HISTORY ASSINGEMENT

MOVIE REVIEW OF
GANDHI

DONE BY
AADHITYA NARAYANAN
L19BALB111
We first see Gandhi in 1948 at that fateful prayer meeting when he was shot down by a Hindu
fanatic, and as millions gather for his funeral in Delhi and the world's leaders make their
lapidary tributes, The opening scene can tell us how an effective leader can be cut off from
continuing his leadership. Assassination is cutting off someone who is effective. The
assassination of Gandhi cuts him off from his people. The reason, of course, is obvious – he
is an effective leader, the people follow him, whatever he says has an effect and an outcome,
or perhaps, we can say that his leadership cannot be stopped except through the bullet of a
gun. The assassin is one of those opposed to his ways. But there is another leadership here –
the assassin is being coached by another leader, someone who is against Gandhi’s teaching.
The burial parade is attended by hundreds of thousands, people of all walks of life, and
dignitaries and representatives from the different countries of the world. Gandhi was a Hindu
who practiced the teachings of Christianity, sympathized with Muslims and other religions,
but was revered by millions throughout India and the world. His leadership was leadership by
example. He made humility not only a tool but a weapon mightier than an empire. Gandhi’s
burial showed that Gandhi was not just an ordinary leader. He was a leader of no army, but
his enemies feared his weapon.1
Then the film flashes back to a chronological account of his life, beginning with his arrival in
South Africa in the 1890s at the age of 23. Firmly in possession of a first-class ticket, he is
thrown off a train in the middle of the night by an irate railway guard at the behest of an
indignant white passenger. He already had a law degree, but a degree or not, he was a target
of South Africa's system of racial segregation, in which Indians are denied full citizenship
and manhood.
Gandhi, a young lawyer, consulting and discussing with the Indian immigrants of South
Africa, telling them his train experience wherein he was thrown out because he was coloured.
Gandhi was surprised that the Indians had accepted their fate, subject to white supremacy. He
learns that such humiliations are frequent occurrences for Indians in South Africa. Gandhi
declares such discriminatory policies must be fought: "We are children of God and members
of the Empire.
The young barrister helps organize the Indian Congress Party of South Africa and leads a
public demonstration against the law requiring Indians to carry registration passes. This
group consisted of his young countrymen, including the rich Indians and ordinary people who
had migrated to that country for jobs or to find their place under the sun. His leadership skill
displayed in the initial stages of the ‘revolution’ to free India. He even asked his wife to bring
along with them the wives of the other Indians. Organizing the small groups of Indians to
stand for a cause was a beginning feat for Gandhi. He sought the help of the press, as he was
himself a writer, and from the Indian population of South Africa.2
Gandhi and the businessman who was motivated to follow him asked the Indians to burn their
passes. The ‘pass’ was a piece of government document which was required of all coloured
people in South Africa to distinguish them from the Europeans. Only the whites did not have
passes. By burning the passes, Gandhi and the people protested the injustice of the white
1
https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/ethics_onfilm/0016
2
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gandhi-1982
government. Gandhi was beaten but he showed no fear. He wanted the people to follow him
even in the face of danger. In his confrontations with the British authorities, he was confident
of himself. Gandhi’s speech angered the police and the British authorities. No one had ever
made such a remark or goaded the Indians to rise to action. Gandhi’s statement was a cry for
a revolution. To ask to be treated as equal with the white people meant ‘sacrilege’ for the
white people at that time. The police were alarmed; this was like calling to arms. But Gandhi
said that they were not seeking a rise to arms, but their protest was for peaceful means, and
all they wanted to be justice.
The environment was ripe for a change. The Indians were beginning to feel the pressure from
the government. They needed a leader; they needed someone who had the character traits of a
leader, someone they could follow, and someone who could be trusted. When they saw and
felt that Gandhi was that someone that had been waiting for, they cooperated with him. They
were awakened and they wanted to fight. This is one of the first scenes that showed his
interpersonal skill of communicating with a small group of Indians in South Africa. He
communicated clearly with them and established a strong personal bond. He convinced them
to help him organize the Indians of South Africa. 3
He shares his views with Charlie Andrews, an English clergyman. He believes there is room
in South Africa for all, and the Indians must refuse to submit to injustice but resist without
using violent means: "There is a cause for which I would give my life but no cause for which
I am prepared to kill." Gandhi and a Christian preacher meet a group of young white people
who were ready to harass them. He knew how to understand his emotions and others; he also
