There have been few true examples of the use of non-violent political campaigns since Gandhi developed his technique of satyagraha. Given the obvious benefits of non-violence, this begs the question why.

Satyagraha answers this question by showing that the technique of satyagraha is religious as well as moral and political, and that this religious element is one of the factors that have made Gandhian non-violence difficult to understand or truly believe in, especially in the West where the sacred and secular are considered to be separate. If non-violent politics are to be practised in the twenty-first century and beyond, then full recognition and consideration must be given to this aspect of non-violence.