For achieving this party-less democracy, certain techniques were
suggested by the theorists.
Firstly, an attempt has to be made to nominate workers through universal consensus from all
the villages of India to be a part of the panchayats. These workers have to get the confidence
of the people. Then they would undertake the rehabilitation of the community, Bhoodan,
Gramdan activities, etc.
The unanimous nomination of the workers to the panchayats without recourse to a party
system or its norms is an important step in the growth of community sentiment. It was also
stated that this village pattern could also be adopted even at the higher levels of the
decentral-ized organizations.
The Thana panchayats will be chosen by the members of the village panchayats. Similarly,
the district panchayats will be chosen by the Thana panchayats. The provincial and central
administration will be carried out in a similar fashion that invariably hits the root of the party-
based governments.

7
Party politics and electoral mechanism are replaced by community consensus. In such a
system, there is no place for either majority or minority politics.
The concept of majority and minority is replaced by unanimity. Thus, devoid of any majority
and minority and devoid of competition or conflicts or party politics, Sarvodaya aims at the
establishment of a society wherein the leaders dedicate themselves to serve the people and do
not desire any elective positions.
The leaders, however, exercise their franchise based on their conscience. The second device
is involving political parties in the activities undertaken by the Sarvodaya workers. Though
their ideol-ogy might differ, the extent to which they help is always acknowledged.
Sarvodaya workers opine that the help and the assistance and cooperation of the political
parties, makes the development process much more-easier.
The third device that is employed by the Sarvodaya theorists is the neutralization of the
sitting party legislators and the Parliamentarians. It advocates that even though members get
elected on the basis of party seats, they do not continue as party workers. On the contrary,
they act as the representatives of the nation.The ministers are not chosen on the party lines.
Every elected member is advised to give a list of names for ministerial positions and those
getting the highest score are taken as minis-ters to the cabinet. In this process, despite
elections, the Council of Ministers is formed on non-party basis. JP is completely against the
institution of democracy because, in his opinion, evils like party competition and conflicts are
inherent in the Parliamentary democracy.
5. Self-sufficient and Decentralized Village Communities:
Sarvodaya emphasizes on self-sufficient village communities wherein every village must be
self-sufficient and self-reliant. Sarvodaya envisioned a village council, which is composed of
a member from every family. This council elects an executive community that is responsible
for the conduct of all affairs of the state.
The village lands are held by the council in the form of trusts and makes periodic allotments
to the farmers. In such a system, there is no case of ownership of land. There is an element of
absolute cooperation and collaboration. It is an ownership by the village along with
individual cooperation. This system overcomes all the evils of centralization, nationalization
and state socialism.
The major proponents of Sarvodaya propagated the need for decentralization as a remedy
against the evils of centralization. According to Gandhi, the idea of Sarvodaya enables a
healthy evolution of participative and creative citizenship. It trains the people in effective
management of their own affairs in a disciplined manner.

8
Initially, a team of workers is chosen which in turn would help the people in the art of
managing their own business. This team is referred to as the brothers than the rulers as they
help, guide and educate the people in the art of governance. The chief argument of Sarvodaya
is the decentralized political system and the scope for the difference of opinion as well as
dissidence is minimal and positively accelerates the growth of consensus.
6. Non-violence:
Sarvodaya strongly believes in non-violent democracy. However, one must not forget that in
a welfare state there is also a scope for authoritarian-ism, especially due to the state.
Sarvodaya, therefore, believes in self-sufficiency and self-reliance and freedom is most
important. It believes in the principle of ‘That government is good which governs the least’.
It lays emphasis on Jana Shakti than Danda shakti. There is no place for violence in this
philosophy. It adheres to the principle of regeneration of the human heart as well as
transformation of the human beings. In the end, it can be stated that JP had become the Jiwan
Dani for Sarvodaya. He not only advocated greater decentralization, but also recognition of
the autonomy of the villages. He was in favor of giving land to the tiller, and abolition of all
vested interests.

He also advocated collective farming on a cooperative basis. JP believed that agrarian

reconstruction is a major issue in Asian countries, in general, and India, in particular. He
desired accelerated agricultural production to strengthen the Indian economy. However, he
had not de-emphasized on the industrial production in the public sector.

