International Journal of History

Commitment to debate and discussion as effective means of conflict-resolution and social progress has always been an integral part of Indian heritage. There is a long tradition of tolerating doubts and disagreements within Hinduism, going back to the ancient Vedas, which had room for profound criticism. Considerable credit also needs to be given to the early Indian Buddhists who convened councils to promote the tradition of open discussion on contentious issues. This tradition of heterodoxy always received understanding and support from many of the outstanding Indian leaders, the foremost among them being Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

Gandhi’s statements were highly contextualized and framed in relation to an individual or a group and always likely to fire back a reply. He never sought to provide a grand political theory and his whole ideological praxis was based on truth. His quest in life evolved constantly in relation to his and other people’s experiences. Hence there was bound to be inconsistencies. For him, his method was dialogic in which knowledge arose from discussion rather than from a unified philosophical system, where there was little room for internal contradiction.

This paper would like to examine Gandhi as a figure whose life and work represented a dialogue between the many complex strands of the thought of his day, both Indian and extra-Indian, and his legacy in India and the world since his death.