A ‘polarity’ of ideologies: On Gandhi, Savarkar & Jinnah

Jaipur: The sharply contrasting political ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah came under focus during a thought-provoking session titled "Polarities: Gandhi, Savarkar and Jinnah" at Jaipur Literature Festival Saturday.The discussion featured scholar Makarand R Paranjape, historian Alex von Tunzelmann, and author Kishwar Desai, who examined how the three leaders shaped—and diverged on—the idea of Indian nationalism.
Paranjape said it was after the Khilafat Movement, launched to restore the Caliphate in Turkey, that Gandhi, Savarkar and Jinnah took to distinctly different political paths. Gandhi supported the movement to promote Hindu–Muslim unity, and when Savarkar was under house arrest in Ratnagiri, Gandhi visited him, during which Savarkar warned that Gandhi's "policy of Muslim appeasement" could ultimately lead to the Partition of India, Paranjape said. Gandhi's views on Hindu–Muslim unity, Paranjape said, remained unchanged.Panelists reflected on the significance of two seminal works published in 1909—Gandhi's ‘Hind Swaraj' and Savarkar's ‘The Indian War of Independence'. While both addressed India's quest for freedom, they offered starkly different visions, with Gandhi advocating non-violence and moral restraint, and Savarkar emphasising armed resistance. The panel noted that together, these ideas profoundly shaped India's political and social discourse in the run-up to Partition and beyond.Paranjape cautioned against viewing early 20th-century politics solely through the binary of secularism and religion. He observed that Jinnah was once regarded as the champion of Hindu–Muslim Unity, Gandhi described himself as a Sanatani Hindu, and Savarkar was an atheist. He cited anecdotes to underline these contrasts, noting that while Jinnah, advocating Muslims, was known for his preference to eat salami (pork), Savarkar openly rejected religious orthodoxy.Paranjape also pointed out that while Jinnah criticised Gandhi as impractical, Savarkar praised Gandhi's influence, writing in Marathi that Gandhians, despite ideological differences, left a profound impact on society. Paranjape added that Savarkar foresaw several external threats that, in his view, Congress leaders failed to anticipate, and noted that the Hindu Mahasabha was initially founded by Congress figures such as Madan Mohan Malaviya and Lala Lajpat Rai.