Abstract
Radhakrishnan's panegyrics on Gandhi have reinforced the popular and now well-entrenched image of Gandhi as India's Great Soul. A cursory reading of Radhakrishnan's works might suggest that he was an unwavering supporter of Gandhi. Challenging this popular perception, the author argues that throughout his life Radhakrishnan remained critical of several facets of Gandhi's thought and practice. Among them, renunciation and celibacy (brahmac, and satyāgraha (non-violent resistance) with its methods of non-violence (ahimsā) and swadeshi (self-reliance) are recurring themes with which Radhakrishnan took issue. The author claims that neither the basis of Radhakrishnan's criticisms nor his estimation of Gandhi remained constant. Instead, Radhakrishnan's perception of Gandhi reflects the development of Radhakrishnan's own philosophical, religious and political sensibilities.
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