E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

148 Contextualising Gandhian Thoughtof power in one's own hands. The strength to exercise suchcontrol, he thought, would, come from Satyagraha.Gandhi called himself a practical idealist. The adjectivemay seen irksome or uncomplimentary to some. But Gandhiwas a realist par excellence.While he talked of the ideal of a stateless society, healso warned us that the ideal was like Euclid's line. In theory, atruly non-violent society needs no government. The individualwill have acquired such self-control, and will be so consciousof, and loyal to, his duties that there would be no need forexternal control. Maximisation of self-restraint would makeexternal restraint, and the state which is an organ of externalrestraint, unnecessary. But such self-control, readiness forSatyagraha, and unswerving allegiance to duty cannot becreated over night; and as long as there are imperfections andinadequacies in these crucial factors, some kind of governmentwill be necessary. But that government must be one whichgoverns least, which does not extinguish the right of, or thecapacity for Satyagraha. It must be based on a system in whichpower is decentralised and exercised by representatives electedby adult franchise, and accountable to the people. Gandhi evenmused that such a government might not be 'coercive' in thecurrent sense, "but in their hands, power can be as light as afeather which would not crush anybody,"In the Aga Khan's Palace, when "Dr. Sushila Nayyarasked Gandhi, 'Do you believe that in an ideal society there willbe no need for a government" he replied, "I believe we shallalways need a government, but in an ideal society it will be runby ideal men. In the ancient times people were guided by sages.It will be a government of sages (Rishis). In modern times asage is one who is most highly educated, fired with the spirit ofservice and capable of rendering service. Such a man would notrun after power, but the people can understand that they can not