Making of a Hindu Patriot: Background of Gandhiji’s Hind Swaraj

Description

About the book :

The book tells the story of the evolution of Hind Swaraj, the foundational text of Mahatma Gandhi, as a text of religious patriotism and of Gandhiji as a Hindu Patriot.

The story is told largely in his own words.

Part II of the book compiles 388 extracts, mainly from the writings of Gandhiji from 1891 to 1909, that are relevant to this evolution. The introductory part, Part I, leads the reader through these extensive extracts to weave a connected story of the development of Gandhiji, his campaigns and his ideas during this period.

The book graphically describes the story of the birth of Satyagraha in the historic meeting held at the Empire Theatre of Johannesburg on 11 September 1906. In the extracts entitled “The South African Jail Diary,” it offers a hair-raising account of the tortures that Gandhiji, as also his family and followers, had to go through in the jails of a foreign land in the pursuit of Satyagraha.

The book also documents the two farewell meetings of July 1914, held in Durban and Verulam on the eve of the departure of Gandhiji from South Africa, where Gandhiji was first formally addressed as Deshbhakta Mahatma.

The title of “Hindu Patriot” comes from Leo Tolstoy, who deeply admired Gandhiji “except for his Hindu patriotism”.

About the Authors :

Dr. J. K. Bajaj is the founder-Director of the Centre for Policy Studies. He is currently Member of the Commission to Examine Sub-categorization of the Other Backward Classes set up under Article 340 of the Constitution and Member of the Indian Council of Social Science Research. Dr. Bajaj has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics.

Prof. M. D. Srinivas (b. 1950) is the founder-Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies. He has been the Vice-Chairman of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, and Member of Indian Council of Historical Research.