Write a note on Gandhi and environment.

This is a fairly diverse topic.  On one hand, Gandhi would
probably argue that the environment in which one practices his philosophy is
irrelevant.  Gandhi's moral code that called for individuals to rise above their own
contingencies is universal.  The idea that political liberation is secondary to
spiritual transcendence is critical to Gandhian thought.  Yet, the reality is that
environment played a vital role in the implementation of his thought.  The environment
of South Africa was one environment with a different set of conditions as opposed to the
Indian subcontinent.  The environment in the latter was filled with different groups,
larger terrain, as well as more issues of divisiveness that helped to bring out some of
the more complex nuances to his philosophy.  The environment played a large role in the
determination of its success and I think that even the most zealous of followers would
concede that environment, even in a philosophical setting that seeks to transcend it,
plays a defining role in its effectiveness.