"Gandhi an experiment with communal politics : Study of Gandhi's role in Punjab politics, 1922-1931"

This is the second volume of our project 'Gandhi And The Punjab' covering the period from 1922 to 1931 during which the province was plunged into the vortex of political controversies resulting from communal conflicts in the area which is now covered by the West Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab and Haryana. Gandhi's intense involvement in these disputes followed from his conviction that any settlement of the communal problem in the Punjab would clear the way for its solution in the country. So the present study, though confined to the events and political situation of one region of the country, may be useful to all the students of Indian History.

Further, it may be of some interest to the students of Gandhian Thought, for it seeks to examine Gandhi's technique of resolving social conflicts in a contextual framework which is the key to understanding Gandhi since his thought-process was anchored to the actual problems of social life that gave shape to his technique and imparted reality to his ideals.

Again, his endeavour towards communal unity is still meaningful to us today as the communal dissensions continue to stare us in the face frustrating our drives towards national integration. His analysis of the problem and the difficulties confronted by him in finding its solution may serve as a basis for a fresh effort to untie the communal tangle.