Beyond Ideological Frameworks: Understanding Gandhi as Gandhi

War always transforms human thinking patterns and lifestyles. After World War II, various ideologies such as postmodernism, feminism, environmentalism, and postcolonialism challenged liberalism and nurtured their own worldviews. One ideology that has constantly remained present in contemporary times is Gandhism. It is interesting to note that Gandhi has been understood within various ideological frameworks, such as his status as a feminist. as an environmentalist, Gandhi, as a postcolonial thinker and as a postmodernist thinker. Methodologically, this study employs a comparative and conceptual analysis of primary Gandhian texts, including Hind Swaraj, his public speeches, published views in newspaper and magazine and his autobiographical writings, along with relevant secondary scholarship. The analysis draws on textual interpretation to map key concepts, interpreting Gandhi’s own language within the context of major ideological frameworks, including feminism, environmentalism, postcolonialism, and postmodernism. Through this approach, the paper systematically situates and contrasts Gandhian positions with those of each movement, while also identifying the limitations of such categorisations. Accordingly, the paper is divided into six parts. The first section introduces the emergence of various ideologies after WWII and sets the stage for understanding their intersections with Gandhism. The second section argues that Gandhi can be viewed as a feminist thinker, demonstrating how his ideas and actions challenged traditional gender roles and supported women's participation in both public and private spheres. The third section examines Gandhi as an environmentalist thinker, arguing that his principles of non-possession, self-restraint, and reverence for nature anticipate many aspects of contemporary environmental philosophy. The fourth section elaborates on Gandhi as a postcolonial thinker by showing how he critiqued Western modernity and colonialism, advocated for indigenous models of development, and promoted decolonisation of the mind. The fifth section analyses Gandhi as a postmodernist thinker, exploring how his scepticism of grand narratives and emphasis on situational truth align with postmodern perspectives. Finally, the sixth and concluding section proposes that Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy transcends modern ideological boundaries, functioning as an organic "spiritual science" that cannot be confined to a single ism.

Keywords:
Ideology, Feminism, Environmentalism, Postmodernism, Postcolonialism, Gandhi