“Gandhian Philosophy” in Raja Rao’s Kanthapura

Abstract

As an apologist to Gandhian ideology Rao believes that “the future of the world is in Gandhism”. The theme of the novel, “Kanthapura”, has a mythical significance in that the past blend with the present. Raja Rao was influenced by the ideology of Gandhi, which is one of the most challenging ideologies of the 20th century. According to Jawaharlal Nehru Gandhi is “like a powerful current of fresh our… like a beam of light that pierced the darkness and removed the scales from our eyes, like a whirlwind that upset many things, but most of all the working of people’s minds Gandhi gave the great weapon of non-violence to the people of India and strengthened it subsequently by the non-cooperation and civil disobedience movement, not only sought political freedom but also aimed at economic liberty and spiritual regeneration. Gandhi wanted all the people, the opulent and the indigent, to lead a dignified life him to idealize Gandhi as a true God. In Kanthapura Mahatma Gandhi is depicted as an emblem of divine power as well as a great reality.