Mahatama Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was assassinated in January 1948 in New Delhi, India, at the age of 78. It hasn’t been quite a century. Truth-telling biographies about the Gandhi no one knew are now taking the place of the surfeit of hagiographies that have been written about him.

In modern times, Gandhiji is lauded as the “Father of the Nation,” “Mahatma,” “The Person Behind the Independence of India,” and many other titles. Every history book has discussed his ahimsa, satyagraha, and nonviolence principles. Who was responsible for independence of India? Gandhiji is the answer you will hear, possibly the animals would reply the same. Whom should you be inspired from; The most utopian person is? Gandhiji is the universal answer for all these questions. Undoubtedly he was an illustrious person, but portraying him as the epitome of India’s pre-historic independence seems vague. Massive contributions by Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, Rani Laxmibai, Mangal Pandey, Tantia Tope and others are sidelined.

The legend of Mahatma Gandhi’s steadfast commitment to the truth—and nothing but the absolute truth—may only come close to matching his presumptive commitment to nonviolence. According to him, “My love for non-violence is superior to everything else supermundane or mundane.” It is only surpassed by my love for the truth, which is to me synonymous with nonviolence and the only means by which I can see and encounter the Truth.  Gandhi(ji) took numerous liberties with the truth during the first ten years of his political sojourn in India, from 1920 to 1931, which were revealed by Indian revolutionaries who debated him at the time. During this time, he announced two large-scale movements that spread across the country but were abruptly ended without producing any noticeable results. One was abandoned under questionable circumstances, and the other resulted in a pathetic surrender.

Gandhi led a civil rights campaign in South Africa to demand fair social and employment conditions for the local Indian population. He left South Africa in 1915 to take part in the freedom movement in India before achieving the objectives he had set for himself. Gandhi had loftily despised “Parliamentary Swaraj,” as he referred to Swaraj, in South Africa, preferring that India should work toward achieving spiritual Swaraj. Gandhi nevertheless adopted the political stances of Parliamentary Swaraj by 1918, despite the fact that stalwart Congressmen like Sir C Sankaran Nair questioned his sincerity.

Having faith in Gandhi, many Indians joined the national non-cooperation movement and endured the brutal repression that Gandhi had documented from the British government. In an effort to psychologically blackmail his countrymen, he threatened to end his life if India did not achieve Swaraj by the end of 1921. (which was the extended duration). He also castigated Congress for not upholding the faith he had placed in it.

Truth and nonviolence are Gandhian thought’s two guiding principles. Gandhi ji defined truth as both the absolute truth—the ultimate reality—and the relative truth—being true in both word and deed. God (since God is also Truth) and morality—the moral laws and code—are the foundation of this ultimate truth.

Gandhi believed that nonviolence, which is the polar opposite of violence in every way, meant active love rather than merely peacefulness or the absence of overt violence. He sounds frighteningly quixotic and it is quite difficult to find its relevance. Non- violence works against those who are prone to attenuating moral authority and potent governments of being humiliated into conceding defeat.

Gandhi and congress had opposed the two-nation theory and were against the Partition. In order to appease Jinnah’s ambition and wean him away from his insistence on Pakistan, Gandhi suggested to the Viceroy that he be named interim Prime Minister. This, according to Mountbatten, satisfied Jinnah’s ego. The leaders of the Congress were concerned that if the Congress chose to withdraw from the constitutional debate, it would be vulnerable to reactionary forces.

Additionally, there were Muslim League leaders who would support it, so appeasing Jinnah would no longer be sufficient to put an end to Pakistan. There was also the issue of Jinnah’s sincerity in seeking a resolution. Gandhi subsequently withdrew his offer. The alternative to partition was imposing unity by force. P. D. Tandon, Congress leader and Speaker of the UP Assembly, was an active proponent of this view. But Congress leaders and Gandhi chose to accept Pakistan rather than compel unity. Gandhi stated that the decision had been arrived at after taking into account the pulse of the people of all communities, be they Muslims, Sikhs or Hindus. “The demand has been granted because you asked for it. 

These all instances may portray me as a critique of Gandhi and his policies. But there are always two sides of a coin. What we are being shown today is the positive side. Being unprejudiced will bring out the realities which have been neglected as being superstitious by people.

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” ― Philip K. Dick