Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule

Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule  is a 1909 treatise by Mohandas K. Gandhi detailing his philosophy for Indian independence.

Summary
The book, formatted in the style of a Socratic dialogue, opens with Gandhi detailing his views of the current state of affairs in the independence movement. He posits that, while previous efforts to obtain independence have been valiant, they have nevertheless been misguided. Though they have succeeded in stirring up unrest in the Indian people, they have not done anything to remedy the institutional and cultural phenomena that characterize imperialism. Gandhi believes that the cause of this is that they have not been employing right means to obtain their ends. He believes that the currently employed methods will serve only to enforce the imperial status quo without restoring Indian civilization itself. He is harshly critical of this British civilization, levying arguments against lawyers, doctors, railways, and machinery. Instead, Gandhi's ideal vision for how Indian independence will be obtained lies in his concept of ''Swaraj. ''Swaraj is characterized by immense control of the self - not just of the body politic, but of one's own self as well. Thus, for Gandhi, the proper tactic for obtaining independence is passive non-resistance, as opposed to brute force which serves only to escalate conflict. Right ends can only ever be reached through right means. Passive non-resistance, which is rooted in a worldly asceticism, relies on the application of "soul-force", a type of willpower. Passive non-resistance requires the individual to follow their principles at all costs, often by employing immense soul-force and even disobeying laws. Only through passive non-resistance can Indian civilization throw off the yoke of British imperialism in all aspects of their lives.

The Moral of the Story
Gandhi's main argument is that of passive non-resistance as a means of conflict resolution. This notion, however, is rooted in a more general concept underlying Gandhi's argument: that one should stick to certain principles at all times, no matter the cost. In delineating the connection between means and ends, Gandhi points out that nothing good can ever come from wrong means. Thus, following principles of right means is the only way to ever achieve anything. He even goes so far as to say that it is "contrary to our manhood if we obey laws repugnant to our conscience". Following one's conscience despite any consequences of the reality at hand is the means of applying soul-force.