0Introduction: - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Father of our Nation, is an iconic figure in the freedom movement of India, who is well known for his powerful 'Satyagraha' meaning true force. He was a pioneer in the overall development of Indian masses through his village reconstruction programmes. The period between 1915 and 1947 in the history of Indian freedom movement is popularly known as Gandhian Age as during this period Gandhiji exercised his Satyagraha in the wake of attaining freedom of our people from the tyranny of British Colonial rule and the contemporary existing social evils like untouchability, dowry, caste system, etc. thereby, making our country an indestructible one.
After the 2nd phase of the Civil disobedience movement (1932) and the signing of the Poona Pact with Dr. BR Ambedkar in the same year, Gandhiji realised that it was immature of the Indian people to attain complete independence from the hands of the British until and unless the Indians are United irrespective of their existing social obstacles like caste system, gender bias, religious superiority, etc. So he moved on to Sabarmati Ashrama and with the assistance of his followers he employed himself in spreading the basic principles of Satyagraha along with the essential and rational education among the villagers as majority people were concentrated in the villages in those days.
In the wake of removing inequality among people and granting lands to the landless section of the people, under his advice, one of the important satyagrahis, Binova Bhave started Bhoodan Movement by which he approached the rich landlords or Zamindars and persuaded them to sacrifice some portion of their lands for the sake of the landless people.
To uphold the village economy and establish a self-reliant economy, Gandhiji encouraged the cottage industries in the villages by which the villagers are employed in the yarning and khadi making which also aided to the implementation of Swadeshi culture. Gandhiji was against the industrialisation that took place in India in his time as it took away the employability of people in the industries with the replacement of machinery.
Thus, in view of the above facts, in the present-day also, the legislature in India Today launched many socio-economic development schemes in the sweet memory of Mahatma Gandhi. As such, MGNREGA2005 provides 100 days unskilled manual works to the rural people with proper daily wages, which help the villagers to manage their daily economy. Above this, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan was a dream of Gandhiji which the Govt of India is converting into reality now. As such, by 2022, India will be completely open defecation free. Therefore, the role of Gandhiji in village reconstruction is immense beyond compare.
