Mahatma Gandhi
Context:
- MAHATMA Gandhi, whose 154th birth anniversary falls today, holds significant relevance for India and its billion-plus citizens, especially for the younger generation.
About:
- Born and raised in a Hindu family in coastal Gujarat, Gandhi trained in the law at the Inner Temple, London, and was called to he bar at age 22 in June 1891.
- After two uncertain years in India, where he was unable to start a successful law practice, he moved to South Africa in 1893 to represent an Indian merchant in a lawsuit.
- He went on to live in South Africa for 21 years. It was here that Gandhi raised a family and first employed nonviolent resistance in a campaign for civil rights.
- In 1915, aged 45, he returned to India and soon set about organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination.
Champaran agitations:
- Gandhi’s first major achievement came in 1917 with the Champaranagitation in Bihar.
- The Champaran agitation pitted the local peasantry against largely Anglo-Indian plantation owners who were backed by the local administration.
- The peasants were forced to grow indigo, a cash crop for Indigo dye whose demand had been declining over two decades, and were forced to sell their crops to the planters at a fixed price.
- Unhappy with this, the peasantry appealed to Gandhi at his ashram in Ahmedabad.
- Pursuing a strategy of nonviolent protest, Gandhi took the administration by surprise and won concessions from the authorities.
Kheda agitations:
- In 1918, Kheda was hit by floods and famine and the peasantry was demanding relief from taxes.
- Using non-co-operation as a technique, Gandhi initiated a signature campaign where peasants pledged non-payment of revenue even under the threat of confiscation of land.
- Gandhi worked hard to win public support for the agitation across the country.
- For five months, the administration refused, but by the end of May 1918, the Government gave way on important provisions and relaxed the conditions of payment of revenue tax until the famine ended.
- In Kheda, Vallabhbhai Patel represented the farmers in negotiations with the British, who suspended revenue collection and released all the prisoners.
11 principles of Gandhiji:
1. Ahimsa (Nonviolence):
- Ahimsa or non-violence was the main principle of Gandhiji.
- It is the path along which one can reach truth. It not only means not indulging into physical violence but also removing all jealousy, hatred, and desire to harm others.
2. Satya (Truth):
- Truth has always been the most important vow, and the very basis of all the other vows.
- Mahatma Gandhi defines truth as “The word ‘Satya’ is derived from ‘Sat’, which means ‘Being’”.
- Nothing is or ever exists in reality except Truth.
3. Brahmacharya (Self Discipline or Chastity):
- The real meaning of the principle of Mahatma Gandhi- ‘Brahmacharya’ is ‘Moving towards, Brahma’ that is truth.
- For a person pursuing Brahmacharya, control over all the senses is necessary.
- Hence, for such a person it is necessary that he keeps himself away from attachment to all social connections.
4. Asteya (Non-Stealing):
- According to Gandhiji, people who enjoy luxuries which are not available to the lower strata of the society are thieves.
- So, if a person wishes to apply Asteya in his life, he ought to lead a simple life.
- He must take for himself from society only his minimum requirements.
5. Aparigraha (Non-Possession):
- Aparigraha means we should not store anything with us that we do not need today.
- By observing this principle one can lead to a progressive simplification of his/ her own life.
6. Sharirashrama (Physical labour):
- Gandhi’s idea was that every person must put in some physical labour to earn his living.
- An artist, an intellectual person or a person with any other ability must utilise that ability for serving the society, while he must earn bread through physical labour alone.
7. Asvada (Control of Palate):
- Asvadawas state that food is meant only to sustain the body for the service of others.
- Gandhiji believed that observance of Brahmacharya would become easier if taste was conquered.
- The conquest of taste would be helpful in the conquest of other senses too.
8. Abhaya (Fearlessness):
- Gandhiji used to be a timid child who was full of fears. Later on he consciously trained himself and overcame his fears.
- Likewise, we all are afraid of one or the other things like injury, health, poverty, loss of loved ones, etc.
- One can progress towards fearlessness by sheer determination and constant hard work.
9. Sarva-Dharma-Samanatva (Equal Respect For All Religions):
- This vow is very important in a multi-religious country like India.
- A person has a natural respect for his/ her own religion.
- But that respect should not lead one to disrespect other religions.
- All religions teach ideologies that lead towards an ideal life.
10. Swadeshi (Duty towards the neighbour):
- The life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi focused on one’s dharma (duty) towards its neighbours.
- Gandhiji felt that by purchasing foreign goods we were harming Indian workers, artisans and handicrafts men.
- He suggested that people should use only locally made goods, articles and equipment.
- Gandhiji believed that if all the Indian people start following the Swadeshi principle, then people of India will become independent, self-reliant, self supporting and economically, socially, politically, and individually strong.
11. Asprishyata nivarana (Removal of Untouchability):
- Gandhiji criticised untouchability and believed it to be the greatest scar or blot on Hinduism.
- It is a thing of utmost shame that we treat someone as an untouchable and unapproachable person, just because he is born in a specific varna.
Syllabus: Prelims