9
Principles of the Sarvodaya:
• There is no centralized authority, and there is political and economic atmosphere in the
villages.
• Politics will not be the instrument of power but an agency of service and Rajniti will yield
place to Lokniti.
• All people will be imbued with the spirit of love, fraternity, truth, non-violence and self-
sacrifices. Society will function on the basis on the non-violence.
• There will be no party system and majority rule and society will be free from the evil of the
tyranny of the majority.
• The sarvodaya society is socialist in the true sense of the term. All calling will be the same
moral, social and economical values. The individual personality has the fullest scope
for development.
• The sarvodaya society is based on equality and liberty. There is no room in it for
unwholesome some competition, exploitation and class-hatred.
• Sarvodaya stands for the progress of the all. All individual should do individual labour and
follow the ideal of non possession. Then it will be possible to realize the goal of: from
each according to his work and to each according to his needs.
• There will be no private property, the instrument of exploitation and the source of social
distinctions and hatred. Similarly, the profit motive will disappear, rent and interest to
will go.
• The Sarvodaya Movement is based on Truth, Non-violence and Self-denial.
• The Sarvodaya Movement makes a sincere and bold attempt to create the necessary
atmosphere to bring together such individuals with an unwavering faith in the Welfare
of All
• The gain to the individual would be small. The development of each quality depends upon
every other. If all the qualities are improved a little, then the individual would gain
more.

10
Applicability of Sarvodaya
Gandhian View of Social Service :
Scattered ideas expressed on different occasions by Gandhi are presented under the title
“Gandhi’s Plan of Social Work” in a speech he delivered in 1972. Hereafter, I will quote from
that speech the relevant concepts and methods of constructive work also referred as samaj seva
by Gandhian constructive workers. “Gandhi’s philosophy as well as the plan of social work
was grounded on a broad strategy of total social development, resulting from a radical
transformation from within in the case of the individual and of the community in which he
lived. Social work was not to be directed merely to corrective or ameliorative activity although
this was important . It had to be geared to radical transformation, not merely dealing with the
consequences of an inequitable social order. For this purpose the spirit of swadeshi is
important. It meant restrictions on the use and services of our immediate surroundings to the
exclusion of more remote, which meant using only things that are produced by the immediate
neighbours i.e village industries.

Gandhi also stressed the importance of education as part of his concept of swadeshi which
flowed from his basic principle of social action. “The masses have not shared our knowledge.
If they had, the problem of village sanitation would have been solved and the village
panchayats would be a living force in a special way.” Gandhi had further developed his idea of
education as basic education or ‘Nai Taleem’ relevant to the day to day life of the villagers.

Gandhian ideas of social service (constructive work) have been summarized into five basic
principles - “Pancha-swa Sutra” (Pathak, 2013). They Are :

1. Swaraj or self-rule
Originally formulated in the context of nationalist movement for independence as the goal, it
is capable of wider application in other areas of work. It means self-rule of an individual or a
family and of a village society. Gandhi had considered, as quoted earlier by Ganguli, the
individual as the ultimate unit, then expanding in successively widening circles of extended
family, the village and finally a federation of villages. At the level of the individual it may be
stated as the right of self-determination, a basic principle of professional social work
2. Swadeshi

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During the nationalist movement this was used mainly with reference to preparing Khadi and
wearing dresses made from Khadi, discarding the western (later Indian) mill made cloth.
Gandhi himself had used the words “the use of immediate surroundings”. He meant use of local
village products. Once again the concept can be broadened to include non-material “immediate
resources” such as local village culture, or more specifically the sub-culture of a village
community. As already explained in the previous chapter concepts of culture and subculture
are quite relevant for the practice of social work. So we may rephrase swadeshi to mean the
indigenous culture of the people which includes elements of a national culture as well as
specific aspects of a sub-culture within which the villagers live and function.

3. Self-reliance or Swavalamban is the third basic principle of Gandhian social service.

Whether an individual or a village community should try to live on one’s labour, capacity and
resources, limiting the wants to match the available resources of a family or a vllage community
using to the maximum the productive capacity of the people.

4. Personal experience of life and work is an importanty source of knowledge both to the village
community and sarvodaya worker. This is called as swanubhava, practice-based knowledge
and skills. Gandhi, as quoted earlier, had stated that “after a life time of field experience I came
to the conclusion...” etc.

