Quest Journals Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science Volume 11 ~ Issue 1 (2023) pp: 61-67 ISSN(Online):2321-9467 www.questjournals.org *Corresponding Author: Ashish Sharma 61 | Page Research Paper Gandhi Swaraj Manifesto for the Indian democracy in the Post Covid era Ashish Sharma (PhD Candidate, Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi) Received 20 Dec., 2022; Revised 01 Jan., 2023; Accepted 02 Jan., 2023 © The author(s) 2023. Published with open access at www.questjournals.org Abstract: India achieved Independence in 1947, but its Independence was vastly different from Swaraj envisioned by Gandhi. Gandhi presented his concept of Swaraj as a „soul force‟ aimed at the moral transformation of individuals into duty-bound citizens who could strive for the political Independence of their nation. Gandhi wanted the ideals of non-violence to seep into the core of independent Indian polity and the conduct of citizensand the state as he asserted that without such transformation, political Independence could become a recipe for despotism even in liberal democratic societies. This article highlights the incomplete mission of attaining Gandhian Swaraj as the root of contemporary problems in the Indian polity. This paper takes help from the four significant ideas of the Gandhian constructive program to provide solutions to the major contemporary problems faced by the Indian polity at the beginning of the new decade. The Farmer protests over the set of farming laws passed by the Union legislature find their resonance in Gandhi‟s Swaraj plan for Kisans. Gandhi argued that generating acceptability for the reforms within the people is the first step in introducing reforms. The Gandhian focus of abolition of untouchability translates in the contemporary context into providing employment and educational opportunities along with protection from caste-based violence to the vulnerable sections of society. Finally, Gandhi‟s appeal for non-violence to permeate within every structure of the society as a notion of Swaraj urges us to evaluate the relevance of extraordinary laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)Act. This article deploys the Gandhian idea of Swaraj to interrogate the impact of misuse of extraordinary laws on the quality of democracy in India. The Corona Virus Disease (COVID) of 2019 has provided us with a pause wherein we can evaluate our goals for our future. This pause has allowed us to re-analyze the work of Mahatma Gandhi and incorporate his suggestions as we pursue our collective destiny in the post-Covid world. The article refers to the collected works of Mahatma Gandhi and the commentaries on Hind to present the relevance of the philosophy of Swaraj for modern times. The article concludes by asserting that the philosophy of Gandhian Swaraj, driven by truth and non-violence, can enhance the quality of Indian democracy in the post-Covid era. Keywords: Gandhi, Swaraj, Democracy, non-violence Received 20 Dec., 2022; Revised 01 Jan., 2023; Accepted 02 Jan., 2023 © The author(s) 2023. Published with open access at www.questjournals.org I. Gandhi’s Idea of Swaraj Swaraj for Gandhi is an ongoing process. It is the varying degree of self-control or Swaraj that differentiates a person from an oppressor to a Mahatma. Similarly, it differentiates a state caught in the relationship of subjugation and domination from a state that has secured freedom and prosperity for all of its citizens. He envisioned a similar path for India and all the subjugated races of the world. In his seminal work Hind Swaraj, we may find a glimpse of Gandhi‟s idea of Swaraj and a path to attain it. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a product of his time, and his views on Swaraj have evolved, which we may locate in the Collective Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG from hereon). Gandhi‟s Hind Swaraj is a work of philosophy as well as