knew his opponents. Gandhi’s self-confidence and humility are remarkable in this scene. He
said to the pastor that he had heard of the teachings of Jesus Christ and followed some of his
examples. Gandhi told his pastor friend the example of Jesus Christ that when your enemy
strikes you in one cheek, offer the other. 4
Gandhi leads a Christian community known as ‘ashram’. His leadership was like leading a
family; he was a father to the members of the community. He was addressed as “Bapuji”,
which meant father. He experienced the poverty of his people by organizing the community
known as ‘ashram’. Gandhi emphasized the importance of understanding people. He
displayed a precocious concern with the treatment of others and with the consequences of
violating one’s moral codes. Gandhi had the quality of inter-personal intelligence. In their
community, they offer hospitality to their visitors. One scene in a movie when a journalist
called Walker, visited them, Gandhi asked his wife to clean the latrine, one for the journalist,
and another for the driver. The wife refused, arguing that she was a member of a class in
India known as “untouchable”. Gandhi had wanted to modify this caste system. His
leadership was to lead by example; no one should be above the other even if he is a leader.
He had taught humility to his people, and this should be practiced by everyone including the
members of his family. He used his interpersonal skills in persuading his wife that it was for
the principle that he wanted to modify some of the Indian beliefs. The caste system was
discriminatory. His family should be the first to show to the people that they practiced what
3
https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/reviews/view/5012
4
https://www.theguardian.com/film/1982/dec/05/features.philipfrench
they preached. Gandhi was a trustworthy leader, and to be trustworthy, he was being genuine
and honest in his values and beliefs. He practiced this at the risk of sending his wife out of his
own home when the latter insisted that she was a member of “untouchables”. Gandhi did not
like this though and the Indian custom. It had to be blotted out from the minds of ordinary
Indian families.5
There is tension because the British general had imposed new stricter laws against the
Indians. All Indians were to be fingerprinted; marriages had to be Christian marriage, and
other than this act, their wives were considered whores. A policeman, entering an Indian
dwelling, may enter that dwelling and could do anything to their wives, legally. Gandhi urges
fellow Indians at a town hall meeting to undertake a massive Satyagraha effort, including
protest strikes. There is an uproar coming from the audience as Gandhi explains the new law.
But Gandhi persuades them not to attack anyone; to resist by not giving their fingerprints.
Through their pain, the British would see their injustice. “We will not strike a blow. We
cannot lose. They may torture my body, break my bones, they can have my body, but not my
obedience.” Gandhi spoke to the crowd in the presence of government people. In this scene,
Gandhi showed the many qualities of a real leader. He had self-confidence. Humility is one
of those traits needed by an effective leader. Gandhi also showed extraversion. He was
outgoing and gregarious, convincing the people not to obey the laws of the British, but not to
fight violence with violence. He was an effective leader in the truest sense of the word.
Another scene of the film portrayed Gandhi leading the miners’ strike. Horse-driven
constables came to disperse Gandhi and the crowd, but the group resisted by lying on the
road down so the horses will not trample them. The workers and their leaders are arrested. In
time, Gandhi is summoned from jail to meet with General Christiaan Smuts who
acknowledges the success of the Indians' campaign and agrees to change the laws. The troops
retreated. Gandhi showed leadership by example. He was ready to die with the miners. He
taught them courage and humility in the face of danger. The owner of the mine could do
nothing but leave along with the police. Gandhi is called to the office of the general
informing him that he and the rest of the Indian prisoners would be released. But in exchange
for the general’s ‘goodness’, Gandhi asked for money, saying that he was going home to
India. This is one of those Gandhi’s wise moves. In the scene in which Gandhi was released
from prison, he used wisdom. Gandhi asked money from the general who said he neither had
money but pointed to Mr. Daniel to give Gandhi the needed money. He was going home to
India. Gandhi was going away from the prisons of South Africa, to return home to India who
needed him most. In India, he was joyfully received by the people and gave him a hero’s
welcome. In India, Gandhi was greeted by thousands of people, including the political leaders
of India, members of congress, and other influential people. Many had heard of his exploits in
South Africa and had read his articles. Gandhi’s leadership skills were like a magnet to the
people. At a reception, Gopal Krishna Gokhale a leader in the nationalism movement urges
Gandhi to learn as much as he can about the real India, to see "what needs to be said and what
we need to hear." With his wife, Charlie, and others, he journeys by train throughout the vast
country. 6
5
https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/reviews/view/5012