5. Closely linked to the principle of swanubhava is swadhyaya, self-study. Sarvodaya social

service practitioner usually does not go through a process of formal education or training. The
Gandhian constructive worker usually works under a leader as an ashramite, with sahawas and
sahakarya i.e. living and working with a leader, learning through observation, and practice
under guidance. Whatever he would have learnt if at all through a course of lectures of a week
would have been on the thoughts of Gandhi and Vinoba, their social philosophy relevant for
constructive work. This would include the values of truth and non violence which are absolute
values to be practiced in all situations without any deviation. He has to continue this process
of learning by doing even after he starts working independently in a village community. So an
important source of knowledge is “swadhyaya”. He has to reflect on his own field experience
periodically and draw appropriate lessons to improve his practice skills. So, the principles of
personal experience of field practice and self-study are closely inter-linked. They are
inseperable and mutually reinforcing.

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Gandhian view of Social order :

Gandhi and other sarvodaya thinkers do not give a precise a detailed picture of the sarvodaya
social order. But an outline has been offered by them. Though sarvodaya philosophy gives
importance to • the individual, society is not an isolated phenomenon. He influences society
and in turn is influenced by the society. The establishment of a proper social order is necessary
for the moral development of the individual. The fundamental postulate of Sarvodaya is to raise
its voice against the present society with its social and economic inequalities, its spirit of
competition based on the belief of antagonism of individual interests. Its . aim is to - reconstruct
society on the basis of truth, non-violence, physical labour, non-possession, tolerance and
equality. In such a society there would be no distinctions of any kind, there would be an all-
round development of all.

Gandhi envisaged that Sarvodaya society should also be free from evils like 'politics without
principles', 'wealth without work', 'knowledge without character', 'commerce without morals',
'science without mankind' and 'service without sacrifice'. It should not be divided into water-
tight compartments called social, political and religious where all these act and react upon one
another. His aim of sarvodaya made him establish a close co-relation among these problems.
The Sarvodaya society is an indivisible whole. In his own words:

"I subscribe to the belief or the philosophy

that all life in its essence is one and that

the human are working consciously or

unconsciously towards the realization of that identity.'*'

Thus society is an unfolding of man in terms of spirituality. In order to establish a democratic

and free society Gandhi suggested every individual to imbibe the spirit of love, tolerance,
kindness, fearlessness and non violence, A non-violent society, however small it is, is the
strongest one. To him, non-violence is both a personal and a social virtue. A society, built on
the basis of complete ahimsa is the purest anarchy. A free man is one who practises pure non-
violence. He is a true democrat. A study on the nature of Gandhian Sarvodaya society reveals
his views on social, political and economical orders, which are closely inter-related and
interdependent. The main tenets of Gandhian scheme of Sarvodaya social order are (1)

13
Varnashrama Dharma, (2) Removal of untouchability, (3) Status of Women, (4) Widow
remarriage, (5) Child-marriage (6) Inter-dining and inter-marriage, (7) Prohibition, (8) Cow-
protection (9) Idol worship, (10) Education, (11) Communal unity.

Gandhian view of Economy :

Gandhi’s economy is village-oriented and his constructive programme is geared towards

village reconstruction and he considered khadi as the lead industry. In khadi Gandhi saw “the
revival of the entire economic, social and cultural life of the villages which constitute our
country”. Through khadi and village industries, Gandhi expected to lay the foundations of a
non-violent economic and social order which would bring peace and happiness to all, leading
to the uplifting of the rural masses. Khadi and village industries are not an end in itself but a
means for the all-round socio-economic development of rural India. Gandhi intended to link
agriculture and industry by making village industries agro-based as an effective way for
meaningful development of agrarian societies. He believed that unless industries in rural areas
are linked with the primary occupation of the vast mass of the people– agriculture, they would
make little impact on the lives of the people.

