9
The Issue of Purity
of Means in Our
Times
I would say ’means are after all everything’. As means so
the end...There is no wall of separation between means and
end. Indeed the Creator has given us control [and that too
very limited] over means, none over the end. Realization of
the goal is in exact proportion to that of the means. This is a
proposition that admits of no exception.
M.K. Gandhi
It is widely believed that the present is the age of science and
universalism. Everything including economics, markets and
commercial exchange of goods are getting globalized. But it seems
that we are not examining the underlying idea behind all these
developments. The first question worth considering in this regard
is whether there is any intimate connection between material and
spiritual aspects of human life? Another question that comes to
my mind is whether there is any relationship among principles of
philosophy and human conduct? Or are they different from each
other and as such should be taken as being mutually exclusive?
There are people who believe that principle and practice, the
means and the end are two different things and there is no need to
establish any kind of symbiotic relationship between the two.
As an extended corollary, it is said that a man of truth and high
principles is not a practical man. He finds it difficult to grapple with
the empirical realities of the world. But on a closer examination one
could clearly see that such broad assertion is not true. This could
The Issue of Purity of Means in Our Times 87
not be a universal truth. On a more fundamental level, one could
ask whether there is a real distinction between profession and
practice? We often forget that a man of truth could be a practical
man—a man of the world. It is a basic premise of science that the
veracity of any principle could be tested in terms of experimentation
and observation. But the latter also must be truthful. New finding
in the arena of science are of two types—discovery and invention.
To unveil some realties, some principles which are already existing
is called discovery. Creating something brand new, whether in
material or in terms of idea is called invention. But we accept the
findings of only such scientists, whose mind and heart are pure and
authentic. Anyone who is untruthful and unauthentic could never
be taken as a scientist. But we look at the practical side of life in a
different perspective. Something that is not simple and straightforward is called practical. Hence a simple and straightforward
man could never be considered as a practical man. At the same
time it is also said that honesty is the best policy. That is taken to be
a guide for the practical side of life. Unfortunately, the term policy
is interpreted in such a way that under the garb of truth, most of
the times, untruth and falsehood are marketed in the world. This
is not principle but just a policy. Nor it is truthfulness. Most of the
time when we make purchases, we do it on the basis of trust and
honesty of the shopkeeper. We do not buy everything after testing
or tasting or closely examining it. We stop purchasing things from
a shopkeeper if we find him dishonest and unauthentic. Thus it
is expected that even the market should be governed by certain
norms and certain rules of moral conduct.
It is true that black market and smuggling are quite widespread.
Many of us try to free ourselves from the consequences of our
sinful acts, by making some donation to some temple or social
organization. An economics based on exploitation is nothing but
bad economics—an economics of human misery and selfishness.
Taking undue advantage of someone’s helplessness and on the top
of it making it a source of earning is nothing short of an art and
science of misery. Unfortunately, the goods produced by child
88 Contemplating Gandhi: Essays on Mahatma’s Life and Thought
labour, women, the poor, and the unemployed turn out to be
less expensive. But why should it be so? Is it the exploitation that
makes them less expensive? If our goal is to build an exploitation
free society then why not to insist on the kind of social practice
which is in consonance with that high ideals? Otherwise, under the
name of globalization, exploitation would increase in geometrical
progression. Market and the entire economic science would be in
the grip of globalization. All of them would be devoid of the milk
of human compassion. Hence, there would be only globalization
of exploitation. And that kind of globalization would only lead
to the misery and penury of the people. It was to prevent such a
scenario that Vinoba had said: ‘Think globally but act locally’. In
other words, the basic thought should be universal but swadeshi
should be the guiding norm of our action or practice. In the
absence of such a word view, we cannot think of the purity of
means as a practical guide to our life. In modern times science and
spirituality would have to be kept in consonance. In the absence of
human approach, science would be nothing short of destructive in
nature and its gradual progression would ultimately result in total
ruination. It is a well-known principle that if the food is pure, then
its essence would be the same. The same principle should apply to
the basic unity of profession and practice—thought and action. If
purity of means is lost, then the end in its outcome is bound to be
impure.