6
https://www.theguardian.com/film/1982/dec/05/features.philipfrench
At a meeting of the National Congress Party, Mohammed Ali Jinnah the leader of the Muslim
League demands that the British grant India Home Rule. Then Gandhi urges the surprised
and increasingly impressed assembly to identify themselves with the masses in the villages
where "Politics are confined to bread and salt." At his ashram near Ahmedabad, Gandhi now
lives a simple existence. When word arrives of the desperate conditions of the indigo farmers
in the province of Champaran, he travels there to hear their grievances. The British officials,
fearing his popular following, arrest him. In his jail cell, Gandhi resolves to win rights for the
poor.
His identification with India is so strong that he urges Charlie to leave: "I have to be sure that
what we do here can be done by Indians alone."
The British have adopted the Rowlatt Bills, allowing for the imprisonment without trial of
Indians suspected of sedition. At Jinnah's house, Gandhi meets with other political leaders,
including Vallabhbhai Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru (Roshan Seth), to discuss this threat
to their rights. He proposes they stage a Satyagraha campaign beginning with a National Day
of Prayer and fasting, i.e. a general strike. The British Viceroy responds by ordering Gandhi's
arrest. His imprisonment leads to widespread rioting throughout India. In Amritsar, British
General Reginald Dyer orders his troops to fire without warning on a rally. Within 15
minutes, 1,650 bullets have caused 1,516 casualties. After the Amritsar massacre, Gandhi
warns the British that they are trying to be masters in someone else's home and starts the
Non-cooperation movement7
The Non-cooperation movement was launched on 4th September 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi
with the aim of self-governance and obtaining full independence as the Indian National
Congress (INC) withdraw its support for British reforms following the Rowlatt Act of 21
March 1919, and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April 1919. The Rowlett Act in March
1919, suspended the rights of defendants in sedition trials, was a "political awakening" by
Indians and as a "threat" by the British. At an open-air rally, he speaks to the masses, urging
them to prove themselves worthy of independence by removing the stigma of untouchability
from their hearts, by seeking Hindu-Muslim unity, and by rejecting European ways, thus
returning to their national heritage, symbolized by the wearing of homespun cloth and a new
emphasis on village crafts. Gandhi himself learns to use a spinning wheel. The Mahatma's
ideas now begin to attract world attention. The Rowlett Act motivated Gandhi to conceive the
idea of satyagraha, which he saw as synonymous with independence. Gandhi's planning of
the non-cooperation movement included persuading all Indians to withdraw their labour from
any activity that "sustained the British government and economy in India", including British
industries and educational institutions. In addition to promoting “self-reliance” by spinning
khadi, buying Indian made goods only, and doing away with English clothes, Through non-
violent means or Ahimsa, protesters would refuse to buy British goods, adopt the use of local
handicrafts and picket liquor shops. 8
Madeline Slade, the daughter of an English admiral, becomes a devotee, accepting the name
Mirabehn. Then violence erupts again. A peaceful demonstration for Home Rule turns into a
mob attack on a police station in Chauri Chaura, Bengal where the non-cooperation

