Rethinking Sustainability from a Gandhian Perspective: A Discourse on Cognitive Justice

Abstract

It was Gandhi who gave centrality to plural ways of thinking and knowing. His entire life and work are directed against the hegemonic order of knowledge production and dissemination. The hegemonic forms of knowledge spearheaded by scientism produce hierarchies between those who possess and profess it and those who do not. Other forms of knowing and acting upon, with and within the environment are rendered illegitimate and unscientific. It is within this context that we need to rethink the concept of sustainability that has emerged as another form of bio-power. Those ontologies that result in unsustainable activities and damage to the environment are also the ones through which sustainability is understood. It is now time to rethink and reimagine the entire discourse on sustainability from a Gandhian perspective that provides an antithesis to the dominant ideologies. The alternative ways of connecting with the environment and a need for a ‘politics’ that brings these alternative debates to the centre of our consciousness are something where Gandhian philosophy shows us the way.

This article tries to understand the concept of sustainability as bio-power and how the Gandhian perspective re-centres this debate around issues of relational ontology, pluriverse and cognitive justice. The utilitarian conception and an occupying ontology towards the environment led to a concept of sustainability powered by scientism. Opposed to this conception is the Gandhian perspective that gives ample space to the locals and the idea of ‘self’ in order to bring about sustainable development. The article also argues that the criticism directed against Gandhi regarding bringing up the issue of ‘moral politics’ through his idea of self is also unfounded and needs to be rejected. Gandhian ideas do not absolve the state from its responsibilities towards its people and the environment, but they bring in the active agency of the people and the ‘self’ in the process of bringing about change in the society.