THEME - 13
MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ANDBEYOND
Q. How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
Ans. Gandhi’s politics transformed the Indian nationalism. It represented the Indian people as a whole. Political action, daily life, empathized and identified with the common people.
I. Non violence, power of truth and Satyagraha enabled mass participation and mass struggle infusing in people a sense of self esteem and respect. People called him Mahatma.
II. He took up the issue of common people and poor. Kheda peasantry, Ahmedabad mill workers or champaran peasants and salt Satyagraha. He broke the British monopoly over salt.
III. Gandhi’s ascetic lifestyle helped him to identify with the common people. He dressed like them in a simple dhoti. He spoke like them. He lived like them. He worked like them as he spent a large part of his time spinning charkha.
IV. Constructive programmes proposed to abolish the untouchability, prohibition of liquor, promotion of Khadi, Hindu-Muslim harmony etc, helped him identify with the common people.
Q. How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
Ans. India is a country of villagers and vast number of Indians is engaged in farming. Mahatma Gandhi knew that during freedom struggle his focus was to address the issue of farmers. He dressed like farmers. His involvement in Indian politics began in Champaran when he successfully resolved the issues of farmers.
1. He stood for farmers against excesses of the British government like high taxes and oppressive tax collections.
2. Apart from all the above, mystery also surrounded the personality of Mahatma Gandhi. Many believed he was endowed with supernatural powers. Stories spread that those who spoke ill of Mahatma Gandhi suffered natural calamities.
3. Thus, farmers perceived Mahatma Gandhi as their savior and still many believed he was bestowed with power to perform miracles.
Q. Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
Ans. Poorest of poor Indian consumes food that has salt as one of its prime ingredients. British government levied tax on salt and making salt indigenously was forbidden. It was to become a big burden on the poor people of India. Some important points regarding salt law are as follows:
I. The salt law gave a monopoly to the state in the manufacture and sale of salt. It was a good tactic for mobilizing for the salt law which was disliked in British India.
II. It was more oppressive tax. It deprived people of a valuable easy village industry and involved a great destruction of property that nature produces.
III. After a period of political passivity of Non-cooperation movement, it was a perfect platform for re- launching a new phase of struggle. Salt law was the key tactics that was used for mobilization of people.
IV. Gandhi declared a march to break salt law. He started his walking from Sabarmati ashram. He used the salt Satyagraha to explain the power of civil disobedience ranging from breaking of laws.
V. Gandhi reached Dandi and picked a handful of salt on 6 April 1930. It was the inauguration of civil disobedience movement. It was an unsurpassed mass movement.
Q. Why are newspapers an important source for the study of national movement?
Ans. Contemporary newspapers are an important source of the study of national movement. Following points proves their importance as source of history with reference to Indian freedom movement.
1. Many contemporary newspapers were published by those who were involved in the freedom struggle e.g, “National Herald” of Motilal Nehru, and “Dawn” by Jinnah.
2. These newspapers were mouthpieces and represented important voices of the movement.
3. Newspapers do daily reporting; hence their reporting is more detailed than perhaps any other
source can be. As they report on recent events the chances of misreporting are less. Reading different newspapers further makes our reading balanced and free from bias.
4. Many newspapers were in local Indian languages, i.e. in vernacular languages and their circulation was limited. Hence, they published newspaper from local perspective which other sources of history may not have.
5. They reflect the mood of the people too. These newspapers shaped what was published and the way events were reported. Accounts published in a London newspaper would be different from a report in an Indian nationalist paper.
Q. Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
Ans. Gandhi used to work on charkha. He made it a symbol of our freedom movement because:
I. Charkha symbolized manual labour rather than glorifying machines and technology.
II. Charkha was a low investment product hence anyone can afford it. It was a boost to the small scale industries and led to revival of handcrafts.
III. Charkha dignified manual labour and also promoted the culture of doing one’s own work.
IV. Charkha was used as tool to keep out British imported clothes.
V. Khadi spinning was an important aspect of constructive work of Gandhi and became the main channel for recruitment especially of women. This charkha became a symbol of Indian nationalism.
