Oceanic circle
Topic: Panchayati Raj: Rural Local Government · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 8 "Local Governments"
Meaning
The oceanic circle is Gandhi's picture of a decentralised society, where power is spread out instead of held at the top. The individual and the self-governing village are at the centre. Around them are "ever-widening, never-ascending circles". In his words, "life will not be a pyramid with the apex sustained by the bottom" (Harijan, 28 July 1946). The outer circles serve and protect the inner ones and do not rule over them.
Example
Class 11 prints the quote as "ever-ascending… will be a pyramid", which turns Gandhi's meaning upside down. Learn the original wording, "ever-widening, never-ascending", because a misquoted version can appear as a trap.
Don't confuse with
- Pyramid (hierarchical) model: there, power flows down from an apex at the top. Gandhi's circles have no apex. The individual and the village are the centre of power.