Even after more than half a century since independence, communal problems still haunts us in its violent forms. This is in spite of the fact that we are a secular nation. At social level there are Human Right groups, peace builders, educationist, social workers, and policy makers attending to the serious challenges of violent communalism.

Swarajpeeth believes that lasting harmonious relationship among various religious, cultural and social units of our nation can come through social initiatives for trust building and through cultivating a sense of common national purpose and ideals. Every citizen aspires to be a functional and honorable part of the larger nation. He/she aspires to see an authentic reflection of his/her identity in the totality of the national identity. Our problems of violence largely arise from the need to hold on to identity, negotiate identity, and /or resolve conflicts among varied and competing claims of identities.

Dialogue and reconciliation will not be possible until our people re-discover an Indian nationalism that does not provoke exclusion, bigotry, and violence. Mahatma Gandhi stood for that culture of nationalism in his struggle for Swaraj and continues to be a symbol of national unity. A Gandhian understanding of communal conflict can carry us through the violence and fear that so many of our people continue to suffer today. Swarajpeeth holds that we as a nation cannot stand so long as our communities do not share all-inclusive perspectives on citizenship and nationhood.

People need to be encouraged to take up issues of sensitive nature in order to deal with them collectively though the vision of Swaraj, the highest and nonviolent form of democracy as espoused by Gandhiji in Hind Swaraj, and through the means and methods of nonviolence.

What we have Accomplished