Q. How was non-Cooperation a form of protest?
Ans. On 1st August 1920 Gandhiji gave call for non-cooperation with British Indian govt. which was approved by I.N.C in its special session at Calcutta in September 1920 for three main issues i.e. Punjab wrongs, Khilafat grievances, and attainment of Swaraj. By Non-Cooperation Movement, Gandhi meant a peaceful rebellion. The Non-cooperation Movement was a major event in the Indian struggle for freedom. This movement started in 1920 and lasted through 1922. Following points explain how it was a protest:
i. Non cooperation movement involved boycott of Govt Schools and Colleges, Govt Courts and Foreign Cloth, Boycott of Assembly Elections, Withholding revenues and surrender of titles and honours.
ii. The protest of the people was unified cutting across communities and at great scale.
iii. People boycotted the pillars and symbols of British rule, courts, colleges and government offices. Lawyers stopped going to courts and students stayed away from colleges.
iv. Further, many educational institutions were established by the leaders of freedom struggle where students can study. One of them is Jamia Millia University in Delhi which exists today as one of the most reputed institutes of higher education in India.
v. People boycotted tax collection also and they refused to pay taxes. Thus, non cooperation was a kind of protest too.
Q. Why were the dialogues at the Round table conference inconclusive?
Ans. The British government has had the policy to review the progress of self rule in India and being reforms after the gap of ten years. This began in 1910 with Morley Minto reforms and was followed in 1920 with Montague Chelmsford Report, ten years later. British government organized Round table conference in London for the way forward.
a) The First round table conference took place in November, 1930. The conference failed as the most important stakeholder that is Indian national congress was absent in the conference.
b) The second round table conference took place in February 1931. One month earlier Mahatma Gandhi was released from the jail. Hence, he participated in the conference.
c) Third and the most important round table conference took place in the later part of 1931.the new constitutional developments were not agreed upon.
d) The major voice of dissent was that Muslim league claimed the sole representative of the Muslims in India. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar claimed himself the sole representative of the low castes in India and the native rulers also claimed that they would deal with the British independently and congress could not have any say in that.
To conclude, divisive politics of Muslim league, Dr Ambedkar and the attitude of the princely states are the main reasons for the failure of the round table conferences.
Q. In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?
OR
Explain how the coming of Gandhi broadened the base of the Indian national movement.
Ans. Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915. In 1917 he went to champaran in Bihar to fight for the cause of farmers who were forced to grow indigo by the British government. The farmer’s movement proved successful as the British government accepted the demands of the farmers. Since that time to 1948 when he was assassinated, he occupied the central place in the politics of India. The fact is mahatma Gandhi is the chief protagonist of the Indian freedom struggle because:
1. When Gandhi joined Indian politics, the freedom movement was limited to the middle class.
2. Gandhi made it all pervasive. Now people from villages, poor people, labors, workers, and students all became part of the freedom struggle.
3. Many people pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi used religious symbols to popularize the freedom movement that in long term gave fillip to communal politics.
4. Eminent author Nirad C chaudhri was also criticized Mahatma Gandhi for making the freedom movement a mass movement by short cuts.
5. Mahatma Gandhi has to be credited with emancipation of women and their participation in the public life at a scale not known in Indian history. Women leaders like Sarojini Naidu, Raj Kumari Amrita Kaur etc were very prominent in picketing activities against shops selling foreign goods.
6. He made end of untouchability a fundamental objective of his political philosophy, thus Mahatma Gandhi made freedom movement a mass mo9vement and a movement much beyond politics.
Q. What do private letters and autobiographies tell us about an individual? How are these sources different from official accounts?
Ans. Private Letter’s and autobiographies are important source of individuals’ life and views. Many of our freedom struggle leaders wrote autobiographies and letters and today they are our great record about them and history too. Autobiographies and letters throw light on the interest of an individual e.g, Nehru wrote letters to his daughter Indira describing the events of world history, and today it is known as the book, “Glimpses of the world history”. These letters show that Nehru had great interest in history. These letters show also the views of the author. These autobiographies and letters are a good source of information of the social life of those days in India. Dr Ranjendra Prasad has given vivid description of the village life that he saw as a child in his village. Above all these autobiographies and letters are great source of history too because:
I. The official accounts are done by individuals but they work under the guidelines of the government. Thus, views that run against the government remain stifled. In addition, the author would not have the freedom of focused area. He would be required to write only on topics already defined.
II. However, in autobiographies and letters one can choose anything of personal interest Dr Ranjendra Prasad gives a vivid decription of his school and college days in his autobiographies this is not possible in any government account.
III. The autographic letters thrown light on the personal life of individual leaders and show these events shaped the thought process of these leaders in future life.
IV. Mahatma Gandhi described how he was thrown out of the first class compartment of the train in South Africa because he was not a white man. He describes the struggle inside on how to protest and later how he took to non-violent means of protest.
Q:-‘The Quit India Movement was truly a mass movement’. Justify this statement.
