SARVODAYA MOVEMENT
Submitted to:
Dr. Avinash Samal
(Faculty Of Political Science)
Submitted by:
Swatantra Pandey
Roll No. 162
Semester II
Sociology Major
Submitted on: 24-11-2014
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........................................................................................ - 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................................... - 3 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. - 4 OBJECTIVES....................................................................................................... - 5 FEATURES OF SARVODAYA MOVEMENT..............................................................- 6 PRINCIPLES OF THE SARVODAYA:.......................................................................- 7 SARVODAYA THOUGHT OF MAHATMA GANDHI...................................................- 8 THE MAIN TENETS OF THE SARVODAYA MOVEMENT..........................................- 9 CRITICISM:....................................................................................................... - 12 CONCLUSION................................................................................................... - 14 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................. - 15 -
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my teacher, Dr. Avinash Samal for his
unstinted support. The topic given to me for my project is one that is very close to my heart
and I hope I have done justice to it. Thank you, jurists, masters of law and various
governmental departments for the expression of your ideas, thoughts and immense amount of
knowledge in the form of the various books, articles and opinions. Without all of this, it
would have been impossible for me to complete my project. My gratitude also goes out to the
staff and administration of HNLU for the infrastructure in the form of our library and IT Lab
which was a source of great help for the completion of this project.
Swatantra Pandey
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research is doctrinal in nature. It is collected from secondary sources such as books,
journals, websites. The topic has been extensively researched upon so as to accomplish the
goal of completion of the current project report
INTRODUCTION
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Sarvodaya means
development
of
all
Tribal
villages
have
system
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OBJECTIVES
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The gain to the individual would be small. The development of each quality depends
upon every other. If all the qualities are improved a little, then the individual would
gain more.
It was Mahatma Gandhi who first used the word Sarvodaya in modern times. Sarvodaya
means the rise or welfare of all. Gandhiji borrowed this concept from John Ruskins Unto
This Last. The proper rendering of Unto This Last would be Antyodaya (uplift of the last)
rather than Sarvodaya.2
Vinobha Bhave rightly says: Of course the last ones uplift is included in the uplift of all, but
in emphasizing the last, the object is that work should begin from that end. For Gandhiji,
Sarvodaya is the true panacea for all types of social or political problems experienced by
Indian society. After the death of Gandhiji, Acharya Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan
have highlighted the essentials of Sarvodaya in their own light.
Vinoba Bhave developed Gandhijis concept of Sarvodaya keeping in view changing socioeconomic circumstances. The movement of Bhoodan and Gramdan and his unique method of
spreading his message of compassion through padayatra have attracted worldwide attention.
J. P. Narayan holds the view that Sarvodaya stands for the sublime goals of freedom, equality,
brotherhood and peace. Realization of a rich, total and integrated life is the basic objective of
Sarvodaya philosophy.
According to Kumarappa, Sarvodaya represents the ideal social order according to Gandhiji.
Its basis is all-embracing love. J. P. Chandra opines that by bringing about a countrywide
decentralisation of both political and economic powers, Sarvodaya provides opportunity for
the all-round development of the individual and the society3.
Sarvodaya seeks the happiness of each and all. Hence it is superior to the utilitarian concept
of greatest happiness of the greatest number. Dada Dharmadhikari highlighted the
distinction between Sarvodaya and western Isms which speaks of three stages in the
evolution of humanist thought; first came Darwin with his advocation of the principle of the
survival of the fittest; next came Huxley with the doctrine live and let live and today,
Sarvodaya going one step further asserts Live in order to help others live.
meaningful and assumes significance only when its structure is reared on the foundation of
village Panchayats.5
The Sarvodaya movement inculcates this democratic awareness among the people especially
among the ruralites. Again in the scheme of Sarvodaya decentralisation of industry takes
place through the organisation of small-scale, cottage and village industries. The reason is not
far to seek.
In a country like India where there is acute shortage of capital and abundance of labour, any
attempt at industrialization through high technology is doomed to failure. Moreover, the
decentralization of production would prevent bureaucratisation of the economic system.
5. Sarvodaya idea contains the content of egalitarianism. It rests on the principle of true
equality and liberty. It stands opposed to exploitation of any kind.
