 |
| Gandhian Episteme of Violence and Contemporary Indian Marginality — A representative image. |
File Information
| Document Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | GANDHIAN EPISTEME OF VIOLENCE AND THE CONTEMPORARY INDIAN MARGINALITY |
| Article Credit | Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR), ISSN: ISSN-2349-5162, Vol.: Volume 6, Issue: Issue 6, Year: 2019, (Pubd in: Jetir.org) |
| Author | Dr. Akbar Chawdhary (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India) |
| Subject | This article studies Gandhi's ahimsa and violence alongside Fanon in relation to Dalit, Adivasi, and minority marginality in contemporary India. It argues for rethinking non-violence as minimum violence and for placing recognition, selfhood, and structural exclusion at the centre of political struggle. |
| Category | Academic article |
| Institution | Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) |
| Country of Publication | India |
| Main Topics | Gandhi's ahimsa and satyagraha, Violence as self-constitution in anti-colonial thought, Comparative reading of Gandhi and Frantz Fanon, Colonialism and modernity in India, Dalit and Adivasi marginality, Recognition, representation, and redistribution, Right-wing populism and communal violence, Postcolonial resistance and selfhood |
| Number of Pages | 6 |
| Language | English |
| File Type | |
| File Size | 625.4 KB |
Summary Note of this Document
GANDHIAN EPISTEME OF VIOLENCE AND THE CONTEMPORARY INDIAN MARGINALITY
This article examines Gandhi's epistemology of violence and non-violence in relation to contemporary Indian marginality. Using Gandhi, Frantz Fanon, and postcolonial theory, it asks whether ahimsa can adequately address the lived realities of Dalits, Adivasis, and other excluded groups in present-day India. The author argues that Gandhi's ahimsa should be read as a principle of minimum violence rather than absolute non-violence, especially where the state, social prejudice, and structural exclusion continue to deny dignity and recognition. The essay places Gandhi's ideas alongside Fanon's defence of revolutionary violence in order to compare two different strategies of anti-colonial self-formation. It also discusses modernity, nationalism, colonial culture, Hindu revivalism, Swadeshi, and the limitations of policy approaches that emphasize only redistribution and representation. In the final section, the discussion turns to contemporary India, where Dalits seek self-respect, Adivasis contest dispossession, and minorities face intensified othering. The article concludes that the question is not simply whether violence is justified, but how marginalized communities can reclaim agency when moral appeals to the state remain ineffective.
Core Themes
- Reinterpretation of ahimsa
- Structural exclusion and recognition
- Colonial and postcolonial selfhood
- Violence and resistance
- Marginality in contemporary India
Keywords
About Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi lived from 1869 to 1948. Born in India, he trained as a lawyer and became a political thinker. Colonial rule repelled him. He opposed it fiercely and eventually led India’s independence movement.
Gandhi pioneered Satyagraha, the power of truth and nonviolent resistance. He put these ideals into practice during political and social upheavals. Over twenty years in South Africa shaped his thinking. That’s where he developed his tactics of nonviolent defiance. He returned to India in 1915 and launched major movements against British rule. Non-Cooperation Movement. Salt March. Quit India Movement. Each one challenged colonial domination.
In 1883 he married Kasturba Gandhi. Marriage and family life remained central to who he was. He spoke powerfully about his beliefs. His writing included Hind Swaraj, Satyagraha in South Africa, and The Story of My Experiments with Truth, his autobiography.
His vision stretched beyond political independence. Religious harmony mattered to him. Social equality. Self-reliance. Women’s rights. Ending untouchability. All of these were part of what he fought for.
Nonviolence and Satyagraha shaped movements worldwide. Civil rights activists drew from his example. Freedom struggles across the globe felt his influence. His approach changed how people thought about resistance and change.
Complete Gandhi Research Collection
Download the entire collection of Gandhi research PDFs available on HISTORY MARG