E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

74 Contextualising Gandhian Thoughtpassions, at the individual level which he sought to integrate inhis concept of Swaraj. In fact, he strongly believed that‘outward freedom would be in direct proportion to internalfreedom’ Besides, he also underscored the point that ‘selfgovernment’would mean the continuous effort to beindependent of government, whether it is foreign or national’.In short, Gandhian Swaraj is just not a theory of governmentbut a ‘self-rule’ of individuals with strong roots in his advaiticvision and symbiotic relationship between God, man andsociety (Brahma, Jiva and Jagat).The Spiritual aspect of SwarajIt is clear for the above that for Gandhi, Swaraj wasmuch more than the mere end of the British colonial rule.Based on his advaitic philosophical position the entire edificeof national independence would have to be built upon the solidrock-bottom of ‘self-ruling’ individuals. And here Gandhi wasnot using ‘self’ in the sense of ‘empirical self’ as understood inwestern intellectual tradition. Here, the self was being used forAtman made of the same stuff as the universal self. When anindividual internalises and realises such a deeper meaning ofSwaraj in the depth of being, he is enriched and endowed witha feeling of fearlessness, self-purification and a unity of allbeings. This is the first step towards Swaraj. For according toGandhi, Swaraj of the people was nothing but the ‘sum total’ ofthe ‘self-rule’ of the individuals.As to why ‘self-rule’ of the individuals was thenecessary foundation for the ‘self-government’ of the people;he advanced a number of arguments. In the first place, theextent of external Swaraj to be achieved by the people wouldbe in proportion to the ‘inner Swaraj’ achieved by theindividuals. Hence, every fighter for freedom would have to gothrough a process of self-transformation. As he himself said :