Gandhi's Ideas on Village Community and Modern Civilisation

Abstract

This article explores the Gandhian idea of Indian village community and his notion of modern civilisation. The village for Gandhi reflected the essence of Indian civilization. According to him, Indian villages were self-sufficient units; he used this notion as a political symbol to strengthen anti-imperialist struggle in India. Gandhi characterised modern cities as symbols of colonial domination, decay and degradation. He emphasised on the programme of rural development. He also identified limitations such as untouchability, pollution etc. in India’s villages and favoured their eradication. This article will explore all this and also try to understand the relevance of Gandhian ideas in today’s context