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Gandhi and Trusteeship: Understanding His Ideas on Wealth, Work and Social Responsibility

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Mahatma Gandhi in 1931 during the period when his economic ideas were being discussed

Image: Mahatma Gandhi, historical photograph.

Trusteeship was one of Gandhi’s distinctive ideas about economics and social responsibility. He sought a way to address inequality without relying on violent class conflict.

What is trusteeship?

Gandhi proposed that people who controlled significant wealth should regard themselves as trustees of resources that also had a wider social purpose.

Private property and social responsibility

Rather than calling for the immediate abolition of private property, Gandhi’s model placed ethical obligations on property holders and emphasised the welfare of the wider community.

Connection with nonviolence

Trusteeship reflected Gandhi’s broader preference for social transformation through persuasion, voluntary change and nonviolent action.

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Criticism and debate

Economists and political thinkers have debated whether trusteeship could adequately address structural inequality and how such a model could be implemented in practice.

Why the idea remains relevant

Trusteeship continues to appear in discussions about ethical business, corporate responsibility, inequality and the relationship between wealth and social welfare.

Read NewsNationOnline’s Gandhi and khadi feature and explore the Gandhi Heritage Portal.

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NewsNation Online Desk
The NewsNation Online Desk reports news from Jalna, Marathwada, Maharashtra, India and the world in Hindi, English, Marathi and Urdu. Stories are checked against official sources and published under our editorial standards.