Question

According to Gandhi, ahimsa could not be construed to mean ________.
(A) Truth
(B) A positive state of law
(C) Tolerance of the wrong unjust
(D) Doing good even to the evildoers

Answer 1

Hint: Non-violence (ahimsa) means not to commit ‘violence’. It means not to cause any kind of a pain to any creature with body, mind, deeds, and speech. Non-violence has been considered the highest in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Buddhism, the basic mantra ‘Ahimsa Paramo Dharma’ (which means ahimsa is the greatest religion) is also given.

Complete Answer: In the modern period, the movements launched by Gandhi Ji for India’s independence were largely non-violent. Gandhi Ji has considered non-violence to be the means of realizing the truth. According to him, to practice non-violence continuously means to attain the truth in the end but there is no such thing as violence. Non-violence in private life and violence in outer life, these two things cannot go together. Therefore, Gandhi Ji urged to follow non-violence in every part of life. Gandhi Ji said, “This false belief in our mind has taken place that non-violence can only be developed personally and is limited to the individual.” But in reality, non-violence is a social religion and can be developed in a social religion. According to Mahatma Gandhi, these are 3 main goals of non-violence: (1) Truth- only a nonviolent person can know. Violence and truth can never be together. (2) The goodness of others- Without following non-violence, no person can bring into his mind the interest of other beings. (3) The re-creation of society- The basic structure of the re-creation of society is non-violence. Ahimsa is required to run a society properly. According to Mahatma Gandhi, ahimsa could not be construed to mean tolerance of the wrong unjust.
So, the correct option is (C): Tolerance of the wrong unjust.

Note: Gandhi Ji gave freedom to India by using and following this non-violence. Gandhi Ji did not consider anyone an enemy in life and that is probably why he is called Mahatma. Indeed, a person does not have faith in God like Gandhi Ji but his weapon of non-violence cannot be denied.