E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

213 Contextualising Gandhian Thoughtbecame the sole legatee of both the sources of power. Gandhitherefore looked for another solution and lighted onTrusteeship.What then is this Trusteeship that Gandhi offers to thecaptain of industry, the landlord, and in fact, to all holders ofpower? Is it the status quo with another name? Is it only anexhortation to philanthropy? Who is a Trustee? What will bethe nature of his title? What remuneration will the Trusteereceive? Who will determine the quantum of remuneration?Will there be any limit on the remuneration? Will Trusteeshipbe heritable or alienable? Who will keep watch on the Trusteeand oversee his functioning? Can he be removed? Who canremove him? Will trusteeship have a legal and institutionalform? Or will it only be a subjective attitude? How can onereach the ideal of Trusteeship? How can the present pattern ofownership be transformed into Trusteeship? Is it only throughverbal persuasion? What if the owners of instruments ofproduction or property refuse to become Trustees?The Trusteeship Gandhi advocated was notphilanthropy. In fact, Gandhi held that "if the trusteeship ideacatches, philanthropy, as we know it, will disappear. 65Trusteeship has nothing to do with philanthropy. Philanthropyor charity may lead to the gifting away of riches. Such adonation or gift is, at worst, charity to curry self glorification,and, at best, an act of expiation or compassion, or even alimited concession to the sense of social responsibility. Butrenunciation of a part of one's riches without the surrender orsharing of ownership is by no means the transition totrusteeship. Trusteeship is nothing less than qualitativetransformation of the attributes and meaning of ownership. Thetest will therefore lie in the attitude to ownership.A trustee is one who holds property or wealth in trust