Gandhi's Trusteeship Theory

Gandhi’s efforts towards “spiritualizing economics” is reflected in his concept of
Trusteeship. Gandhi’s idea of Trusteeship arose from his faith in the law of
non-possession. It was founded on his religious belief that everything belonged
to god and was from god. Gandhi suggested this concept as a answer to the
economic inequalities of ownership and income; a kind of nonviolent way of
resolving all social and economic conflicts prevalent in the world. In concrete
form, Trusteeship formula reads as follows:

·      Trusteeship provides a means of transforming the present capitalist order into an
egalitarian one.

·      It does not recognize any right of private ownership of property, expect so far as
it may be permitted by society for its own welfare.

·      It does not exclude legislation of the ownership and use of wealth.

·      Under state-regulated Trusteeship, an individual will not be free to hold or use his
wealth for selfish satisfaction, in disregard of the interests of society.

·      Under such an economic order, the character of production will be determined by
social necessity and not by personal greed.

·      Just as in the case of a decent minimum living wage, a limit should be fixed for the
maximum, income that would be allowed to nay person in society. The difference
between such minimum and maximum incomes should be reasonable and equitable and
variable from time to time, so much so that the tendency should be towards the
obliteration of the difference.

The Gandhian concept of Trusteeship departs significantly from Marxian economic philosophy
too. If Marxism is the child of the industrial revolution, Gandhian theory can
be understood only in the context of certain basic spiritual values of the
Indian tradition.