Consider the following statements about the different meanings of ‘Swaraj’ as articulated by Mahatma Gandhi: 1. Swaraj is intimately linked with Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satyagraha (adherence to truth). 2. Swaraj has two senses— one political and one beyond the realm of politics. 3. Swaraj is something that requires time and patience to acquire. 4. With determination, Swaraj could be obtained easily and quickly. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements about the different meanings of ‘Swaraj’ as articulated by Mahatma Gandhi: 1. Swaraj is intimately linked with Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satyagraha (adherence to truth). 2. Swaraj has two senses— one political and one beyond the realm of politics. 3. Swaraj is something that requires time and patience to acquire. 4. With determination, Swaraj could be obtained easily and quickly. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Correct Answer 1, 2 and 3
The correct answer is 1, 2, and 3.
Key Points
- The word Swaraj means self-rule.
- Gandhi Ji's call for a ‘Swaraj in Ideas’ was meant to bring about an ethically grounded cognitive transformation in the Indian status quo.
- According to Gandhi Ji, it is Swaraj when we learn to rule ourselves.
- He told that embracing whole-heartedly one’s own civilization was the first step towards attaining Swaraj.
- Swaraj is intimately linked with Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satyagraha (adherence to truth). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- Swaraj is something that requires time and patience to acquire. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
- Statement 3 and 4 are opposites of each other. So, if statement 3 is correct then statement 4 is incorrect.
Additional Information
- it was Lokmanya Tilak who popularized the concept of Swaraj.
- During the Swadeshi Movement of 1905, B. G. Tilak gave the slogan “Swaraj is my birth-right and I shall have it”.
- For Tilak, Swaraj meant the establishment of a democratic state in which the rights and liberties of the people were held to be sacrosanct.
- Hence we can say that swaraj has two senses, one political and one beyond the realm of politics. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
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Feb 20, 2025