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  • Oct 03, 2023
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Gandhi’s Ideals: Freedom Struggle’s Guiding Light

Relevance

  • GS Paper 1: The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
  • Tags: #Gandhi #GandhiJayanti #MahatmaGandhi #Ahimsa #editorial #UPSC.

Why in the News?

On Mahatma Gandhi’s 154th birth anniversary, leaders, including PM Modi, paid tribute at Rajghat. He led India’s independence struggle with non-violence, earning him the title “Father of the Nation.”

Early Life

  • Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, India.
  • He was born into a modest family of the Hindu merchant caste known as Bania.
  • His father, Karamchand Gandhi, served as a diwan (chief minister) in Porbandar, while his mother, Putlibai, was a devout and religious woman.
  • In 1882, Gandhi was married to Kasturba Makhanji.
  • Their marriage was arranged when he was only 13 years old.The couple had four children

Education

  • Gandhi attended primary school in Porbandar and later in Rajkot, where he displayed an average academic performance.
  • In 1888, he traveled to London to study law at University College London and was called to the bar in 1891.
  • During his time in London, he was exposed to Western philosophies and ideas, including those of Henry David Thoreau, which influenced his later advocacy of civil disobedience.

Gandhi in South Africa

  • Gandhi’s first job as a lawyer took him to South Africa in 1893, where he represented an Indian business firm.
  • It was in South Africa that he began his journey of social activism and non-violent resistance.

Guru

  • During his time in South Africa, Gandhi was deeply influenced by the teachings of Raychandbhai, a Jain philosopher.
  • His ideas on truth and morality played a significant role in shaping Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha (truth-force).

Gandhi’s Ideology, Principles, and Beliefs

Satyagraha (Truth-Force)

  • Gandhi believed in the Power of truth and non-violence (Satyagraha) as the means to bring about social and political change.
  • He advocated that individuals should resist injustice through passive resistance, relying on the moral force of truth.

Ahimsa (Non-Violence)

  • Gandhi considered Non-violence as the ultimate form of bravery and the highest dharma (duty).
  • He employed non-violent resistance in various movements, including the Salt March and Quit India Movement.

Swaraj (Self-Rule)

  • Gandhi’s vision of Swaraj emphasized self-governance and self-sufficiency for India.
  • He believed that Swaraj could only be achieved through disciplined non-violence and constructive work.

Sarvodaya (Welfare of All)

  • Sarvodaya means the welfare and upliftment of all, with a focus on the marginalized sections of society.
  • Harijan Movement: Gandhi used the term “Harijan” (Children of God) to refer to the Dalits, emphasizing their dignity and rights.

Untouchability and Harijan Movement

  • Harijan Movement: Gandhi used the term “Harijan” (Children of God) to refer to the Dalits, emphasizing their dignity and rights.
  • Gandhi campaigned vigorously against untouchability, working to remove social stigma and discrimination against Dalits.

Swadeshi and Khadi Movement

  • Swadeshi Movement: Gandhi advocated the use of locally-made goods and boycotting British products to promote self-reliance.
  • Khadi: He promoted the spinning and use of Khadi (handspun cloth) as a symbol of self-sufficiency.

Movements in Foreign Nations Led by Gandhi

Gandhi’s first experiment with non-violence took place in South Africa, where he was actively involved in the struggle against discriminatory laws targeting the Indian community.

Movement Significance
Natal Indian Congress (1894)

 

 

 

 Gandhi joined the Natal Indian Congress in South Africa, beginning his activism against racial discrimination.
Tolstoy Farm (1910)

 

 

 Gandhi established a commune called Tolstoy Farm to promote communal living based on principles of truth and non-violence.

 
Campaign Against Compulsory Registration (1906)

 

 Gandhi’s first major campaign in South Africa was against the compulsory registration of Indians, a significant step in his early activism.

 
Opposition to Indian Marriage Bill (1911)

 

 Gandhi opposed the Indian Marriage Bill, which sought to legalize child marriages, and successfully campaigned against it.

 
Passive Resistance Against Registration (1907)

 

 Gandhi initiated passive resistance (Satyagraha) against the Asiatic Registration Act, leading to his first imprisonment.

 
Transvaal March (1913) Gandhi led a protest march against the repressive Transvaal government’s treatment of Indian immigrants.

 

 Gandhi’s Struggle for Independence in India

Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in January 1915 after spending two decades abroad, he began his active involvement in India’s struggle for independence.

Movements Significance
Champaran Satyagraha (1917) Gandhi’s first major movement in Champaran, Bihar, where he championed the cause of indigo farmers against oppressive British planters, marked the beginning of Satyagraha in India.
Kheda Satyagraha (1918) In Kheda, Gujarat, Gandhi supported peasants who were unable to pay land revenue due to crop failures. He advocated for tax relief, demonstrating the power of non-cooperation.
Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919) Protested against the repressive Rowlatt Act; widespread protests and arrests; led to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)  Brutal massacre of hundreds of unarmed Indians by British troops, intensified the freedom struggle.

 
Khilafat Movement (1919-1924) Gandhi supported the Muslim demand for the restoration of the Caliphate,led to a united struggle against British colonialism.
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922) Mass mobilization against British rule; withdrawal of cooperation with the colonial administration, suspension of Khilafat after Chauri Chaura incident.
Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934) Gandhi’s Salt March (Dandi March),widespread civil disobedience against salt taxes; led to significant reforms.
Poona Pact (1932) Agreement between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar to provide reserved seats for Dalits in legislatures, prevented a separate Dalit electorate.
Quit India Movement (1942) Demanded an immediate end to British rule,mass protests and arrests, contributed to India’s eventual independence in 1947.

 Major Journals and Newspaper By Gandhi

  • Indian Opinion: This was a newspaper founded by Gandhi in South Africa in 1904, to express his views on civil rights, nonviolence, and resistance against discriminatory laws.
  • Young India: Gandhi edited this weekly journal, which was published in English, from 1919 to 1932.
  • Navajivan: This Gujarati weekly journal was a edited by Gandhi. It focused on issues related to self-sufficiency, village industries, and spirituality.
  • Harijan: Gandhi published this weekly newspaper, later renamed Harijan Bandhu, to address issues of welfare of the “untouchables” (Dalits) and promote their upliftment.
  • Young India (in Gujarati): Gandhi also published a Gujarati version of Young India, providing access to his ideas and principles to a wider Gujarati-speaking audience

Gandhi’s profound ideas and principles laid the path for India to attain Swaraj, or self-rule. His ideology resonates in the Indian Constitution through the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), particularly in Article 46, promoting the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. His emphasis on cottage industries echoes in policies aimed at rural development and self-sufficiency. Gandhi’s legacy continues to shape India’s commitment to social justice, self-reliance, and inclusivity.

Source Mint, Indian Express, Spectrum Book

Mains Question

How did Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology of non-violence shape the course of India’s freedom struggle, and what were its key principles?