Gandhi believed that industrialisation has been planned to destroy the villages and village
crafts; instead it should sub-serve the village and their crafts. Gandhian solution to
industrialisation and its evil effects is the reconstruction of rural economy with an emphasis on
the primacy of agriculture and the supplementary and complementary importance of cottage
industries. By the revival and rejuvenation of the village economy, Gandhi wanted to
rejuvenate and restore the simplicity of village life and to establish decentralised, self-
sufficient, self-reliant and autonomous communities. He advocated “production by the masses”
instead of “mass production”. Such Gandhian alternative may be qualified as “appropriate
technology”, “intermediate technology” or “holistic technology”, which could be adopted by
the village homes. Gandhi advocated “the technology of production by the masses”, which was
named by Schumacher as “intermediate technology”, which make use of the best of modern
knowledge and experience, is conducive to decentralisation, compatible with the laws of
ecology, calculative in its use of scarce resources, and designed to serve the people instead of
making them the servants of machines.

14
The basis of village sarvodaya is the principle of sharing of the natural resources and means of
production among all the members of the community towards the welfare of all. Gandhi
worked towards the resuscitation of the village through the revival of its handicrafts and
industries utilising the resources available locally to satisfy the basic needs of the rural masses.

Gandhian view of Environmental dimension :

Sarvodaya implies an all-round material as well as spiritual development of each and every
individual and is concerned with a continued healthy environment to ensure the holistic
development of man. Since the human is organically linked with the whole eco- system and its
healthy functioning, there is a need to extend the concept of Sarvodaya to the whole of sentient
and non-sentient being in the universe. Again, Gandhi’s sarvodaya- utopian mode of holistic
discourse has an innate ecological dimension. Perhaps, for the present day ecologically-
disturbed world, Gandhian Sarvodaya ideal might be the panacea.

The concepts of environmental conservation, sustainability and survival are inherent in the
Gandhian ideology. His emphasis on small-scale industry, which promotes “production by the
masses in stead of mass production” was in tune with man-nature co-relationship as it is less
energy-intensive and consequently less-polluting. He advocated sustainable development and
appropriate technology to achieve rural development. The simple life style that Gandhi
preached and practised had a great bearing on nature and its preservation. His insights into eco-
spirituality and eco-villages contribute immensely to living in harmony with nature.

Gandhi preferred people-centred, need-based economy to machine-centred, greed-fulfilling

economy. Gandhi’s sarvodaya vision has deep environmental implications. He reiterated the
eternal bond of mankind co-existing with nature and advocated that people should not use more
than their share of the resources and the consumption should be based on need satisfaction
rather than greed promotion. In a world of vanishing environmental ethics, there is a strong
and urgent need for evolving ‘eco-centric’ ethic and consciousness and thus, Gandhian ideals
may come in handy in this regard. His exemplary way of life in his ashrams consist of
“voluntary simplicity” or “ecological living” that serve as a source of insight and inspiration.

15
Sarvodaya As A Realistic Utopian Ideal :

Gandhian Sarvodaya is not a mechanistic or deterministic manual but an ideal for humankind,
for individual and social relationships and for human-ecological relationships in varied and
changing circumstances. It enunciates principles and sets the direction, approaches and
guidelines. It encourages us to be ever hopeful for building up a better human being, a better
society and a better world. Sarvodaya or universal welfare was the logical corollary of Gandhi’s
fundamental premises about human perfectibility and the mature fruit of his repeated
experiments with political action and social reforms. Gandhian concept of ahimsa (non-
violence), with satya (truth) as the common goal, enabled him to develop the doctrine of
sarvodaya or non-violent socialism.

Thomas Vettickal maintains that Gandhian sarvodaya has the potential to be a utopian ideal
and the factor that makes it a realistic utopia is the presence of provisionality, open- endedness,
untiring hope in the future, and creativity. In Gandhi’s sarvodaya there is “creative
expectation”, a “hope which sets about criticizing and transforming the present because it opens
towards the universal future of the kingdom (of God)”. The Sarvodaya ideal of Gandhi stems
from an undying hope in the better future of India: utopian economy that is people-oriented
and which promotes appropriate technology; social and communal life that is village-based,
theology and spirituality that is indigenous and a sustainable eco- system that is in harmony
with nature. Gandhi initiated a process that can be realized and is open to immense possibilities
Sarvodaya society is liberated from both external and internal oppressors and suppressors in
society. Gandhi’s sarvodaya economics is more of an action programme than abstract theory
and principle, aimed at offering an alternative to the existing condition towards achieving a
better future. It is a constant ideal towards which we are directed with the hope of attaining the
cherished goal. Sarvodaya is a significant and revolutionary contribution of Gandhi and his
worthy disciples to contemporary political thought. Sarvodaya ideal keeps its appeal to many
as it can be easily realised and its openness to future possibilities.

