PROJECT TOPIC : Global Legacy of Gandhian Ideas OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT The main objectives of this project are: > To explore more about the life of Mahatma Gandhi, > To know in brief about Gandhiji's dominant role in India's freedom struggle > To understand the various movements that ultimately led to India's independence. > To get acquainted about the global legacy of Gandhian ideas. INTRODUCTION Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi. He was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat. He was the lawyer, social activist, politician and writer who ‘worked relentlessly to free India from the shackles of the British Raj based on the principles of non- violence. He is internationally esteemed for his doctrine of non-violence or satyagraha to achieve political and social progress. In the eyes of millions of his fellow Indians, Gandhiji is regarded as the Mahatma. Every year, 2nd October is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti, as \ the entire country is indebted to his efforts. EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION Gandhi was the youngest child of his father’s fourth wife. His father was Karamehand Gandhi was the Dewan and his mother was Putlibai who was completely absorbed in religion. His upbringing was steeped in Vaishnavism and a strong tinge of Jainism. Hence, he practised ahimsa, vegetarianism, fasting for self purification, and mutual tolerance between adherents of various creeds and sects. Gandhiji was greatly influenced by the stories of Shravana and Harishchandra that reflected the importance of truth. At the age of 13, he was married to Kasturbai Gandhi. The Gandhi couple had four sons namely Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devdas.Mahatma Gandhi Kasturbai Gandhi In September 1888, Mahatma Gandhi sailed to England to pursue a degree in law. In London, he stayed for three years and led a very simple lifestyle. Soon, he developed interest in vegetarianism and study of different religions. In London, he got opportunity for better understanding of religions and cultures, There he met local vegetarians and consequently, he develops an interest in books on philosophy, particularly those by Leo Tolstoy, John Ruskin and Henry David Thoreau, Gandhiji successfully completed his degree at the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar on 10 June 1891 He enrolled in the High Court of London. Later on, he left for India and for the next two years, he attempted to practice law in India. But he found that he lacked both knowledge of Indian law as well as self-confidence at trial, However, the destiny of Gandhiji was to work in South Africa, hence, a representative of an Indian business firm situated in the Transvaal (South Africa) offered him employment. He had to work there for a period of 12 months with a fee of £105.00. GANDHIJI IN SOUTH AFRICA After Gandhiji’s completion of legal education, he struggled to find work as a lawyer. In 1893, he got an offer from a merchant named Dada Abdullah who owned a shipping business in South Africa to serve as his cousin’s lawyer in South Africa. Gandhiji accepted the offer and went to South Africa. This proved to be a turning point in his political career, During his stay in South Africa, he raised voice against racial discrimination and against the 'Blacks' and Indians’. He enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Natal. In 1907, Gandhiji started the Satyagraha movement to protest against the Black Act. In 1908, he was arrested twice and in the next year, that is, in 1909 he was arrested the third time and sentenced to jail with hard labour. Ultimately, in January 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi retuned to his homeland, A historian named Chandran Devanesan remarked South Africa as the making of the ‘Mahatma’. GANDHIJI AS A LEADER Gandhiji's political mentor were Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mohammad Ali Jinnah who, like Gandhiji, was a lawyer of Gujarati extraction trained in London. ‘On Gokhale’s advice, Gandhiji spent a year travelling around British India, getting to know the land and its people. 70\ Pi. im In February 1916, he first appeared publicily at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University. Gandhiji's speech at Banaras was a statement of intent, that is, the first public announcement of Gandhiji’s own desire to make Indian nationalism more properly representative of the Indian people as a whole. In 1917, Mahatma Gandhi started satyagraha at Champaran, seeking to obtain for the peasants’ security of tenure as well as the freedom to cultivate the crops of their choice, In the following year, that is, in 1918, Gandhiji was involved in two campaigns in his home state of Gujarat. First, he intervened in a labour dispute in Ahmedabad, demanding better working conditions for the textile mill workers. Then, in Kheda he joined peasants where he demanded the state for the remission of taxes due to the failure of their harvest. These initiatives by Gandhiji in Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda reflected his sympathy for the poor. THE MAKING AND UNMAKING OF NON-COOPERATION During the First World War, the British had instituted censorship of the press and permitted detention without trial. On the recommendation of a committee headed by Sir Sidney Rowlatt, these tough measures were continued. As a consequence, Gandhiji called for a countrywide campaign against the “Rowlatt Act”. In towns of North India, the situation became tense especially in Punjab. Gandhiji and other prominent leaders were arrested. On 13 April 1919, a bloody climax in Amritsar happened when General Dyer ordered his troops to ‘open fire on a nationalist meeting. In this incident, four hundred people were killed. This unpopular incident is known as