Ans:- Due to the failure of the Cripps mission, Gandhiji decided to launch his third major movement against British rule. This was called Quit India Movement. This was to be a mass struggle on non violent lines under leadership of Gandhiji. But on the next day of the approval of India Quit Movement resolution, Gandhi and other main congress leaders were arrested. But the younger activist organized demonstrations and strike in factories, schools and colleges in all parts of the country. Particularly active in the underground resistance were socialist members of the congress such as Jaya Prakash Narain and Ram Manohar Lohia, Aruna Asif Ali. In some areas such as Satara and Midnapur “Independent governments were proclaimed. The movement took the form of a violent outbreak. The government succeeded in crushing the movement yet it took more than 12 months to suppress this rebellion. By analyzing above mentioned incidences it can be said that the Quit India Movement was truly a mass movement. It brought into its ambit hundreds of thousands of ordinary people. It brought the nationalist feelings among the youth to such a stage that the day was not far off when the British would have to Quit India.
Q. What was the problem of separate electorates? What were the disagreements between Congress and Dalits on this issue? Finally what solution to be of this issue?
Ans:- Demand of separate electorates by the Dalits in which they wanted reservation in separate Electorates like muslims. In 1931 in the second Round Table Conference Dalit leader Dr.B.R.Ambedkar said Congress does not represent the Dalits. He said Dalits are socially and economically backward. By separate electorate they can put demands of their rights. Gandhiji opposed the separate electorates. Finally Congress gave separate electorates to Dalits within the Congress.
Q- Why did Mahatma Gandhi consider the salt tax more oppressive than other taxes?
Ans- Gandhiji considered the salt tax more oppressive than other taxes because salt tax was wickedly designed by the Government. The salt tax was at times even fourteen times its values. The Government destroyed the salt it cannot sell profitably. Wherever there was likelihood of natural salt being taken away by the people salt officers were posted for destruction. In this way national property was destroyed at national expense.
Q. Write short note on Civil Disobedience Movement or Dandi march of 1930?
Ans. Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government. On 12th March 1930 Gandhiji launched civil disobedience movement including the non-payment of taxes to protest against the excesses of British rule in India. Its main aim was to paralyze administration by performance of specific illegal Acts. The Dandi March signified the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Gandhiji marched from Sabharmati Ashram to Dandi Sea Coast along with 78 followers to break salt law. He picked up a hand full of salt and broke salt laws on 6th April, 1930.
Causes:
1. Failure of Simon Commission to bring reform in Govt.
2. The Govt. did not accept Nehru Report recommendations.
3. Encouragement from Bardoli Peasants to start agitation against Govt.
4. Non-acceptance of 11 point ultimatum of Gandhiji by Lord Irwin.
The Dandi March ;
The Dandi March signified the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Gandhiji marched from Sabharmati Ashram to Dandi Sea Coast along with 78 followers to break salt law. He picked up a hand full of salt and broke salt laws. However the activities of Satyagrahis were limited to picketing, processions, boycott of foreign goods, violating restraint orders etc. The violation of salt law was followed by defiance of forest laws, refusal to pay chowkidari tax, holding land revenues etc. the movement was taken to north-western India by Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi) and to Eastern India by Rani Gaidilieu.
The response of Govt was severe. They resorted to lathi-charges, ruthless suppression, firing, and arrest of Satyagrahis including top most congress leaders. Because of the Gandhi-Irwin pact, the Civil Disobedience Movement was suspended and Gandhiji on behalf of Congress agreed to participate in second Round Table Conference but resumed soon because of failure of talks in Second Round Table Conference at London. Mean while communal Award was announced which distracted attention of people from Civil Disobedience Movement. Gradually the Movement lost its vigor and by April 1934 the movement was formerly called off by Indian National Congress.
Q. Who were Lal-Bal-Pal?
Ans- All three were early extremist leaders, who led the nation-wide Nationalist movement. Lal-Lala lajpat Rai, Bal- Bal Ganga Dhar Tilak and Pal- Bipin Chandra Pal.
Q. Name one movement launched for farmers and peasants by Mahatma Gandhi in India?
Ans. Champaran Satyagraha 1917 for indigo peasants, and Ahmedabad mill labour movement 1918.
Q. State the significance of Gandhiji`s speech at Banaras Hindu University?
Ans:- At opening ceremony of Banaras Hindu University in 1916 Gandhiji charged the Indian elite with a lack of concern for the laboring poor. He was worried about the contrast between the rich and poor. He felt salvation of India lay in the farmers.
