Revisiting Native Practices through Gandhi and Tagore in South Asian Modernity

Abstract

Background: As a spirit of contemporaneity, modernity fosters a sense of secularism, implying the ability to free oneself from unwanted biases that divide society. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) emerges as the synthesis of tolerance and secular spirit in the first half of the twentieth century through his nonviolent resistance. Similarly, Rabindranath Tagore (1961-1941) critically assesses the ethos of his age and the modes of reformations required therein. Both Gandhi and Tagore base their understanding of native practices and present their voices to explore a new course of life in India, specifically with implications for all South Asian societies in general.

Methods: This study draws on the critical perspectives of multiple modernities, as further developed by Israeli sociological thinker S. N. Eisenstadt (1923-2010), to examine social changes occurring in various contexts. He argues that societies invent their own ways of dealing with the problems that emanate from their local sociological and political structures. This study critically assesses the native practices from which Gandhi and Tagore derive resources to develop their perception of the issues and challenges of their time.

Result: Although the tradition is often viewed as an immature state in the West, Gandhi and Tagore draw on local practices to inform their understanding of the challenges. As the harbinger of change in the South Asian landscape in the first half of the twentieth century, they relied on the redefinition and appropriation of traditional values and resources to resist the imperial forces.

Conclusion: Gandhi and Tagore have effectively harnessed native resources in shaping the ethos of a secular attitude in South Asia.

Novelty: Local resources embody the power to tolerate and transform the native challenges. Since South Asian modernity relies on native practices and their adaptation to contemporary contexts, it possesses a greater ability to navigate contemporary challenges.