E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

3Gandhi’s Pancha Mahavrat:Structure, Nature and PraxisRam Chandra PradhanI am deeply grateful to the authorities of Institute ofGandhian Studies (Gandhi Vichar Parishad) for inviting me todeliver Ravindra Varma Memorial lecture for the year 2010.No one is more conscious of my limitations for the job when Ilook at the list of my eminent predecessors. I feel honouredwith a deep sense of humility that I have been given anopportunity to deliver the memorial lecture instituted in thememory of Ravindra Varma, an ardent patriot, a scholar andabove all a true Gandhian. I bow down and do sasthangdandawat in his sacred and hallowed memory.It is a difficult task for any scholar to select a newGandhian theme in a de-novo way for any in-depth discussion.After lot of intellectual hiccups, I have selected the presenttheme. There are several reasons for it. In the first place,Gandhi was basically a man of reasoned faith. It was hisundying faith that ultimately turned out to be in mainstay andprovided substratum for all his actions both secular andspiritual. Hence it needs a deeper probe. Secondly I find thatthe attempt of every branch of social science to appropriateGandhi within its narrow gaze undermines the symbioticrelationship between his life, thought and action. Thirdly, I amalso conscious of the fact that the nature and structure of hisfaith bas not been given the kind of attention it actuallydeserves. They have mostly concentrated on his secular ideas.Fourthly, I am firmly of the opinion that like Panchashila of