Jallianwala Bagh massacre. henry The Rowlatt satyagraha made Gandhiji a truly national leader. Emboldened by its success, he called for a campaign of “non-cooperation” with British rule. According to Gandhiji, if non-cooperation was effectively carried out India would win swaraj within a year. He hoped that by coupling Non-Cooperation Movement Project Work in History (Class-X1) nwith the Khilafat Movement, India’s two major religious communities, that is, Hindus and Muslims, could collectively bring an end to the British rule, Mahatma Gandhi’s American biographer Louis Fischer wrote that the Non-Cooperation Movement became the name of an epoch in the life of India and of Gandhiji. Due to the Non-Cooperation Movement the British Raj was shaken, But, in February 1922, a group of peasants attacked and torched a police station in the hamlet of Chauri Chaura, in the United Provinces (Presently, Uttar Pradesh). As a result, several constables perished in the conflagration. This act of violence prompted Gandhiji to call-off the movement. GANDHIJI- A PEOPLE'S LEADER By 1922, Gandhiji had transformed Indian nationalism, Henceforth, hundreds of thousands of peasants, workers, and artisans also participated in it, Many of them venerated Gandhiji, referring to him as their "Mahatma" This identification was strikingly reflected in his dress when he went among the people in a simple dhoti or loinctoth Gandhiji daily spent some time in working on the charkha and also encouraged other nationalists to do likewise. This act of spinning allowed Gandhiji to break the boundaries that prevailed within the traditional caste system, between mental labour and manual labour. The peasants regarded Gandhiji as a saviour who would | rescue them from high taxes and oppressive officials | and restore dignity and autonomy to their lives. Mahatma Gandhi’s role was vital, the growth of what we might call “Gandhian nationalism” also depended to a very substantial extent on his followers these included Mahadev Desai, Vallabh Bhai Patel, J.B. Kripalani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Govind Ballabh Pant and C. Rajagopalachari In February 1924, Gandhiji was released from jail. Then, he devoted his attention to the promotion of 'khadi’ and abolition of untouchability and child marriage. He also emphasised on the Hindu-Muslim harmony. Dandi March In 1928, Mahatma Gandhi re-entered politics. That year there was an all-India campaign against the all- White Simon Commission. In December 1929, in the Lahore session of Indian National Congress headed by 7Jawaharlal Nehru 'Purna Swaraj’ or complete independence was proclaimed. As a consequence, on 26 January 1930, “Independence Day” was observed, with the national flag being hoisted in different venues and patriotic songs being sung, Soon after the observance of “Independence Day”, Mahatma Gandhi announced that he would lead a march to break the Salt law. He was urged by the Congress to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement. Consequently, on 12th March 1930, Gandhi inaugurated the 'Civil Disobedience Movement’ by conducting the historic Dandi March, where he broke the Salt Laws imposed by the British government, Dandi March had an immense impact on the entire nation, Fach comer of the country was gripped in a unique fervour of nationalism. Soon, this act of violation of the Salt Laws assumed an all-India character. The whole nation amalgamated under the call of Mahatma Gandhi. Besides the breaking of the Salt Laws, the movement also include activities like picketing of shops selling foreign goods and liquor, bonfire of clothes, refusal to pay taxes and avoidance of offices by the public officers and schools by the students. The women also actively participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Thus, under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, the Congress served the critical function of mobilising the masses on a large scale against the British. In 1942, Churchill was persuaded to send one of his ministers, Sir Stafford Cripps, to India to try and forge ‘a compromise with Gandhiji and the Congress. However, talks broke down as the Congress insisted that if it would help the British defend India from the Axis powers, then the Viceroy had to appoint an Indian as the Defence Member of his Executive Council. Quit India Movement After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Mahatma Gandhi decided to taunch the Quit India movement against the colonial rule, The movement was launched at Mumbai in 1942, Mahatma | Gandhi gave a fiery speech and raised the slogan of 'do or die’. He said that we shall either free India or die in the attempt but we shall not live to f see the perpetuation of our slavery. Within hours of Gandhiji's speech all prominent Congress leaders along with Gandhiji were imprisoned but younger activists organised strikes and acts of sabotage all over the country. Profect Work in History (Class-X1) BFinally, in February 1947, Lord Mountbatten called one fast round of talks, but when it proved inconclusive, he announced that British India would be freed, but also divided. The formal transfer of power was fixed for 15 August 1947. When that day came, it was celebrated with enthusiasm in different parts of India. In Delhi, there was “prolonged applause” when the Constituent Assembly President began the meeting by invoking the Father of the Nation - Mohandas Karamehand Gandhi, Outside the Assembly, the crowds shouted “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai” THE LAST HEROIC DAYS =~ Mahatma Gandhi was not present at the festivities in the capital city of Delhi on 15 August 1947. At that time, he was in Calcutta, but he did not attend any function or hoist a flag there either. He marked the day with a 24-hour fast. The freedom for which he had struggled had come at an