Village Republics
India has had experience of. . . village republics, as they were called by Mayne.
I fancy that they were unconsciously governed by non-violence. . . An effort has
now to be made to revive them under a deliberate non-violent plan.
Harijan, 4-8-1940
The best, quickest and most efficient way is to build up from the bottom . . .
Every village has to become a self-sufficient republic. This does not require
brave resolutions. It requires brave, corporate, intelligent work. . .
Harijan, 18-1-1922
Independence must begin at the bottom. Thus, every village will be a republic or
Panchayat having full powers. It follows, therefore, that every village has to
be self-sustained and capable of managing its affairs even to the extent of
defending itself against the whole world. It will be trained and prepared to
perish in the attempt to defend itself against any onslaught from without. Thus,
ultimately, it is the individual who is the unit.
This does not exclude dependence on and willing help from neighbours or from the
world. It will be free and voluntary play of mutual forces. Such a society is
necessarily highly cultured in which every man and woman knows what he or she
wants and, what is more, knows that no one should want anything that others
cannot have with equal labour.
This society must naturally be based on truth and non-violence which, in my
opinion, are not possible without a living belief in God, meaning a
self-existent, All-knowing living Force which inheres every other force known to
the world and which depends on none and which will live when all other forces
may conceivably perish or cease to act. I am unable to account for my life
without belief in this all-embracing living light.
Harijan, 28-7-1946
Top
Widening Circles
In this structure composed of innumerable villages there will be ever-widening,
never-ascending circles. Life will not be a pyramid with the apex sustained by
the bottom. But it will be an oceanic circle whose centre will be the individual
always ready to perish for the village, till at last the whole becomes one life
composed of individuals, never aggressive in their arrogance, but ever humble,
sharing the majesty of the oceanic circle of which they are integral units.
Therefore, the outermost circumference will not wield power to crush the inner
circle, but will give strength to all within and derive its own strength from
it. I may be taunted with the retort that this is all Utopian and, therefore,
not worth a single thought. If Euclid's point, though incapable of being drawn
by human agency has an imperishable value, my picture has its own for mankind to
live.
Harijan, 28-7-1946
The Ideal
Let India live for this true picture, though never realizable in its
completeness. We must have a proper picture of what we want before we can have
something approaching it. If there ever is to be a republic of every village in
India, then I claim verity for my picture in which the last is equal to the
first or, in other words, none is to be the first and none the last. In this
picture every religion has its full and equal place. We are all leaves of a
majestic tree whose trunk cannot be shaken off its roots which are deep down in
the bowels of the earth. The mightiest wind cannot move it. In this there is no
room for machines that would displaces human labour and would concentrate power
in a few hands. Labour has its unique place in a cultured human family. Every
machine that helps every individual has a place. But I must confess that I have
never sat down to think out what that machine can be. I have thought of Singer's
sewing machine. But even that is perfunctory. I do not need it to fill in my
picture.
Harijan, 28-7-1946
I know that the work [of making an
ideal village] is as difficult as to make of India an ideal country. But, while
it is possible for one man to fulfill his ambition with respect to a single
village some day, one man's lifetime is too short to overtake the whole of
India. But if one man can produce one ideal village, he will have provided a
pattern not only for the whole country, but perhaps for the whole world. More
than this a seeker may not aspire after.
Harijan, 4-8-1940
Under Village Republics
I have not pictured a poverty-stricken India containing ignorant millions. I
have pictured to myself an India continually progressing along the lines best
suited to her genius. I do not, however, picture it as a third-class or even a
first-class copy of the dying civilization of the West. If my dream is
fulfilled, and every one of the seven lakhs of villages becomes a well-living
republic in which there are no illiterates, in which no one is idle for want of
work, in which everyone is usefully occupied and has nourishing food,
well-ventilated dwellings, and sufficient Khadi for covering the body, and in
which all the villagers know and observe the laws of hygiene and sanitation such
a State must have varied and increasing needs, which it must supply unless it
would stagnate.
Harijan, 30-7-1938
Top
Village Swaraj
My idea of village Swaraj is that it is a complete republic, independent of its
neighbours for its own vita wants and yet interdependent for many others in
which dependence is necessary. Thus, every village's first concern will be to
grow its own food crops, and cotton for its cloth. It should have a reserve for
its cattle, recreation and playground for adults and children. Then, if there is
more land available, it will grow useful money crops, thus excluding GANJA,
tobacco, opium and the like. The village will maintain a village theatre, school
and public hall. It will have its own waterworks ensuring clean water supply.