Q. Write short note on Cabinet Mission?
Ans. The British Govt. sent in March 1946 a cabinet mission consisting of cabinet ministers P. Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and A.V. Alexander to negotiate with Indian leaders the terms for the transfer of power to Indians.
Q. Explain the sources from which we can reconstruct the political career of Mahatma Gandhi and the history of National Movement of India.
Ans: -The sources from which we can reconstruct the political career of Mahatma Gandhi are: Auto- biographies and biographies, Contemporary newspapers, Official and police records, Public speeches and private letters.
Q. What was the attitude of the Indian National Congress towards the Second World War?
Ans:- Both Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru were against Hitler and Nazis. They promised congress support to the war effort if the British in return promised to grant India Independence after the war.
Q. Why did Gandhiji start Non-cooperation Movement? Ans:- -Causes of Non- Cooperation Movement:
1. To oppose Rowlatt Act. 2. To undo the injustice done at Jalianwala Bagh.
3. To support the Khilafat Movement. 4. To attain Swaraj.
Q. Highlight two objectives of Khilafat movement?
Ans:- Khilafat Movement was launched by Indian Muslims in 1919 under the leadership of Moulana Showkat Ali and Muhammad Ali with two main objectives as Khalifa’s control over Muslim sacred places should be retained and Khalifa should be left with sufficient territories after territorial arrangement
Q. Why was Non- cooperation Movement withdrawn?
Ans:- In February 1922 the angry crowd at Gorakhpur attacked police station and killed 22 policemen. As movement became violent and on Gandhi ji insistence I.N.C called off non Cooperation Movement on 12th February 1922.
Q. What is Satyagraha?
Ans. Satyagraha or holding on to truth was a political technique introduced by Gandhiji in India. Satyagraha was based on non-violence aiming at conversion of enemy by self-suffering, non-cooperation, and civil disobedience even strikes, fasting picketing were recognized as other forms of Satyagraha.
Q. Highlight the importance of Lahore Session of I.N.C of 1929?
Ans. In its annual session of December 1929 at Lahore Presided by J.L Nehru, I.N.C passed Purna Swaraj or Complete Independence resolution. They also declared January 26th , 1930 as Republic day, boycotted R.T.C and prepared for civil disobedience movement to be launched under the leadership of Gandhi.
Q. What do you know about “Two Nation Theory” of M.A. Jinnah?
Ans. In the Lahore session of Muslim league held in 1940, Jinnah declared Hindus and Muslims are not only two religions but two Separate Nationalities. Hence Muslim League passed resolution of partition of Indian Sub-continent into India and Pakistan.
POINTSTOREMEMBER:
❖ Indian National congress was found in December 1885 at Bombay by Mr. A.O Hume.
❖ The first president of I.N.C was W. C. Benerjee.
❖ Dada Bhai Naroji was three times appointed as president of I.N.C.
❖ All India Muslim League was found in December 1906 at Dacca with Agha Khan. As President.
❖ Bengal was partitioned by Lord Curzon in 1905.
❖ Gandhi Ji started Non-Cooperation movement in August 1st 1920.
❖ Gandhiji started first Satyagraha at Champaran in 1917.
❖ Gandhiji started Civil Disobedience Movement on March 12th 1930.
❖ Two Nation Theory was adopted by Muslim league at Lahore session of 1940.
❖ Partition Plan was given by Lord Mountbatten on 3rd June 1947.
❖ India got her independence from British rule on August 15 1947.
❖ The Last Governor General/Viceroy of India was Lord Mountbatten.
❖ Gandhi successfully organized Satyagraha at Champaran (1917), Ahmedabad & Kheda (1918).
❖ 16th August 1946- Direct Action Day and Communal riots in Bengal, Bihar, U.P and Punjab.
❖ Gandhiji on 30th January 1948 Gandhiji was shot dead by Nathuram Godse.
❖ Gopal Krishna Gokhale was the political Guru of Gandhiji.
❖ Rowlatt act was passed in March 1919 under any person on mere suspicion can imprisoned for a period of two years without any trail and conviction in the Court of Law.
❖ Gandhiji started Sabarmati Ashram in Gujrat to teach Satyagraha based on Truth and Non-Violence to his friends and followers.
❖ Jallian wala Bagh Massacre: As people were protesting on Baisakhi at Jallian Wala Bagh in Amritsar on 13th April 1919 against the arrest of their Leaders Safi Ud Din Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal, General Dyer ordered for indiscriminate fire on unarmed civilians, killing over thousand. This episode in history is called as Jallian Wala Bagh Massacre.
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