unacceptable price, that is, the country was divided into India and Pakistan, Many historians have written of the months after Independence as being Gandhiji’s “finest hour”. However, an attempt was made on Gandhiji’s life on 20 January 1948, but he carried on undaunted % } a) ¢ j , 8 Y a aS But finally on 30 January while Gandhiji was in his daily prayer meeting on the evening he was shot dead by a young man named Nathuram Godse, 74LEGACY OF GANDHIAN IDEAS Even after his death, Mahatma Gandhi is still changing the world. Still people follow his preaching and try to use non-violence ways to solve their problems peacefully. Gandhiji proved to every living soul that they did not need to use violence to solve their problems and he influenced many other civil right leaders to follow the path of non-violence Presently, all around the world Gandhi is viewed as an active leader and role-model to people's everyday life. He had taught people many things such as non-violence, simplicity, love, and determination, Gandhi's legacy is very important in history. For instance, in the United States, Gandhiji influenced two of the major events in history, that is, the civil rights struggle for African-Americans and Cesar Chavez! advocacy for Latino farm workers. Gandhi indirectly preached the way of non-violence to many others who came after him and potentially changed the world forever through the simple act of non-violence. Gandhi also had a great influence on Muslims, for instance, one of Gandhi’s friends, Abdul Ghaffar Khan used Gandhi’s examples of non-violent protests to settle the conflicts ‘A testament to the revolutionary power of non-violence, Gandhi’s approach direetly influenced Martin Luther King, Jt, who argued that the Gandhian philosophy was “the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their strugele for freedom” Albert Einstein had seen death, destruction and devastation in the two world wars, and he became a fighter for peace. He was greatly influenced by the Gandhian idea on non- violence and one of his letters he called Gandhi “a role model for the generations to come”. The former US President Barack Obama said "Throughout my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because he embodies the kind of tansformational change that ean be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things. That is why his portrait hangs in my Senate office: to remind me that teal results will come not just from Washington ~ they will come from the people.” Nelson Mandela while the unveiling of Gandhi Memorial in South Affica once said, “The Mahatma is an integral part of our history because it is here that he first experimented with truth; here that he demonstrated his characteristic firmness in pursuit of justice; here that he developed Satyagraha as a philosophy and a method of struggle.” Gandhi was a staunch believer in truth and his autobiography, “My Experiments with Truth” reflects his life-long ‘observance and experimentation with the truth. ‘Today, Gandhiji’s philosophy is looked at as a live experience with potential for transformation leading to a Global Awakening. Gandhian ideas such as truth, non-violence, human dignity and respect, and the love for our fellow beings are more relevant today. CONCLUSION Mahatma Gandhi would be remembered forever as he spread the message of non-violence, truth and faith in God. He is regarded as the great leader who inspired the people to fought for India's Independence. In Indian history, he is considered as a most eminent personality and as the simplest person who wears dhoti, He spread the message of 'Swaraj’ and taught Indians how to become independent. Even today, all over the world people are greatly influenced by the Gandhian ideas such as truth, non-violence, human dignity and respect, and the love for our fellow beings Project Mork in History (Clase-X1) 1sAns, 76 ISKO NAHI LIKHNA HAI ESTIONS Name the patents of Mahatma Gandhi . Gandhiji’s father was Karamchand Gandhi and his mother Putlibai, Why did Gandhiji want to couple the Non-Cooperation Movement with the Khilafat Movement? Gandhiji hoped that by coupling Non-Cooperation Movement with the Khilafat Movement, India’s two major religious communities, that is, Hindus and Muslims, could collectively bring an end to the British rule. Who were the political mentors of Gandhiji? Gandhi's political mentors were Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mohammad Ali Jinnah. On whose advice Gandhiji travelled the British India? On Gokhale’s advice, Gandhiji spent a year travelling around British India, getting to know the land and its peoples. Why did Gandhiji started satyagraha campaign in Ahmedabad? Gandhifji started a satyagraha campaign in Ahmedabad, to improve the labour conditions by demanding better working conditions for the textile mill workers. Why did Gandhiji called for countrywide campaign against the Rowlatt Act? ‘The British government permitted detention without trial on the recommendation of a committee headed by Sir Sidney Rowlatt. As a consequence, Gandhiji called for a countrywide campaign against the “Rowlatt Act” In which year Mahatma Gandhi returned to India? In January 1915, Gandhiji returned to India, after two decades of residence abroad What were the social works of Gandhi . Gandhiji was a great social reformer, He worked for the removal of untouchability and child marriage. When was Independence Day observed by the Indian National Congress before actual independence? . On 26 January 1930, “Independence Day” was observed by the Congress with the national flag being hoisted in different venues and patriotic songs being sung. What is the greatest legacy of the Gandhian ideas? The greatest legacy of the Gandhian ideas are truth, non-violence, human dignity and respect, and the love for our fellow beings which are relevant even today. oOo