6. The concept of Sarvodaya views work as an offering to the Lord. Further, the principle of
equality of all religions finds better elucidation in some of the thinkers of Sarvodaya
philosophy.
7. In Sarvodaya programme the standard of life is fundamental and not the standard of living.
A rise in the standard of living might even lower the standard of life by reducing mans
physical, moral, intellectual and spiritual standards and powers.
8. The Sarvodaya philosophy stands opposed to parliamentary democracy and party system.
It is because the party system divides the society into various groups. J. P. Narayan wanted to
replace the existing parliamentary system through political and economic decentralisation of
powers and functions. Sarvodaya stands for establishment of an integrated cooperative
society.
9. Sarvodaya programme gives prime place to planning. According to the scheme of
Sarvodaya planning must proceed with two objects: removal of natural or man-made
impediments in the road to the development of man and provision of means, training and
guidance for it.
Economic implications:
Sarvodaya aims at the spiritualisation of politics. It seeks to replace party strifes, jealousies
and competition by the sacred law of cooperative mutuality and dominant altruism.
According to the concept of Sarvodaya, man is essentially good. Human character can
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improve either by Tapasya (self effort) or by appeals made to him by others through such
non-violent techniques as Satyagraha, non-cooperation and fasting.
Political implications:
Sarvodaya attaches importance to lokniti. The concept of lokniti signifies self-restraint, selfabnegation, selfless service to the people, discipline, faith in God and performance of duties
with benign motive. Sarvodaya condemns the majority rule, elections, political parties and
centralisation of power. Gandhiji wanted a Stateless democracy in which even weakest have
the same opportunity as the strongest. The ideal democracy will be a federation of Satyagrahi
village communities based on non-violence.
CRITICISM:
The concept of Sarvodaya has been the target of criticism from different
corners.
1. Sarvodaya philosophy has been branded as Utopia. It is because Sarvodaya assumes the
human being to be an epitome of virtues only. But in reality jealousy, selfishness,
acquisitiveness etc. are ingrained in human nature. Hence establishing a Sarvodaya society
based on mutual love, cooperation, selfless service etc. is, indeed, an impossible task.
2. Sarvodaya movement views the state as an instrument of coercion. But this is only halftruth. The state especially a democratic state can also serve as an instrument to promote
material well-being of the people.
3. Gandhian concept of simple living and high thinking has been contested on the ground
that sometimes people with simplest of food and practice of austerities nurture all types of
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6 http://www.sarvodaya.org/about/philosophy/collected-works-vol-2/countrys-crying-need
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CONCLUSION
Gandhi propounded the theory of Sarvodaya and applied it in the context of particular time,
place and situation. Each age and each problem needs a solution of its own and techniques of
its own to resolve the problem. Those who appears to follow in the footprints of Gandhi how
to evolve techniques different from the one that Gandhi, evolved. In the words of Evikson,
"Gandhiji's instrument in itself once innovated by one of the rarest of men under specific
culture and historical conditions, now exists in the images, impulses and ritualisations of
many who have become aware of it by, what we may call ritual diffusion. It now calls for
leaders who will renovate it elsewhere, sharing, no doubt, some of the personal or historical
motivation of the first leader, the first followers of those first led, but recombining its
motivation with totally new elements."
So, lastly we can conclude that Sarvodaya ideals are not practicable. Though the ideals of
sarvodaya will be noble.Nobady can find fault with them, in the actual world. They will be
found wanting. It will be almost impossible to establish a society strictly on the basis of great
principles by Mahatma Gandhi and others. Sarvodaya doctrines are soaring and it is doubtful
whether they can rest on the earth. The poor record of Panchayat Raj in India bears testimony
to the backward condition in which people are. In the highly competitive world, one country
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can not succeed in having Gramraj.Unless all states in the world accept the Sarvodaya idea.
The chances of having it is a particular country like India are bleak. As well as, it is difficult
to bring a change of the heart in the youth, who is given to selfishness. People donated
useless land in response to the Bhoodan. So, need of the present era for youth is 'Think
Globally and Act Locally'.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Reference Books:
J.C.Kumrappa:Economy
of
Performance;sarva
Seva
Sangha
Website Referred:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarvodaya
http://www.sarvodaya.org/about/philosophy/collected-works-vol-2/countryscrying-need
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