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The Gandhian concept of “Sarvodaya” is interdependent with the legal concepts. In the present
scenario, references of Sarvodayan concept have been taken and many laws and statutes have
been formulated on the basis of it.
Some of the present laws are :
1. ARTICLE 14:
“ The state shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the
laws within the territory of India.” ………… (Art. 14)
Article 14 guarantees to every person the right to equality before the law or the equal protection
of laws. The first expression ‘equality before the Law’ which is taken from English
Common Law, is somewhat a negative concept. It is a declaration of equality of all persons
within the territory of India, implying thereby the absence of any special privilege in favor of
any individual. Every person, whatever be his rank or position, is subject to the jurisdiction of
the ordinary courts. It means no man is above law and that every person, high or low, is subject
to the ordinary law of the land.
The second expression, “equal protection of laws”, which is rather a corollary of the first
expression, and is based on the last clause of the first section of the Fourteenth
Amendment to the American Constitution, directs that equal protection shall be secured to
all persons within the territorial jurisdiction of the Union in the enjoyment of their rights and
privileges without favoritism or discrimination. It is a more positive concept (as it expects a
positive action from the state) implying equality of treatment in the equal circumstances. In
other words, all persons who are in the same circumstances will be governed by the same set
of rules. It is a guarantee of equal treatment. An equal law should be applied with an equal
hand to all persons who are the equals. The rule is that the like should be treated alike and not
that unlike should be treated alike. The same or uniform treatment of un equals is as bad as
unequal treatment of equals. It has been said that the equal protection of the law is a pledge of
protection or guarantee of equal law.

2. ARTICLE 21
“No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to a procedure
established by law.”

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According to Bhagwati, J., Article 21 “embodies a constitutional value of supreme importance
in a democratic society.” Iyer, J., has characterized Article 21 as “the procedural magna carta
protective of life and liberty.
This right has been held to be the heart of the Constitution, the most organic and progressive
provision in our living constitution, the foundation of our laws.
Article 21 can only be claimed when a person is deprived of his “life” or “personal liberty” by
the “State” as defined in Article 12. Violation of the right by private individuals is not within
the preview of Article 21.
Article 21 secures two rights:
1) Right to life
2) Right to personal liberty

Article 21 of the Constitution of India, 1950 provides that, “No person shall be deprived of his
life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.” ‘Life’ in Article 21
of the Constitution is not merely the physical act of breathing. It does not connote mere animal
existence or continued drudgery through life. It has a much wider meaning which includes right
to live with human dignity, right to livelihood, right to health, right to pollution free air, etc.
Right to life is fundamental to our very existence without which we cannot live as human being
and includes all those aspects of life, which go to make a man’s life meaningful, complete, and
worth living. It is the only article in the Constitution that has received the widest possible
interpretation. Under the canopy of Article 21 so many rights have found shelter, growth and
nourishment. Thus, the bare necessities, minimum and basic requirements that is essential and
unavoidable for a person is the core concept of right to life.

3. Constitutional Provisions for the SC/ST/OBC and minorities


Art. 15(4) : Clause 4 of article 15 is the fountain head of all provisions regarding
compensatory discrimination for SCs/STs. This clause was added in the first amendment to

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 the constitution in 1951.This clause started the era of reservations in India.
Art. 15 (5) : This clause was added in 93rd amendment in 2005 and allows the state to make
special provisions for backward classes or SCs or STs for admissions in private educational
institutions, aided or unaided.
Article 17: This abolishes untouchability and its practice in any form. Although the term
untouchability has not been defined in the constitution or in any act but its meaning is to be
understood not in a literal sense but in the context of Indian society. Due to the varna system,
some people were relegated to do menial jobs such as cleaning toilets. Such people were not
to be touched and it was considered a sin to even touch their shadow. They were not even
allowed to enter public places such as temples and shops. The constitution strives to remove
this abhorring practice by not only making the provision a fundamental right but also allows
punishment to whoever practices or abets it in any form.