7
https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/jallianwala-bagh-massacre-causes-and-its-impact-
1446016915-1
8
https://knowindia.gov.in/culture-and-heritage/freedom-struggle/the-non-cooperation-movement.php
movement was disbanded. A distraught Gandhi decides to undertake a fast until the people
understand that "an eye for an eye only ends up leaving the whole world blind." Nursed by
Kasturba and Mirabehn, he fasts until Nehru resorts that the Home Rule campaign has been
stopped. The British now arrest Gandhi for sedition. Judge Broomfield rises respectfully
when the Mahatma enters the courtroom in Ahmedabad, and after sentencing him to jail,
expresses his hope that the term will be shortened. Gandhi states in court that he must
continue to preach non-cooperation with an evil system. Released from prison in 1926,
Gandhi returns to his home state of Porbandar. When the journalist Walker visits, he and
Kasturba re-enact their wedding ceremony. Later Gandhi assures Walker that he will soon
have a story for him.
Gandhi started the Civil Disobedience Movement where it was an act of nonviolent civil
disobedience in colonial India led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. On this walk, the
people were waving and cooperating at the side of the road, women were weaving the
traditional Indian cloth as a symbol of their support to the cause of Gandhi. Most of the
people, Muslims, and Hindus, including the different sectors of society, politicians,
businessmen, and ordinary folks were supporting and collaborating to the cause that Gandhi
was fighting for – independence of India. This made the leadership of Gandhi very effective.
The 24-day march lasted from 12 March 1930 to 6 April 1930 as a direct-action campaign of
tax resistance and nonviolent protest the British salt monopoly. Another reason for this march
was that the Civil Disobedience Movement needed a strong inauguration that would inspire
more people to follow Gandhi's example. Mahatma Gandhi started this march with 80 of his
trusted volunteers. Walking ten miles a day for 24 days, the march spanned over 240 miles
from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, which was called Navsari at that. Growing numbers of
Indians joined them along the way. When Gandhi broke the salt laws at 6:30 am on 6 April
1930, it sparked large scale acts of civil disobedience against the British Raj salt laws by
millions of Indians. After making the salt by evaporation at Dandi, Gandhi continued
southward along the coast, making salt and addressing meetings on the way. The Congress
Party planned to stage a satyagraha at the Dharasana Salt Works, 25 miles south of Dandi.
However, Gandhi was arrested on the midnight of 4–5 May 1930, just days before the
planned action at Dharasana. At the Dharasana Salt Works, the nonviolent movement faces a
severe test. Six abreast, Gandhians march up to the gate, row after row submitting to a brutal
beating by the police. None fights back. The women carry each group of bleeding men away
and tend to their wounds. After watching this chilling scene, Walker files a story by
telephone to the newspapers: "Whatever moral ascendance the West held was lost today.
India is free — she has taken all that steel and cruelty can give, and she has neither cringed
nor retreated."9 The Dandi March and the ensuing Dharasana Satyagraha drew worldwide
attention to the Indian independence movement through extensive newspaper and newsreel
coverage. The satyagraha against the salt tax continued for almost a year, ending with
Gandhi's release from jail and negotiations with Viceroy Lord Irwin at the Second Round
Table Conference. Although over 60,000 Indians were jailed as a result of the Salt
Satyagraha, the British did not make immediate major concessions. 10
The British were concerned about protecting the different interests of the Hindus, Muslims,
and the princely states. Gandhi, although treated well during his visit, even by the workers in
9
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gandhi-leads-civil-disobedience
10
thtps://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/non-cooperation-movement/
England's textile industry who have suffered because of the Indian boycott of English cloth,
returns home empty-handed.
Gandhi then starts the Quit India Movement launched in August 1942, in response for the
immediate independence of India. Its aim was to bring the British government to the
negotiating table through determined, but passive resistance. Unilaterally and without
consultation, the British had entered India into World War II, arousing the indignation of
large numbers of Indian people. On July 14, 1942, the Indian National Congress passed a
resolution demanding complete independence from Britain and massive civil disobedience.
On August 8, 1942, the Quit India Resolution was passed at the Bombay session of the All
India Congress Committee (AICC).Gandhi made a call to Do or Die in his Quit India speech
delivered in Bombay at the Gowalia Tank Maidan. The All-India Congress Committee
launched a mass protest demanding what Gandhi called "An Orderly British Withdrawal"
from India. Even though it was at war, the British were prepared to act. Almost the entire
leadership of the Indian National Congress was imprisoned without trial within hours of
Gandhi's speech. Most spent the rest of the war in prison and out of contact with the masses.
The British had the support of the Viceroy's Council (which had most Indians), of the All
India Muslim League, the princely states, the Indian Imperial Police, the Army, the Hindu
Mahasabha, and the Indian Civil Service. The only outside support came from the Americans,
as President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressured Prime Minister Winston Churchill to give in to
some of the Indian demands. The Quit India campaign was effectively crushed. The British
refused to grant immediate independence, saying it could happen only after the war had
ended. Sporadic small-scale violence took place around the country and the British arrested
tens of thousands of leaders, keeping them imprisoned until 1945. In terms of immediate
objectives, Quit India failed because of heavy-handed suppression, weak coordination, and
the lack of a clear-cut program of action. However, the British government realized that India
was ungovernable in the long run due to the cost of World War II, and the question for post-
war became how to exit gracefully and peacefully. 11
Imprisoned at the Aga Khan Palace at Pune during World War II, Gandhi is visited by Life
magazine photographer Margaret Bourke-White. He explains the value of a simple life and
introduces her to spinning. From Kasturba and Mirabehn, the American learns that Gandhi
has worked for the liberation of women, seeing them and the untouchables as victims of
slavery. Later Kasturba suffers a heart attack and dies in prison.
Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British envoy to India, arrives to preside over the peaceful
transition of power. But the Indians are not united on plans for independence. Jinnah argues
for the partition of the country into India, where Hindus are in the majority, and Pakistan,
where Muslims are in the majority. Gandhi is vehemently opposed to this plan and, to
appease Jinnah, suggests he become the first prime minister of a united India. Nehru and
other politicians counsel that the people will not accept this plan and Jinnah threatens that
without partition they risk a civil war. This led to Partition of India12

