Dear Readers,

Greetings from Global Gandhi!

We are delighted to announce a significant and auspicious development in the evolution of Global Gandhi. The Shanti Sahyog Centre for Nonviolence, located in New Delhi, India (CFN), has entered into a collaboration with the Gandhi Research Foundation (GRF) in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, to bring forth this bi-annual e-Journal. It is with great honour that we introduce Prof. Gita Dharampal, Dean of Research at GRF, as the Co-editor-in-Chief alongside Dr. Suman Khanna Aggarwal, the distinguished founder and President of Shanti Sahyog and CFN. Thus, Volume 2, titled “Engaging with Gandhi in Contemporary Times,” stands as a collective effort between CFN and GRF.

After rigorous scrutiny through blind peer review, the Global Gandhi Editorial Team has carefully curated the following five academic articles for this edition, meticulously selected in accordance with the Submission Guidelines for Authors:

1.”Gandhi’s Vital Pertinence to India and the Contemporary World” by Ambassador P.A. Nazareth (Retd.)

2.”Constitutional State, Civilizational State, and the Gandhian Invocation” by Dr. Shankar Kumar

3.”The Trusteeship Model: A Way Forward to Sustainability” by Dr. Pooja Sharma

4. “The Idea of India: Debating Savarkar’s Nationalism vs. Gandhi’s Civic Nationalism” by Prof. Alok Tandon

5. “Mahatma Gandhi and His Many Critics: The Need for New, Challenging, Creative Interpretations and Applications Today” by Prof. Douglas Allen

In a world grappling with war, political instability, and climate change, Global Gandhi Volume 2 delves into how Gandhi’s enduring legacy, a beacon of hope, can offer practical solutions to our contemporary global challenges. Our aim is to provide readers with a platform for thoughtful reflection and discourse, empowering them to contribute to a broader conversation on the significance of moral leadership, nonviolence, and justice in today’s world.

Following each article, readers are invited to engage in dialogue with the authors and co-editors by utilizing the “Leave a Reply” feature. We encourage you to share your insights, perspectives, and queries, fostering an enriching exchange of ideas.

In the spirit of Gandhi’s principles and the vision of “A World Beyond Violence & War,” we take a moment to reflect on a recent tragic event. On October 7, 2023, a devastating and unprovoked attack by Hamas terrorists resulted in the loss of over 1,200 innocent lives, including women, children, and the elderly, making it the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. In response, we posit that a nonviolent approach, akin to Gandhi’s philosophy, could have offered an alternative path towards resolution.

Had Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, chosen nonviolent tactics, he could have exemplified moral leadership on the global stage. Initiatives such as appealing to international bodies for intervention, urging diplomatic pressure on Hamas for the release of hostages, and leveraging media platforms to highlight the plight of victims could have steered the discourse towards a peaceful resolution.

By drawing parallels to Gandhi’s historic campaigns, such as the Salt Satyagraha and the Dharasana Salt Works protest, we underscore the transformative power of nonviolence in effecting social and political change. Gandhi’s commitment to truth, justice, and nonviolence continues to inspire movements for civil rights and social justice worldwide.

As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, Global Gandhi endeavours to address pertinent questions surrounding the relevance and applicability of Gandhian principles. Through critical analysis and respectful dialogue, we seek to deepen our understanding of Gandhi’s philosophy while acknowledging its limitations in contemporary contexts.

We invite readers to join us in this intellectual journey, where we explore the enduring wisdom of Gandhi’s teachings and their implications for today’s global challenges. By fostering an environment of scholarly discourse and reflection, we aim to contribute to the ongoing conversation on moral leadership, nonviolence, and justice in our ever-evolving world.

Warm regards,

Editors-in-Chief:

Dr. Suman Khanna Aggarwal (President and Founder, CFN – A unit of Shanti Sahyog, New Delhi)

Professor Gita Dharampal (Dean of Research, Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon)