Aleck bovick biography of mahatma gandhi
Gandhi also encouraged his followers to practise inner discipline to get ready for independence.
Aleck bovick biography of mahatma gandhi
Gandhi said the Indians had to prove they were deserving of independence. This is in contrast to independence leaders such as Aurobindo Ghose , who argued that Indian independence was not about whether India would offer better or worse government, but that it was the right for India to have self-government. Gandhi also clashed with others in the Indian independence movement such as Subhas Chandra Bose who advocated direct action to overthrow the British.
Gandhi frequently called off strikes and non-violent protest if he heard people were rioting or violence was involved. In , Gandhi led a famous march to the sea in protest at the new Salt Acts. In the sea, they made their own salt, in violation of British regulations. Many hundreds were arrested and Indian jails were full of Indian independence followers.
However, whilst the campaign was at its peak some Indian protesters killed some British civilians, and as a result, Gandhi called off the independence movement saying that India was not ready. This broke the heart of many Indians committed to independence. It led to radicals like Bhagat Singh carrying on the campaign for independence, which was particularly strong in Bengal.
In , Gandhi was invited to London to begin talks with the British government on greater self-government for India, but remaining a British colony. During the talks, Gandhi opposed the British suggestions of dividing India along communal lines as he felt this would divide a nation which was ethnically mixed. However, at the summit, the British also invited other leaders of India, such as BR Ambedkar and representatives of the Sikhs and Muslims.
Although the dominant personality of Indian independence, he could not always speak for the entire nation. To which Gandhi replied. Gandhi wore a traditional Indian dress, even whilst visiting the king. It led Winston Churchill to make the disparaging remark about the half naked fakir. When Gandhi was asked if was sufficiently dressed to meet the king, Gandhi replied.
Gandhi once said he if did not have a sense of humour he would have committed suicide along time ago. After the war, Britain indicated that they would give India independence. However, with the support of the Muslims led by Jinnah, the British planned to partition India into two: India and Pakistan. In , after British authorities made some concessions, Gandhi again called off the resistance movement and agreed to represent the Congress Party at the Round Table Conference in London.
In , Gandhi announced his retirement from politics in, as well as his resignation from the Congress Party, in order to concentrate his efforts on working within rural communities. Drawn back into the political fray by the outbreak of World War II , Gandhi again took control of the INC, demanding a British withdrawal from India in return for Indian cooperation with the war effort.
Instead, British forces imprisoned the entire Congress leadership, bringing Anglo-Indian relations to a new low point. Later that year, Britain granted India its independence but split the country into two dominions: India and Pakistan. Gandhi strongly opposed Partition, but he agreed to it in hopes that after independence Hindus and Muslims could achieve peace internally.
Amid the massive riots that followed Partition, Gandhi urged Hindus and Muslims to live peacefully together, and undertook a hunger strike until riots in Calcutta ceased. In January , Gandhi carried out yet another fast, this time to bring about peace in the city of Delhi. You can opt out at any time. One of the key aspects of Satyagraha was the willingness to endure suffering without retaliation.
Gandhi emphasized that the power of Satyagraha came from the moral purity and courage of its practitioners, not from the desire to inflict harm on the opponent. The effectiveness of Satyagraha was evident in various campaigns led by Gandhi, both in South Africa and later in India. In India, the Satyagraha movement gained momentum with significant events such as the Champaran agitation against the indigo planters, the Kheda peasant struggle, and the nationwide protests against the British salt taxes through the Salt March.
These movements not only mobilized the Indian people against British rule but also demonstrated the strength and resilience of non-violent resistance. Through Satyagraha, Gandhi sought to bring about a moral awakening both within India and among the British authorities. He believed that true victory was not the defeat of the opponent but the achievement of justice and harmony.
After spending over two decades in South Africa, fighting for the rights of the Indian community there, Mahatma Gandhi decided it was time to return to India. His decision was influenced by his desire to take part in the struggle for Indian independence from British rule. In , Gandhi arrived back in India, greeted by a nation on the cusp of change.
Upon his return, he chose not to plunge directly into the political turmoil but instead spent time traveling across the country to understand the complex fabric of Indian society. This journey was crucial for Gandhi as it allowed him to connect with the people, understand their struggles, and gauge the extent of British exploitation. He established an ashram in Ahmedabad, which became a base for his activities and a sanctuary for those who wanted to join his cause.
His efforts during these early years back in India laid the groundwork for the massive civil disobedience campaigns that would follow. This act allowed the British authorities to imprison anyone suspected of sedition without trial, sparking widespread outrage across India. Gandhi called for a nationwide Satyagraha against the act, advocating for peaceful protest and civil disobedience.
The movement gained significant momentum but also led to the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre , where British troops fired on a peaceful gathering, resulting in hundreds of deaths. This event was a turning point for Gandhi and the Indian independence movement, leading to an even stronger resolve to resist British rule non-violently.
In the years that followed, Gandhi became increasingly involved with the Indian National Congress, shaping its strategy against the British government. He advocated for non-cooperation with the British authorities, urging Indians to withdraw from British institutions, return honors conferred by the British empire, and boycott British-made goods. On March 12, , Gandhi began a mile march from his ashram in Sabarmati to the coastal village of Dandi on the Arabian Sea.
His aim was to produce salt from the sea, which was a direct violation of British laws. Over the course of the day march, thousands of Indians joined him, drawing international attention to the Indian independence movement and the injustices of British rule. The march culminated on April 6, when Gandhi and his followers reached Dandi, and he ceremoniously violated the salt laws by evaporating sea water to make salt.
This act was a symbolic defiance against the British Empire and sparked similar acts of civil disobedience across India. The Salt March marked a significant escalation in the struggle for Indian independence, showcasing the power of peaceful protest and civil disobedience. Gandhi He was a defender of vegetarianism. He considered this kind of diet to be a way to keep the body pure and healthy, and to balance the mind, body and spirit.
Furthermore, being a vegetarian was a moral decision, since He was opposed to any form of animal abuse. Gandhi He led a simple life, without luxuries She made her own clothes and adhered to Hindu doctrines of purification and inner peace, including celibacy from the age of Gandhi He was murdered at the age of 78 in New Delhi on January 30, , while on his way to prayer.
The responsible It was Nathuram Godse, a militant of Hindu integrationism which held him responsible for weakening the Indian government in the face of its Pakistani enemies. Godse and one of his accomplices, Narayan Apte, were tried and sentenced to death. However, the masterminds behind the crime were not sentenced due to lack of evidence.
Gandhi never won the Nobel Peace Prize but was nominated five times between and Since , India awards Gandhi Peace Prize. One of its recipients was the South African politician Nelson Mandela.