‘Great soul in beggar’s grab’

Abstract:

The person who got India her freedom, a lawyer, social activist, writer, politician and
political ethicist. Often (and rightly) referred to as the father of India and called ‘Great soul in
beggar’s grab’ by the legendary Rabindranath Tagore, is a person who I personally look up to
partly for his law background and partly for not only his contribution to the freedom struggle
but also his expertise as a master politician. While the ‘what’ of Gandhian politics is majorly a
part of academics the ‘why’ is left untouched, In this essay I’d like to explore the same.
[ CITATION Eri \l 16393 ]

Early Life:

Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2nd October 1869, Porbandar, India) was a part of an
Elite family. He left India to study law in London in the year 1888 . In the year 1893 Gandhi set
sail for South Africa. He was appalled at the discrimination against the people of color and
propagated the philosophy of Satyagrah for propelling the society towards a no class or ethnic
discrimination society. Gandhiji formed the natal Indian Congress in 1894 South Africa. In no
time he became the leader of the South African Indian Community. He worked as an attorney
and a public worker from 1893 to 1914 in Africa. South Africa had a great influence on
Gandhiji’s life and political ideology and vice versa. He once said that “I was born in India but
made in Africa” to signify the role of his time in Africa in grooming him.

In January 1915 Gandhiji returned to India with no pocessions and only one aim, to serve
his people. Gandhiji realized that he was not familiar with the country and its problems and
neither were his countrymen familiar with him. Taking the advice of his political mentor he
spent his first year in India studying the country. This quality of him inspires me because it’s
necessary to listen to understand someone’s problems. As he so eloquently put it, “with ears
open but mouth shut”[ CITATION Jag \l 16393 ]

Early years in India

After his yearly wanderings Gandhi settled on the banks of the Sabarmati River where he
founded an ashram. His first Satyagraha was in Chaparan, Bihar for the farmers who were
exploited by the British indigo planters. Not only did he speak up and represent the people
against the exploitation, he also worked towards social development by instructing the illiterate
peasants in elementary hygiene and running schools for their children. He believed a free
person must learn to stand on their feet. His constant efforts led to the Government setting up a
committee for inquiry of which Gandhiji was a member. The report of the committee went in
 favor of the tenant farmers. This played an essential role in enhancing his reputation in the
country. The next important stage in the mahatma’s life came in 1919, he began pushing for
independence from the Brits and organized protests against the Rowlett act. British responded
brutally by moving down 400 unarmed protesters in the Jallianwalabaug massacre. After this
incident Gandhiji pushed ever harder for home rule. [ CITATION mkg \l 16393 ]

In the year 1921 Gandhiji was in Madhurai (Tamil Nadu) it was here that Gandhi made a
momentous decision to change his attire. From the elaborate Gujarati attire, he decided on a
simple dhoti and shawl. This epoch-making decision was taken by Gandhiji in Madurai after he
decided that he has to work for and with the poor people of India and how can he identify with
them if he wears different clothes from them. This change of attire went on a long way in
making peoples belief in him as a leader tenfold. He stuck to this dress code even on his trip
abroad. Gandhi used this opportunity to make a statement, the people saw themselves in him,
and he was the leader of the people. When he was invited to the Buckingham Palace by King
George V Gandhi was adamant by pre-announcing that he would not re-clothe even to meet the
King. His stand was simple that the Indian poor were still naked because of Britain. [ CITATION
mkg \l 16393 ][ CITATION Eri \l 16393 ][ CITATION SBa \l 16393 ]

Civil Disobedience and the Quit India Moment

After the INC had passed the resolution for Poorna Swaraj in its Lahore session and Nehru
hoisted the tricolor on the banks of the Ravi River, Gandhi pushed even harder for home rule,
encouraging boycotts of British goods and organizing mass protests. The British had a
monopoly on salt which is a staple part of Indian diet. In opposition of this rule he organized a
386 km long protest march to the west coast of Gujarat, where he and his followers reaped salt
on the shores of the Arabian Sea. Gandhi defied the government by picking up a handful of salt
which had been formed by the evaporation of sea. The government as a response to this act of
defiance arrested over 60,000 peaceful protesters. Making of salt spread throughout the
country in the first phase of the civil disobedience movement, it became a symbol of the
people’s defiance of the government. The congress finally called of the civil disobedience
moment in its 1931 Karachi session in return of the release of all the political prisoners as
decided under the Gandhi Irwin pact.

Imprisoned for a year attributable to the Salt March, he became more influential than ever. He
protested discrimination against the “untouchables,” India’s lowest caste, and negotiated
unsuccessfully for Indian self-government. Undeterred, he began the Quit India movement, a
campaign to urge Great Britain to voluntarily withdraw from India post world war II. Great
Britain refused and imprisoned him another time. Huge demonstrations ensued, and despite
the arrests of a 100,000 Swarajya (home-rule) advocates by the British authorities, the balance
finally tipped toward Indian Independence. A frail Gandhi was freed from jail in 1944, and Great
Britain finally began to form plans to withdraw from the Indian landmass. India finally gained
its independence in August 1947. But Gandhi only saw it for a few months; a Hindu extremist
assassinated him on January 30, 1948. Over 1.5 million people marched in his massive funeral
procession.[ CITATION Eri \l 16393 ]

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Conclusion

Ascetic and unflinching, Gandhi changed the face of civil disobedience around the world.
Martin Luther King, Jr. drew on his tactics during the Civil Rights Movement, and the Dalai Lama
was inspired by his teachings, which are still foreshown by those who seek to inspire change
without inciting violence. Mohandas Gandhi the man was complex and flawed. However, he left
an indelible mark on the history of India and on the exercise of civil disobedience worldwide.
And like all great men he will always have the respect fit for a “Mahatma” the man with a great
soul, the man who got India her freedom

“After I am gone, no single person will be able completely to represent me,” he said. “But a little
bit of me will live in many of you. If each puts the cause first and himself last, the vacuum will to
a large extent be filled.”

Bibliography

Balakrishnan, S. (n.d.). What made Gandhiji wear only Loincloth or Dhoti. Press Information Bureau, Government of India.

Blakemore, E. (n.d.). How Mahatma Gandhi Changed Political Protest. National Geographic.

Jagran Josh. (n.d.). Civil Disobedience Moment.

mkgandhi.org. (n.d.). Great soul in Beggars grab.

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