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 Chapter 4

Role of Judiciary
The importance of the judiciary in a democratic society can hardly be exaggerated. Judiciary
is a part of the democratic process. Judiciary not only administers justice, it protects the rights
of the citizens and it acts as the interpreter and guardian of the Constitution. In many states, the
judiciary enjoys the power of judicial review by virtue of which the judiciary decides the
constitutional validity of the laws enacted or of the decree issued. It can invalidate such laws
and decrees which are not constitutional. The Supreme Court and High Courts of various states
have laid down important and landmark judgements for the welfare of the people, inorder to
provide speedy and just remedy.

Some of the important case laws which prove the importance of Judiciary are as follows :
The two expressions in Article 14 make the concept of equal treatment a binding principle of
State Action. In Sri Srinivasa Theatre v. Govt. of Tamil Nadu[, the Supreme Court explained
that the two expressions equality before the law and equal protection of law do not mean the
same thing even if there may be much in common between them. Equality before the law is a
dynamic concept having many facets. One facet is that there shall be no privileged person or
class and that none shall be above law. Another facet is the obligation upon the State to bring
about, through the machinery of law, an equal society or, equality before the law can be
predicated meaningfully only in equal society.
In State of West Bengal v. Anwar Ali Sarkar, the Court rightly observed that the second
expression is the corollary of the first and it is difficult to imagine a situation in which the
violation of equal protection of laws will not be the violation of the equality before the law.
Thus, in substance, the two expressions mean one and the same thing.

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Article 21 :
In the case of Kharak Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh, the Supreme Court quoted and held
that:
By the term “life” as here used something more is meant than mere animal existence. The
inhibition against its deprivation extends to all those limbs and faculties by which life is
enjoyed. The provision equally prohibits the mutilation of the body by amputation of an armour
leg or the pulling out of an eye, or the destruction of any other organ of the body through which
the soul communicates with the outer world.
In Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration, the Supreme Court reiterated with the approval the
above observations and held that the “right to life” included the right to lead a healthy life so
as to enjoy all faculties of the human body in their prime conditions. It would even include the
right to protection of a person’s tradition, culture, heritage and all that gives meaning to a man’s
life. It includes the right to live in peace, to sleep in peace and the right to repose and health.

Judgements relating to upliftment of Untouchables :

The SC judgement in the case of Champakam Dorairajan vs State of Madras. It says thus,
"Nothing in this article or in article 29(2) shall prevent the state from making any provisions
for the advancement of any socially and economically backward classes of citizens or for
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes."
In the case of Balaji vs State of Mysore, the SC held that reservation cannot be more than
50%. Further, that Art. 15(4) talks about backward classes and not backward castes thus caste
is not the only criterion for backwardness and other criteria must also be considered.
Finally, in the case of Indra Sawhney vs Union of India, SC upheld the decision given under
Balaji vs State of Mysore that reservation should not exceed 50% except only in special
circumstances. It further held that it is valid to sub-categorize the reservation between
backward and more backward classes. However, total should still not exceed 50%. It also held
that the carry forward rule is valid as long as reservation does not exceed 50%.

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Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 was enacted. It has implemented several measures to
eradicate this evil from the society. It stipulates up to 6 months imprisonment or 500 Rs fine
or both. It impresses upon the public servant to investigate fully any complaint in this matter
and failing to do so will amount to abetting this crime.In the case of State of Karnataka. Vs
Appa Balu Ingle, SC upheld the conviction for preventing a lower caste person from filling
water from a bore well.

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 Chapter 5

Conclusion & Suggestions

st
The philosophy of Sarvodaya will be very important in the 21 century due to complexity of
human behaviour. It is perhaps the only way to solve the problems of unemployment, unequal
distribution of wealth, growing corruption in public life etc. It is a search light for us which
shows the right way through which we can reach our destination, namely freedom, peace and
universal brotherhood. In the words of Gandhi, if we follow the path of Sarvodaya, the
Kingdom of God can establish on earth.

