Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi:

Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism during British rule, is a towering figure in world history. Through his philosophy of non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi inspired millions across the globe, including leaders of civil rights movements such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. 

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, a coastal town in present-day Gujarat. He was raised in a Hindu Bania family and had a deeply religious upbringing. After training as a lawyer in London, he went to South Africa in 1893 and spent over two decades fighting for civil rights of Indian immigrants there through non-violent means. 

Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and joined the Indian National Congress, gradually rising to become its most prominent leader. He fiercely opposed British policies like the salt tax and led nationwide campaigns like the Non-cooperation Movement of 1920-22 and Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930-31. Gandhi's vision was not just political independence, but upliftment of the downtrodden masses through non-violence, self-reliance and rejection of social evils. 

At the core of Gandhi's philosophy was Satyagraha or firmness in truth, and Ahimsa or non-violence towards all living beings. He advocated civil disobedience and non-cooperation to oppose unjust laws, while avoiding harming the opponents. Through movements like the Salt March to Dandi in 1930, he mobilized thousands to defy British law non-violently. Even as he led the Quit India Movement in 1942, he stood firmly against hatred towards the British. 

Gandhi lived a simple life, including austerity measures like fasting for self-purification and spinning khadi cloth to support homegrown goods. His ability to relate to the poor masses earned him the honorific Mahatma or 'Great Soul'. He envisioned an India built on communal harmony, equality and self-reliance of villages. Though committed to non-violence, he supported the British war effort in World War 2 in hopes that India would be granted independence after the war.

Gandhi played a pivotal role in negotiating Indian independence from British rule in 1947. However, his vision of a united India was shattered by the communal Partition into India and Pakistan. Devastated by the violence, Gandhi pleaded for inter-faith harmony and undertook major fasts to promote peace. On 30 January 1948, he was assassinated by a Hindu extremist who opposed his inclusive approach towards Muslims. 

Gandhi's non-violent struggle and universal message of peace continues to inspire activists worldwide. He showed how mass movements for freedom and justice can be waged while avoiding hatred and violence. His values of unity, tolerance, self-reliance and social justice hold true almost 75 years after India's independence. 

Early Life and Background

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar located in the present-day state of Gujarat. He was the youngest child of Karamchand Gandhi, the dewan or Prime Minister of the princely state of Porbandar. His mother Putlibai was a devout Hindu who inculcated deep religious values in Gandhi. 

In May 1883, the 13-year old Gandhi was married to 14-year old Kasturba Makhanji as per custom. In the sheltered environment of Porbandar, Gandhi enjoyed a contented childhood but received little formal education. In 1887, his father got him an opportunity to study law in London and help a legal case of a local merchant there. 

After initial difficulty adjusting to the unfamiliar Western culture and cold climate, Gandhi succeeded in completing his law degree from the Inner Temple and passing the bar examination in 1891. He returned to India but struggled to establish himself as a lawyer. In 1893, he accepted a contract for a year's work in South Africa.

Civil Rights Activism in South Africa

Gandhi's life changed forever after he arrived in South Africa and personally experienced the appalling discrimination faced by immigrant Indians there. He was inspired by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy's critiques of violence and injustice. As Gandhi read more about ethical approaches of civil disobedience, he developed his Satyagraha theory of non-violent protest.

Gandhi spent over 20 years in South Africa immersed in activism, first to fight for civil rights of Indian laborers and later for expanding rights of the native Africans too. He protested the Asiatic Registration Act fingerprinting all Indians and led mass burning of registration cards in Johannesburg in 1906. In 1913 he began the Great March against a discriminatory tax levied on Indians, covering over 200 miles from Natal to Transvaal.  

Gandhi established two Tolstoy Farms near Johannesburg and later near Durban to house Satyagrahi families engaging in collective self-suffering against unjust laws. He believed non-violent self-suffering would prick the conscience of the oppressor. His call for burning passes and boycott of British products during mass campaigns saw thousands of Indians jailed, flogged and shot dead, without reacting violently.

Gandhi developed the influential ideas of Ahimsa (non-violence), Satyagraha (non-violent resistance), and fasting for self-purification during this South Africa period. News of his campaigns had reached India, where he was fast gaining popularity as 'Mahatma' or great-souled.

Return to India and Non-Cooperation Movement

In 1915 Gandhi returned victoriously to India, after 21 years in South Africa. He travelled widely to understand the social and economic problems afflicting the masses. As the Rowlatt Act of 1919 imposed severe restrictions on civil liberties, Gandhi launched his first nationwide Satyagraha against it, with mass civil disobedience and suspension of business.

Though the Satyagraha was suppressed with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, it marked Gandhi's rise to leadership in the Indian National Congress. Appointed as the Congress President in 1920, he launched the influential Non-cooperation Movement against the British. Indians refused to cooperate with the Raj by boycotting British goods, educational institutions, government offices and legislature. Millions joined, making it a monumental mass movement that shook the British authorities. However, Gandhi called it off abruptly after the Chauri Chaura violence by protestors that killed over 20 policemen.

Gandhi was arrested in 1922 for sedition and sentenced to 6 years. He utilized the time to extensively study comparative religions. Released early in 1924 due to surgery, Gandhi steered clear of active politics for some years. However, he continued expanding initiatives like the Khadi movement to boycott foreign goods and promote Indian cottage industry.

Civil Disobedience Movement and Salt Satyagraha 

In 1928 the British appointed a constitutional reform commission under Sir John Simon but it featured no Indians. Thoroughly disenchanted, Gandhi launched his second major non-cooperation movement - the Civil Disobedience Movement. On 31 December 1929, Indian tricolor flags were hoisted nationwide accompanied by pledge for independence. Thousands violated the salt laws by manufacturing salt illegally.

In March 1930 Gandhi began the iconic Dandi Salt March, walking over 240 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on the sea coast. He broke the Salt Act on arrival by producing illegal salt, sparking large scale violations all over the country. The open rebellion led to over 60,000 arrests. Images of Gandhi's solitary march and non-violent defiance electrified the nation and drew international attention to the Indian freedom struggle.

Second Round Table Conference and End of Movement

Gandhi travelled to London for the Second Round Table Conference in 1931 as the sole representative of Congress. However, the talks broke down without making any progress on a power sharing agreement. Back in India, the new Viceroy Lord Willingdon began a harsh crackdown on the satyagrahis. Gandhi along with other leaders were arrested and imprisoned without trial.

The government repression crushed the civil disobedience movement by 1934. From Yerwada Jail, Gandhi sought to preserve communal harmony as tensions kept rising between Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi undertook a 21-day fast against British proposal to separate the depressed classes' electorate. In prison he also began correspondence with social reformer Ambedkar over minority rights and elimination of untouchability.

Quit India Movement and Final Years

As World War 2 progressed, Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement in August 1942, demanding immediate independence. In his stirring call for 'Do or Die', he exhorted Indians to carry out non-violent civil disobedience until the British left India. Gandhi and other Congress leaders were arrested as violence and sabotage erupted in many parts. 

Though the British crushed the Quit India movement by 1943, it had irreversibly damaged British authority and international support for the Raj. Gandhi lost his wife Kasturba and personal secretary Mahadev Desai in prison during 1942-44. The war ended in 1945 with Britain economically and militarily crippled. It became clear India's independence was inevitable.

After the war, mass unrest and military mutinies forced Britain to hold negotiations with Congress leaders. Gandhi bitterly opposed the partition of India on religious lines. Nevertheless, India and Pakistan gained independence in August 1947 as the British withdrew. The communal massacres and migration that followed partition deeply anguished Gandhi. He urged Hindus and Muslims