Gandhi’s System of Non-violence Protest with Political Problems

Selected Political Writings is a book written by Mahatma Gandhi through which he is able to assess different issues arising in society and discusses them critically in his view. In the book, Gandhi has discussed various political problems issues in the society and how they could be solved by non-violence system which he explains in his way of thinking. Although many may doubt that non-violence can address all or some political problems, I am compelled to argue that indeed it can if properly handled.

As Gandhi explains in his writing, he is so much concerned about characters such as civility, good manners, and humility which are all critical values for non-violent political protests and most people today lack them in the building of their character. Further, he relates civility and humility as expressions for non-violence spirit, unlike both incivility and insolence which most people have and are indicators of violence. It is evident that lack of proper manners by far delays much necessary and required victory in the struggle that people are hoping for (Gandhi 47). Gandhi cites that the use of politeness disarms anger and hatred since there would be respect created between both parties. He states that if people approached every political problem in a non-violent spirit, it would be more likely that people’s goal would be attained in a shorter duration of time as well as have the country advance much further than it would have taken if violence is involved.

Gandhi believes that it is high time the idea of overawing the government through formulation and participating in large demonstrations is brought to an end (Gandhi 74). He majorly singles out the most common instance where someone is arrested and the mob results to violence in the streets. From that example, I buy his idea that people should have the courage and treat an arrest as a normal condition of life especially if one is a non-cooperator following political problems affecting them. Arrest and imprisonment are conditions that people need to try and strive to embrace just the same way a soldier goes out to battle and is ready for death. Gandhi explains that defeating the political oppression from the government is much possible if people can obey and observe courting rather than trying to avoid imprisonment even if it means people showing they are ready to be arrested and imprisoned in masses. Thus, it is accurate to say that people can ultimately trump and gain long-awaited political victory when thousands of them agree to be led into prison just as lambs who are being taken to a slaughterhouse. Therefore, if people willingly behave like lambs, they even can save themselves early enough from the butcher’s knife which in this case is the political problems affecting them. Being imprisoned for no wrong in a way can lead people to be triumphant over political issues facing them. Thus, the higher the innocence, the closer and swifter people realize victory since governments’ take advantage of people’s fear for jails (Gandhi 74).

When people also practice civil disobedience which ideally works as a state of peaceful rebellion, where they refuse to obey every single state law, it is undoubtedly more dangerous than going out in armed protests (Gandhi 74). It becomes a challenge for political oppressors to figure out whether people participating in civil resistance are ready to face extreme hardships. A calm atmosphere is maintained for the fight against political issues. By that, political defiler’s pleasure is lost when a victim displays no force resistance when calmly fighting back. This method can have the best results when first is applied by people’s representative nonviolently where they get arrested for civil disobedience, and then the rest mob follows the same path in large magnitude. It is worth to note that when acts such as violence are involved in seeking and striving for solutions to political problems, they pose a fraught threat which can be of the greatest danger since they require very high skills in handling them. Thus, bringing a successful boycott introduces a powerful atmosphere to win, and no government can resist. Therefore, it is essential if people focus on nonviolent actions and be patient to invest in mass disobedience to have their political problems solved (Gandhi 75).

Gandhi is particularly concerned with people knowing their rights and most importantly understanding their duties which they are tasked to perform for their country. Thus, to be a true citizen of a country one needs to abide and perform the required duties to gain the rights of citizenship of the country they belong to. He clearly states that anybody is free to tell lies or either resort to “goondaism,” however, the exercise to such a right is harmful to both the exerciser and society at large. Therefore, to anyone who observes the virtue of telling the truth and observes the spirit of non-violence while fighting political problems gains prestige and is easily accorded the rights fighting for (Gandhi 106). Gandhi suggests that for people to be effectively granted rights fighting for may they be relating to political issues; it is important everyone carry’s themselves more respectfully and most importantly in a less violent way without protests. He argues that the people needed to have a spirit where they advance civic responsibility by social activism to uplift others as a result making political independence more meaningful when they work on a specific agenda steadily (Gandhi 106).

From the above discussions, I am compelled to believe that the discussion by Gandhi for people not to use violence such as protests to solve political problems is a much more effective and mature way that political issues can be addressed. From the discussion, Gandhi describes some various ways which can be used to solve political problems, and I find them more relevant especially for the stability of a country in maintaining less disruption as well as attaining smooth transition on the political matters, unlike instances where violence is involved.

Work Cited

1. Gandhi, Mahatma. Selected Political Writings. Ed. Dennis Dalton. Hackett Publishing Co. 1996.

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