E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Five Fallacies … 149do without him. They will seek him out and put power in hishands". 25This does seem to be too distant a possibility today. Butwhat has been quoted shows that (1) Gandhi visualised 'sages'or wise men running a government and; (2) he thought that inthe hands of such men government need not be a mere coerciveapparatus, but in their hands, 'power could be as light as afeather'. Perhaps such a state is one of the intermediate stageson the way to the closest possible approximation to the ideal. Itshould help us to realise that the institutions that may obtain inan ideal society cannot arise in the immediate future, and can,in fact, arise only when 'ideal' conditions have been created. Inthe meanwhile the direction has to be towards the ideal,although the forms of the institutions may not be what canobtain only in the ideal society.Let us then have a closer look at electoral action. IfGandhi had no faith in the role, power and sanctity of electoralaction, he need not have written the Last Will and Testament.Electoral action can consist of: (a) making the electorateconscious; (b) extending support to one or the other of theexisting parties; (c) forming an electoral organisation of ourown. The need for the first of these is accepted, almost by all.The second been tried, and the experience has not beenencouraging or reassuring. So some amongst us have begun toconsider that the third course of action has become a necessity.They want an organisation that will (1) promote the selection ofa candidate by voters; (2) place a 'manifesto' before theelectorate; (3) ensure that the candidate accepts the manifestoand binds himself to get it implemented; (4) coordinate thework of such candidates who may be elected; and (5) monitorthe work of the elected candidate by making him periodicallysubmit reports of the stand and the initiatives he has taken.Such an organisation will work on the basis of internaldemocracy, and be controlled by the people.