Sarvodaya is the application of the principle of nonviolence in the transformation of societies:

from their present forms which are mostly exploitative and disfavour the most disadvantaged,
toward more balanced, inclusive and equalitarian forms in which could be enshrined the
principle of Social Justice for All. Gandhi’s vision embraced a holistic approach to life.
Gandhian Sarvodaya remains his major and distinctive contribution to India, a vision that looks
forward to the creation of an ideal society, a sarvodaya society that is nonviolent and peaceful,
non-exploitative and equalitarian in nature as well as structure. Gandhian Sarvodaya vision as
well as action has high contemporary relevance. The neo-liberal market forces in the present
day globalised world are exploiting the poor and marginalised; thousands of farmers
committing suicide in different parts of India; and Special Economic Zones are being created
and fertile lands being taken away from the hands of the poor peasant community and handed
over to corporate houses in the name of industrialisation and economic growth. Depleting
natural resources like water, which remained communitarian so far, are being allowed to be
commercialised. The gap between the rich and poor within the country and rich and poor
countries are getting widened day by day. The ideal of the sarvodaya- non-exploitation and
equality – needs to be taken as a guiding spirit to do away with this disparity, which may
eventually lead to crises and calamity. As such, the sarvodaya ideal is more relevant today than
ever before.

We can conclude that Sarvodaya ideals are not practicable. Though the ideals of sarvodaya will
be noble. Nobody can find fault with them, in the actual world. They will be found wanting. It
will be almost impossible to establish a society strictly on the basis of great principles by
Mahatma Gandhi and others. Sarvodaya doctrines are soaring and it is doubtful whether they

23
can rest on the earth. The poor record of Panchayat Raj in India bears testimony to the backward
condition in which people are. In the highly competitive world, one country can not succeed in
having Gramraj. Unless all states in the world accept the Sarvodayan idea. The chances of
having it is a particular country like India are bleak. As well as, it is difficult to bring a change
of the heart in the youth, who is given to selfishness. People donated useless land in response
to the Bhoodan. So, need of the present era for youth is 'Think Globally and Act Locally'.

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Bibliography
1. J.P Narayan, The Duel Revolution,Sarvodaya Pracharalaya, Tanjore, 1959, p.6
2. MP Mathai, Mahatma Gandhi‟s World View, Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi,
2000, p.156
3. R.P. Masani, The five Gifts, Part – II, Comet Publications, London,1957, p.7.

4. Harijan, 20/07/1947
 [5] M.K.Gandhi, Sarvodaya,

5. Originally published in the modern Asian Studies, Cambridge University Press, Vol. III,
1969, PP-321-22 Orissa Review.
6. Thomas Veltickal, Gandhian Sarvodaya; A Realistic utopia Gyan Publishing House, New
Delhi, 2002. P-8.

7. Archana Sinha, the school philosophy of Sarvodaya (Patna, Janki, Prakasan) 1978
8. T.S. Deva Das, Sarvodaya and the problem of Political Sovereignty, Madras, 1974
9. Essays on Gandhian Politics Oxford, Clearendon Poets, 1971, PP17-25
10. Gandhi, M.K. The story of my Experiments with truth P 224
11. Gandhi M.K. : Harijan 10 April 1949
12. Kautilya, Arthasastra, Book-I, Chapter VII.
13. Al Quoran, Chap-iv, quoted in Islam byAnnie Besant P-22
14. Sherman, Taylor C. (2015) A Gandhian answer to the threat of communism? Sarvodaya
and postcolonial nationalism in India. Indian Economic and Social History Review. ISSN
0019-4646.
15. Bondurant, Joan. Conquest of Violence: The Gandhian Philosophy of Conflict.
(Princeton, 1958) p 156.
16. Autobiography, part IV, chapter xviii.
17. B.K.Gokhale: Political Science ( Theory & Govt. Machinary);Himalaya Publishing
House
18. M.K.Gandhi: Village Swaraj;Navjivan publishing House,Ahamadabad
19. R. P. Mishra: Rediscovering Gandhi; Volume I: Hind Swaraj-Gandhi’s Challenges to
modern Civilization;Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi
20. J.C.Kumrappa:Economy of Performance;sarva Seva Sangha Prakashan,Rajghat;sixth
Edition 1997
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Referred Links:
22. http://www.sarvodaya.org/about/philosophy/collected-works-vol-2/countrys-crying-
need
23. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarvodaya

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