Sarva Dharma Samantva (Equality of all religions), Swadeshi(use of locally made goods) and Sparshbhavna(Untouchability)

Gandhiji said that the basic teaching of all religions is unique.  He likened all the religions to different rivers that converged into a single ocean. As all the rivers have the same nature of water, different religions also deliver the unique message-the message of love, harmony and compassion. Therefore, the sectarian notions and inter-religious hatredness are the artificial creations of vested interests in order to meet their selfish ends. Gandhi had read the sacred books of various religions-the Holy Bible, the Quran and the Bhagavad Gita. After much thought, analysis and deliberation, Gandhi concurred that the tenets of all religions have the same ethos and essence. True religious equanimity and tolerance would be born from the seeds of broad and inclusive perspective of religion, and a compassionate understanding of it.

In Gandhi’s view, an appropriate way to render national service is to use locally made goods for one’s consumption. This idea was propagated by what he commonly referred to as ‘swadeshi’. In his article in the periodical Young India in 1919, he said “My foremost loyalty and sense of alliance is with my next-door neighbor, and I would bear this in my mind at all times”. The crux of this message lies in his urge to adopt swadeshi goods for boosting domestic demand and hence domestic productivity. A nation can truly progress only when it is free from the dependence on foreign goods and products.

Gandhiji repudiated untouchability in every form. He considered untouchability as an unmitigated evil that hinders the development of free spirit and inclusiveness.  The evil of untouchability is a barrier to national integration that was so crucial for the development of a nation. Gandhiji condemened untouchability in the December 1920 issue of Young India” I consider untouchability as a heinous crime against humanity. It is not an act of self-restraint but an arrogant assumption of superiority”