Modernization as a necessary evil
Sociologists, even those dreaming of egalitarian society, recognize that equality is not ever possible. We will have to fight continuously against the hegemonic tendencies in society. Healey (2001) says: “To be sure, the future will have conflicts and disputes, and other dimensions of inequality–social class and gender, for example–will continue to divide people into hostile camps. … the boundaries of culture and color that are so significant today–the group affiliations that people daily fight and die for–will become meaningless as humans complete the process of global species consolidation.” The traditional ideal of cooperation goes closest to equality in practice. There is no dispute that the hope of Indian masses found its best and most concrete expression in the ideals of Sarvodaya and Swaraj: in the ideal of development of all combined with the idea of self rule. They are closely linked with the concepts of autonomy of the self and the autonomy of the nation. It is a part of history that after his initial lessons in social and political work, early in political life, Gandhi himself developed disillusionment regarding actualization of the dreams of Sarvodaya and Swaraj. In preface to 1921 edition of Hind Swaraj Gandhi had written that he was trying to realize what he had written in the book in his own life but not in the life of the nation which was not ready for this. To quote:
But I would warn the reader against thinking that I am today aiming at the Swaraj described therein. I know that India is not ripe for it. It may seem an impertinence to say so. But such is my conviction. I am individually working for the self-rule pictured therein. But today my corporate activity is undoubtedly devoted to the attainment of Parliamentary Swaraj, in accordance with the wishes of the people of India. I am not aiming at destroying railways or hospitals, though I would certainly welcome their natural destruction. Neither railways nor hospitals are a test of a high and pure civilization. At best they are a necessary evil. Neither adds one inch to the moral stature of a nation. Nor I am aiming at a permanent summation devoutly to be wished. Still less am I trying to destroy all machinery and mills. It requires a higher simplicity and renunciation than the people are today prepared for. |
Further,
The only part of the programme which is now being carried out is that of non-violence. But I regret to have to confess that even that is not being carried out in the spirit of the book. If it were, India would establish Swaraj in a day. If India adopted the doctrine of love as an active part of her religion and introduced it in her politics, Swaraj would descend upon India from heaven. But I am painfully aware that that event is far off as yet.
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