This can be done through controlled wells or tanks. Education will be compulsory
up to the final basic course. As far as possible, every activity will be
conducted on the co-operative basis. There will be no castes such as we have
today with their graded untouchability. Non-violence with its technique of
Satyagraha and non-co-operation will be the sanction pf the village community.
There will be a compulsory service of village guards who will be selected by
rotation from the register maintained by the village.
Harijan, 26-7-1942
Government Of Village
The Government of the village will be conducted by the Panchayat of five
persons, annually elected by the adult villagers, male and female, possessing
minimum prescribed qualifications. These will have all the authority and
jurisdiction required. Since there will be no system of punishments in the
accepted sense, this Panchayat will be the legislature, judiciary and executive
combined to operate for its year of office….. I have not examined here the
question of relations with the neighbouring villages and the centre if any. My
purpose is to present an outline of village government. Here there is perfect
democracy based upon individual freedom. The individual is the architect of his
own government. The law of non-violence rules him and his government. He and his
village are able to defy the might of a word. For the law governing every
villager is that he will suffer death in the defense of his and his village's
honour. . . . There is nothing inherently impossible in the picture drawn here.
To model such a village may be the work of a lifetime. Any lover of true
democracy and village life can take up a village, treat it as his world and sole
work, and he will find good results.
Harijan, 26-7-1942
Public Opinion
When Panchayat Raj is established, public opinion will do what violence can
never do. The present power of the zamindars, the capitalists and the rajas can
hold sway so long as the common people do not realize their own strength. If the
people non-co-operate with the evil of zamindari or capitalism, it must die of
inanition. In Panchayat Raj , only the Panchayat will be obeyed and the
Panchayat can only work through the law of their making.
Harijan, 1-6-1947
The real rulers are the toiling millions.
Harijan, 15-6-1947
Top
Kisan - The Backbone
In Panchayat Raj , the
man who should count most in India is naturally the kisan. How to advance him is
the question.
Harijan, 7-12-1947
The greater the power of the Panchayat the better for the people. Moreover,
Panchayat to be effective and efficient, the level of people's education has to
be considerably raised. I do not conceive the increase in the power of the
people in military, but in moral terms. Naturally, I swear by NAI TALIM in this
connection.
Harijan, 21-12-1947
Function Of Panchayat
It is the function of the Panchayat to revive honesty and industry…. It is the
function of the Panchayats to teach the villagers to avoid disputes, if they
have to settle them. This will ensure speedy justice without any expenditure.
You will need neither the police nor the military… Then the Panchayat should see
to cattle improvement. They should show steady increase in the mild yield….. the
Panchayat should also see to an increase in the quantity of foodstuff grown in
their village. This is to be accomplished by properly maturing the soil. You
have your indigenous games. You should banish intoxicating drinks and drugs from
your midst. I hope you will eradicate untouchability if there is any trace of it
still in you village. The Hindus, the Muslims, the Sikhs, the Parsees and the
Christians should all live as brothers and sisters. If you achieve all I have
mentioned, you will demonstrate real independence, and people from all over
India will come to see your model village and take inspiration from it.
Harijan, 4-1-1948
State Of Panchayat
If we would see our dream of Panchayat Raj, i.e., true democracy realized, we
would regard the humblest and lowest Indian as being equally the ruler of India
with the tallest in the land. This presupposes that all are pure or will become
pure if they are not. And purity must go hand-in-hand with wisdom. No one would
then harbour any distinction between community, caste and out-caste. Everybody
would regard all as equal with oneself and hold them together in the silken net
of love. No one would regard another as untouchable. We would hold as equal the
toiling labourer and the rich capitalist. Everybody would know how to earn an
honest living by the sweat of one's brow and make no distinction between
intellectual and physical labour. To hasten this consummation, we would
voluntarily turn ourselves into scavengers. No one who has wisdom will ever
touch opium, liquor or any intoxicants. Everybody would observe Swadeshi as the
rule of life and man would regard every woman, not being his wife, as his
mother, sister or daughter according to her age, never lust after her in his
heart. He would be ready to lay down his life when occasion demands it, never
want to take another's life…
Harijan, 18-1-1948
[This
article is taken from the book "The mind of Mahatma Gandhi "]