11
https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/quit-india-movement/

12
https://theconversation.com/how-the-partition-of-india-happened-and-why-its-effects-are-still-felt-today-
81766
The Partition of India of 1947 was the division of British India into two independent
dominion states, India and Pakistan by an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The
partition also saw the division of the British Indian Army, the Royal Indian Navy, the Indian
Civil Service, the railways, and the central treasury. The partition resulted in the dissolution
of the British Raj or Crown rule in India. The two self-governing countries of India and
Pakistan legally came into existence at midnight on 15 August 1947. The partition displaced
between 10–12 million people along religious lines, creating overwhelming refugee crises in
the newly constituted dominions. There was large-scale violence, with estimates of the loss of
life accompanying or preceding the partition disputed and varying between several hundred
thousand and two million. On August 15, 1947, as flags are raised in New Delhi, India, and
Karachi, Pakistan, Mahatma Gandhi spins at his ashram beneath a bare flagpole. Throughout
the subcontinent, millions of refugees are on the move, Hindus moving to India and Muslims
to Pakistan. Years of bitter communal conflict result once again in riots. Gandhi goes to
Calcutta in partitioned Bengal to plead for peace. He vows to fast until death unless the
killing stops: "I can't watch the destruction of all I've lived for." When he is finally convinced
by Nehru, the Muslim leader of Bengal, and Hindus from the streets that the violence has
been curbed, Gandhi breaks his fast.13
On January 30, 1948, in New Delhi, Mahatma Gandhi entertains Margaret Bourke-White
and then goes to lead evening prayers. A large crowd has gathered for the occasion. One man
bows respectfully then draw a gun and fires three times. Gandhi dies instantly.
The next day, a monumental funeral procession in New Delhi honours the man who worked
so long and hard for independence and peace — the Great Soul who deeply believed: "The
way of truth and love has always won. There are tyrants but, in the end, they always fall.
Think about it. Always."