In response to the question as what is swaraj, Lokmanya Tilak
had said that national education is swaraj, swadeshi is swaraj and
even boycott is swaraj. All these were as the means of swaraj—
pathways to swaraj. Similarly, Gandhiji had equated swaraj with
Khadi and the elimination of untouchability. Hence he wanted
the purity of means to be maintained which would automatically
take care of the ends. Thus, no revolution would be possible
unless its end, individual practice and its major means are kept in
consonance with each other. That is the reason Gandhiji has often
asserted: ‘My life is my message.’
The Issue of Purity of Means in Our Times 89
Unfortunately, today we are leading a double life— a life full
of hypocrisy. We have divided our conduct or character in two
compartments—one for the individual life and the other for the
public life. When a question is raised about individual conduct,
one is asked to look at his public conduct. Similarly, when fingers
are raised against one’s public conduct, we are asked to focus on
the good record of his individual life. That means that we should
examine only that part of one’s life which is convenient for us at a
particular moment. In such a perspective, both individual conduct
and the purity of means become context specific—to be judged on
the basis of the context and not that of universal human values.
Such a life could not make any positive impact on the wider society,
as it would be simply taken as the life of hypocrisy. Hence there is
a need for the unity of the means and the end. This would come
only through one’s purity of mind and insistence on the purity
of means. That is why Gandhiji had insisted on his eleven vows,
which serve both the purpose of purity of mind as well as that of
means. These vows are always helpful in freeing man from various
kinds of bad worldly entanglements.
In our age, democratic system is our goal and election is
its major means. Hence there is an insistence that candidates
for election should be of high moral character. At the time of
nomination for the election, a prospective candidate would have to
provide detailed information about his property and his conduct
and about criminal cases pending against him. He has also to
provide relevant information about his entire family, including
their ownership of the property. In the absence of such restrictions
the goal of democracy could not be achieved. In other words, it is
expected that such code of conduct is applicable to the prospective
candidates and that would also serve the final goal of popular rule.
I am strongly of the opinion that similar code of conduct should
be evolved for the citizens as well. Voting right is a sacred duty. It
is like chastity of a woman. It could not be taken as a gift without
proper thought and consideration. Sale and purchase of votes on
90 Contemplating Gandhi: Essays on Mahatma’s Life and Thought
monetary consideration as well as its misuse on the basis of caste,
religion, creed, language and region are sinful acts. Voting right
should not be made a marketable commodity. It should not be
allowed to be vitiated under any kind of power, be it muscle power,
wealth power, political power or mafia power. Thus any misuse of
voting rights, whether under the compulsion of fear or greed is
nothing short of the murder of democracy. It is the betrayal of the
popular trust. Our votes should never be cast in favour of those
who suffer from any kind of drug addiction or those who practice
untouchability or those who have violated and deprived the people
of their fundamental rights. There should be some restrictions on
the nature of election campaign so that it is not carried out on
the basis of falsehood and misinformation. All these norms should
be equally applicable to the elections to even cultural, social and
literary organizations.
Some moral norms must also be observed by people’s
representatives in the post-election period. Bribery is not the only
type of corruption. It involves all kinds of immoral acts. Today
social acceptance of corruption has reached an unprecedented
scale. It is often forgotten that anyone, who fails to observe certain
moral norms and purity of means in his dealings with others,
could be taken as indulging in a bigger act of corruption than one
who is simply taking a bribe. Such a behaviour could lead to the
vitiation of the entire social environment. The primary reason for
such deterioration in our all walks of national life is the insatiable
desire for ever rising standard of life in material terms. Greed and
not the need has become the driving force of our life. Another
factor contributing to such a state of affairs is our deep sense of
cut-throat competition. Everyone is competing against each other.
