Author(s):
Dhananjay Kumar, Parvesh Kumar
Email(s):
2430phd.dhananjay1@kuk.ac.in
DOI:
10.52711/2321-5828.2026.00037 
Address:
Dhananjay Kumar1, Parvesh Kumar2
1Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India.
2Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India.
*Corresponding Author
Published In:
Volume - 17,
Issue - 3,
Year - 2026
ABSTRACT:
We can count the greatest changes in the democratic and political arena of the 21st century as the evolution of mass movements in modern-day India. The social organisation, strategies and perspectives of collective political mobilisation have been changed by globalisation, neoliberal economic reforms, technology and communication, identity politics and the development of civil society. These changes notwithstanding, the Gandhian philosophy remains highly relevant to today's democratic struggles. The movements of Corruption, Environmental Justice, Transparency, Citizenship, Agrarian Distress, Democratic Accountability, etc., are still affected by the ethical principles of Satyagraha, Ahimsa, Swaraj and Sarvodaya. This paper, with a Gandhian perspective, critically analyses the nature and history of the present-day mass movements in India – how mass movements of a democratic nature are continuing, how they are being adapted and transformed in the post-liberalisation phase. The study makes a case that in spite of the context of the contemporary movements being technologically mediated and media-driven, they have still been perceived as moral legitimacy in the context of Gandhian ethics of non-violence, participatory democracy, collective moral action and peaceful resistance. While the paper demonstrates Gandhian principles' relevance to the process of democratic mobilisation, it is also undergoing the process of transformation in terms of both its ideology and methodology, as can be seen in the various movements explored, such as the Right to Information Movement, the Narmada Bachao Andolan, the anti-corruption movement by Anna Hazare, anti-CAA protests and the Farmers' Movement, etc. The study also focuses on the dilemmas of the Gandhian values in the face of globalisation, digital surveillance, polarisation, media spectacle, consumerism, and identity politics. The ideas of ethics and democracy advanced by Gandhi can still be a useful instrument to address the current problems of political disaffection, inequality and democracy. This change from corporeal Satyagraha to digitally-mediated resistance is not an indication of the decreasing relevance of Gandhian philosophy, but rather of its capacity to adapt to new socio-political contexts. Gandhi's ethics cannot be ignored as it is clear that they are of great importance to understand the metamorphoses of mass movements in modern India, and the fear of democracy, social division and rising inequalities are taking their toll.
Cite this article:
Dhananjay Kumar, Parvesh Kumar. Transformation of Mass Movements in Contemporary India: A Gandhian Perspective. Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. 2026;17(3):203-7. doi: 10.52711/2321-5828.2026.00037
Cite(Electronic):
Dhananjay Kumar, Parvesh Kumar. Transformation of Mass Movements in Contemporary India: A Gandhian Perspective. Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. 2026;17(3):203-7. doi: 10.52711/2321-5828.2026.00037 Available on: https://www.rjhssonline.com/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2026-17-3-9