Gandhi and Hinduism

Abstract

Gandhi’s relationship with Hinduism and other religio-cultural traditions has generally been understood as part of a narrative of uniformity in which there is little scope for internal variations and ambiguities. One of the most important consequences of this uniformity is that the complexities and subtleties of Gandhi’s approaches to the questions of religious and cultural spheres as well as identities are often not given the attention they deserve. Whereas Gandhi carried on a lifelong campaign for the reform of the Hindu society, his self-description as an orthodox or sanatani Hindu also holds important meanings for our understanding of him, especially in view of the fact that he was among the few leaders and thinkers of modern India who accepted and defended what may be described as popular Hinduism. The idea of the equality of all religions implying that all religions are equally true provided the template for his interface with Islam, Christianity and other traditions, without, however, denying the existence and relevance of difference in forms between various religions. Approaching politics as a deeply religious man, he had a lifelong engagement with Hindu leaders and organisations wherein the complexities of his perspective are clearly expressed.