The Enduring Symbolism of Gandhi

This movie tells us about the life and the works of one of the most distinguished men in
history, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. It gives us a full picture of what really happened
during the time when India was in the state of decay under British rule. The scenes in this
movie will surely capture the hearts and minds of this new generation especially that it talks
about the heroic acts of a man who had the title “Mahatma” – the Sanskrit word for “Great
Soul”.
The movie started with the early life of Gandhi in South Africa as a legal adviser to an
Indian Firm. There he was able to see the injustices of the Whites to the native people and he
himself experienced the same. In South Africa, from Transportation up to every aspect of
life– Everything was segregated. As to what had been shown in the movie, they don’t mind
with what you had achieved in life. Being professional doesn’t mean being equal to the
Whites. In fact, even the wealthy merchants of different skin colours have no equal access to
the services of the colony. In short, black and brown people were merely as slaves by the
whites and they must do the dirty work. His victory in South Africa made possible by his
method of passive resistance and non-cooperation, together with the cry of many Indians
13
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/05/partition-70-years-on-india-pakistan-denial
against the cruelty of the White people, is what motivated him to have a battle again with the
British Empire. This time, the battle will be held in a country very familiar to him with very
diverse people, and where the might of the British Empire was well established. The
situation in India is far worse than in South Africa. India has very vast land and a diverse
group of People – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, and even Christians which makes the
situation very difficult. But all of these changed when Gandhi arrived. His very simple
personality is what made him popular with the Indians at that time. His humanistic approach
to everyone, even to the oppressors, is what made him acceptable to everyone that even
though he was a Hindu, the Muslims and other groups in India accepted his leadership. His
advocacy of equal opportunity/treatment for all (regardless of social and economic status in
life), and the liberation of all oppressed people in the hands of oppressors is what made him
famous all around the globe that during the day of his death, the whole world mourns even
the imperialists at that time.
Gandhi’s effective non-violence revolution can be best understood by his principles in life.
First is the principle of passive resistance and civil disobedience. In this principle, he argues
that the only effective way to fight the oppressors is by disobeying them through passive
resistance and not by aggressive activities. Any violent reaction coming from the oppressed
people will only justify the cruelty of the oppressors. Second is the concept of Satyagraha or
“Truth and Firmness”. Being true to one’s self and being firm in one’s belief will boost the
sense of being nationalistic. During the time of Gandhi, he displayed this kind of personality
when he chose not to ask for help to any foreign people and instead told his White clergyman
friend that “the problem of the Indians can only be solved by Indians” and he was firmed in
this belief that he advised his friend to be in Fiji instead to help those who need him most.
When this second principle is achieved, then the third principle will come next, Swaraj”. By
being true to yourself and firm in your beliefs then you should learn how to be independent
especially to your oppressor. This was seen when Gandhi decided to boycott the products of
the British and made his own clothes. The burning of western clothes also in the movie as a
symbol of this principle and it was designed to maintain the traditional and unique identity of
Indians with that of the culture of British which is eminent in western clothing. The fourth
principle is the Ahimsa, it’s main aim is to prevent the possibility of provoking a bloody war.
It argues that everything and nothing is impossible in this world – it only takes patience and
time. These principles are what made Gandhi a very effective revolutionary leader, at the
same time, a well-loved man by everyone that many refer to him as the “father of India”.14
Bibliography
Web Sites
1. https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/ethics_onfilm/0016

2. https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/reviews/view/5012

3. https://www.theguardian.com/film/1982/dec/05/features.philipfrench
14
https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/ethics_onfilm/0016
4. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gandhi-1982

5. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/civil-disobedience-movement-

1446792282-1

6. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gandhi-leads-civil-disobedience

7. https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/quit-india-movement/

8. thtps://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/non-cooperation-movement/

9. https://knowindia.gov.in/culture-and-heritage/freedom-struggle/the-non-cooperation-

movement.php

10. https://theconversation.com/how-the-partition-of-india-happened-and-why-its-effects-are-

still-felt-today-81766

11. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/05/partition-70-years-on-india-pakistan-

denial

12. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/jallianwala-bagh-massacre-causes-and-its-

impact-1446016915-1