Swaraj

Swaraj (Hindi: स्वराज swa- "self", raj "rule") can mean generally self-governance or "self-rule", and was used synonymously with "home-rule" by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and later on by Mahatma Gandhi, but the word usually refers to Gandhi's concept for Indian independence from foreign domination. Swaraj lays stress on governance, not by a hierarchical government, but by self governance through individuals and community building. The focus is on political decentralisation. Since this is against the political and social systems followed by Britain, Gandhi's concept of Swaraj advocated India's discarding British political, economic, bureaucratic, legal, military, and educational institutions.S. Satyamurti, Chittaranjan Das and Motilal Nehru were among a contrasting group of Swarajists who laid the foundation for parliamentary democracy in India.

Although Gandhi's aim of totally implementing the concepts of Swaraj in India was not achieved, the voluntary work organisations which he founded for this purpose did serve as precursors and role models for people's movements, voluntary organisations, and some of the non-governmental organisations that were subsequently launched in various parts of India. The student movement against oppressive local and central governments, led by Jayaprakash Narayan, and the Bhoodan movement, which presaged demands for land reform legislation throughout India, and which ultimately led to India's discarding of the Zamindari system of land tenure and social organisation, were also inspired by the ideas of Swaraj.

Swaraj (book)

Swaraj is a 2012 book by the Indian social activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal, who credits several people with writing it. Published in several languages, including English, Hindi and Malayalam, the book questions the existing democratic framework in India and proposes a way how the people of India can achieve true Swaraj (self-rule). The book was originally published in 2010 by Swaraj Abhiyan Prakashan.

About the book

Swaraj presents a model of governance based on Gandhi's concept of Swaraj or "Home-Rule". Its central point is that power, which is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals in New Delhi and state capitals, must be vested to gram sabhas and mohalla sabhas (Not to be confused with gram or khap panchayats) so that the people may be empowered to take decisions affecting their lives. Citing examples of the Participatory budgeting model of Porto Alegre, the direct democracy model of Switzerland and USA, and the development model implemented by Popatrao Pawar, it proposes a model of governance wherein a sarpanch or local official can take decisions only with the consent of all the people of the village or town. Swaraj also addresses the social concerns of Indians. The book also mentions how India's natural resources are being looted by some crony corporates in alliance with corrupt politicians and how the nation of 1.2 billion is suffering because of a million corrupt people.

Swaraj (disambiguation)

Swaraj is an Indian concept of self-governance.

Swaraj or Swarajya may also refer to:

Politics

People

Other uses

See also