Cooperative spirit has virtually disappeared from our social life. In
the process, we have come to repose greater faith in violent means,
rather than in the change of heart. So much so that a belief is
growing that physical murder of any person would also eliminate
his thoughts. It is such a false belief which is responsible for the
assassination of great men of the world like Socrates, Christ,
The Issue of Purity of Means in Our Times 91
Abraham Lincon, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.
‘Ends justify the means’ is becoming an inseparable part of
popular psyche. Achieving one’s desired goal by hook or by crook
is gripping the mind of the people. Not only that, it is also being
said that the means would have to be invented and used in keeping
with the needs of our ends. We have come to a point where we are
forgetting the simple truth that pure ends could be achieved only
through pure means.
Everything is coming under the purview of commercialization.
Price of a thing, not its value is becoming the ruling norm. Every
attempt would have to be made to restore the primacy of value
in our social life. It has to be introduced even in the marketing
system. Goods being sold and bought in the market must be of the
same quality as it is claimed on their wrappers or advertisements.
Both producers and sellers should be held accountable to it.
Otherwise all kinds of adulterated goods would be ruling the
roost. Such adulteration would not remain confined merely
to consumer goods, the entire society would be dominated by
adulterated human behaviour, including police and judiciary
who are supposed to be the custodians of value and norms in the
society.
There is a saying in Sanskrit that sins committed elsewhere
could be washed out at a place of pilgrimage, but how to get rid of
them if they are committed in the very place of pilgrimage! That
is a puzzling question before a common man. It is widely believed
that science is based on truth—pure and unadulterated truth. But
science is not an end in itself. Rather it is a means for relieving
human beings from drudgery, misery and penury. Hence it has
got to be based on high moral values. But if the purity of means
is not observed in scientific fields, it would lead to total ruination
of human kind. It goes without saying that scientific field is being
vitiated through the use of impure means. Where should we go
then in our search for purity of means? This is a situation of total
despair and helplessness.
92 Contemplating Gandhi: Essays on Mahatma’s Life and Thought
In such a changing situation, man is becoming selfish and selfcentered. Gradually, he is moving towards a state of total hedonism.
The main obstacle on the path of human salvation are: casteism,
mobocracy, multi-nationalisms, misuse of rights, armaments and
corruption. Today’s terrorist might turn into tomorrow’s freedom
fighter! This is not an imaginary situation. It is coming in the very
realm of possibilities. Everyone is aspiring to gain fame and social
recognition, through means whatsoever! The civil society is on the
decline and the power of the State is on the increase. Scientific
instruments and implements are also contributing to the process
of self-centredness of man. He is getting socially isolated. Cellular
phone, credit card, tele-transactions, telemarketing would get
him confined to his isolated place of residence. Sources of energy
would multiply and the society would move towards greater
industrialisation. Every work would be done at a faster pace
making it difficult for man to fruitfully use his spare time. As a
resultant boredom, the tendency towards suicide would be on the
increase. Prosperity would bring more misery in its trail. Mental
disorders might become the order of the day. In the process, man
would become less and less important. Human values would go
down the drain. Idealism would be out of tune with our times. This
is the total situation facing man today.
In such a situation of total despair, who would talk about the
importance of such moral value as purity of means? Will symbiotic
relationship between means and ends survive in such a desperate
situation? Will the ultimate goal of human salvation last in such
a mindless search for material success through fair or unfair
means? This is the question which confronts the human mind
today. The future generations would have to find answers to these
puzzling questions. There would be people who would say that
Mahatma Gandhi with all his emphasis on the purity of means
and its symbiotic relationship with ends has become outdated
and anachronistic. If that happens, it would be our ill luck, as
the international prestige of our country along with its cultural
identity would be wiped out. One sincerely hopes that such a
tragic situation would never overtake India—Our motherland.