Gandhi and National Identities

This book explores the enduring relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas for rethinking national identity in the contemporary world and offers interdisciplinary perspectives on them, spanning political science, sociology, history, Gandhian studies, and cultural studies. The book begins with the premise that understanding a nation requires revisiting how belonging has historically been imagined through cultural narratives, political struggles, and social practices. In the Indian context, the anti-imperialist movement played a crucial role in shaping the idea of the nation, with Gandhi offering a distinctive framework through his concept of Swaraj. His emphasis on the relation between self and others foregrounds a plural and dialogic understanding of nations, nationalism, and national identities. Drawing on Gandhi’s writings, speeches, and political interventions, this book examines key ideas such as non-violence (ahimsa), satyagraha, self-reliance (swadeshi), and inclusive citizenship. It brings together interdisciplinary perspectives to reflect on how these concepts continue to inform debates on nationalism, regionalism, and cultural identity in the twenty-first century. By revisiting Gandhi, the issue invites readers to critically engage with the evolving meanings of freedom, democracy, and collective belonging in a globalised yet divided world. The book offers substantive analyses of Gandhi and National Identities by highlighting the uncharted trajectories in which self and other are not perceived as antithetical but as co-interlocutors in establishing an anti-binary, egalitarian world. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue in National Identities.