State – related concept of Gandhism:
Mahatma Gandhi was a great freedom fighter and political thinker of India. His state – related thoughts are known as Gandhism. According to Gandhiji, a state does not accomplish any moral purpose, and in fact, it is a symbol of organised violence. It murders the soul of an individual by oppressive powers. Hence, a state is not only an evil, but it is unnecessary also.
According to Gandhiji, a state restricts free awareness of an individual by obstructive control. State’s power of sovereignty is another name of violence and Gandhiji opposed all sorts of violence. According to him, to name or define as laws the state orders based on organised violence ‘is in fact’ to belittle the eternal importance of truth and non-violence. Though Gandhiji was anti – state, he accepted that to end the state immediately is not possible. Apart from this, Gandhiji envisaged the reformist ideal of decentralised village self governance and non – violent democracy.
