Hind Swaraj, the only book that was printed in Gandhiji’s own handwriting, and which was written in Gujarati and then translated into English by Gandhiji himself, was released in a new form at the Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram on Sunday.
The text adopted in the book is that of the revised new edition published in 1939 by the Navjivan press in Ahmedabad. Jitendra
Desai, the managing trustee ofNavjivan Trust said, “In 1985-86, a student of National Institute of Design (NID) Swati Sarin went to Navajivan looking for a book design project.” Later, she planned to explore the Hind Swaraj in Gandhiji’s handwriting as her
design project.
The book was released by eminent Gandhian Narayan Desai to mark the centenary year of the book. The book is the key to understanding Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts which are still relevant even after 100 years.
The book was originally written in Gujarati when Gandhiji was returning from England on the Kildonan Castle. It was published by Indian Opinion. Issued as a booklet in January 1910, it was proscribed in India by the government of Bombay on March 1910. This hastened Gandhiji’s decision to publish the English translation which was issued by the International Printing Press, Phoenix.
The book contains Gandhiji’s writing, letters and articles in three languages, English, Hindi and Gujarati, with the original text written in Gujarati. Desai further said that since it the centenary year of Hind Swaraj we should recollect and ponder over views and visions expressed by Gandhiji in the book.
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