GANDHI’S VISION OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

The social thought of Gandhi takes a holistic approach to the society, with definite premises and logically derived conclusions. Although developed and explicated primarily in the context of India, his ideas have an abiding universal relevance. The book traces the sources and evolution of Gandhi’s social ideas, explains his vision of the ideal society and perception of contemporary social structure, and presents his analysis of the issues in social change in India. The book concludes with a searching construction of Gandhi’s theory of social change.

In the backdrop of the renewed attention on Gandhian ideology and practice in recent years, the book will prove to be a valuable addition to the writings on Gandhi, as it focuses on lesser studied aspects of Gandhian thought and has a comprehensive approach to the many dimensions of his personality, ideas and activities.

Malabika Pande is Associate Professor in Modern History at the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Earlier, she had also been associated with the Allahabad Museum, the University of Allahabad, the Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute and the UP State Institute of Educational Management and Training.

She is interested in Gandhi’s social theory and praxis, and has been involved in theoretical issues and activist concerns related to them for the last two decades.