Gandhi

Gandhi –India’s Karmachandra .

On this Independence day (15 August 2010) I am remembering Gandhi ,the Moon of Karma of India for freedom from bondages.The real man who made it possible for our Tryst with destiny.

1869 October second.Portcity of Porbandar in Kathiawar of modern Gujarat .After a Jovian cycle of first battle of independence in 1857, a moon of Nishkaamakarma was born ,like a beautiful Kurinji flower that blooms to take away all sorrows from the onlooker’s heart. That was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi .Porbandar was the old Sudamapura ,the place where Krishna’s friend Kuchela(Sudama)was born .Living like a Kuchela ,Gandhi showed the model of simple life, high ideals and unselfish actions for the sake of India.
When Gandhi returned from England on 1915 January 9th in Bombay he has already abandoned his coat and was wearing the white dress of a simple farmer in swadeshi cloths and that was his first weapon for his revolution. In 1914 itself a troupe of volunteers under Maganlal Gandhi was sent to India for a spiritual and ethical change as a prelude to the political change Gandhi envisaged. His path was not just a political revolution.Nonviolence,freedom of women, and of downtrodden, religious tolerance and friendship,Godliness,Brahmacharya, etc were all in his broad plan of enquiry of Truth. It was a Dharmayudha for him and he sincerely believed that it is not man but God who decides the role for each and makes us do so. A limitless energy for work, fearless actions, unshakable ideological honesty,steellike willpower and Leadership qualities when compared with belief in God ,made him a rare jewel of India to cherish forever.
Before entering political arena ,Gandhi went to the villages of India ,to study the problems of villagers ,as GopalakrishnaGokhale advised him to do. He returned in February 1916 after that journey .His first stage where he got a chance to voice his opinions was the foundation laying of Benarus Hindu University .The Viceroy Lord Harding was doing it. Annie Besant also was an invited guest of Pundit Madan Mohan Malavya.Viceroy went back after a brief period of laying the foundation stone and the King of Darbangha continued to be in the presidential chair to continue the meeting.
Gandhi made very drastic comments which made both Annie Besant and king of Darbanga to protest and go out of the hall .Gandhi was ordered to leave the city immediately by the then police commissioner. What were the points Gandhi raised to create such a havoc ?

1.He said the meeting should have been conducted in the mothertoungue since it is needed for the growth of a child’s brain .
2.The way to the front of Kasi Viswanatha ,Lord Shiva, appears very narrow and dirty.
3.The king of Darbangha and other members spoke of the poverty of India. But they didn’t say anything about the costly decorations of the stage and pandal eructed for the Viceroy’s ceremony .The show of jewels there would have even made the jewellery shops of Paris open their eyes in wonder. I am comparing these rich people with jewellery ,to those poor people of India whom I had just seen. Unless you remove such gaudy ornaments from your body to remove the poverty of your fellow countrymen ,India will never get freedom. Remember ,when a palace is built in some place in India, the money comes from a poor farmer of India.
4.Because the Viceroy has come,Banarus has become akin to an invaded nation. Police and army is everywhere. This protective/defensive force show the Viceroy is a man who is living in fear day by day.
5.I praise the revolutionaries for their love of the nation. But I do not approve at all of their method of throwing bombs (violence).
Why is this first speech of Gandhi so important ?It shows the personality of Gandhi .It also shows a comparable situation for today’s India. The viceroys are gone but political leaders with police and army and other protective agents ,the showy rich people and the show business of commercialism ,all exist today after 94 years .Probably ,the first point ,that only regional/national language should be spoken is a little bit out of context now because English has now become a global language and depriving of that global language we will be jeopardizing our children’s education and career opportunities. It is probable that Gandhi said it as a part of his Swadeshi movement and not because he had any special dislike for the language because he was using the English language in his writings and speeches throughout his life, as we all know. Gandhi ,as he later understood that a common language for communication is needed among the people of India and the world as a practical solution for communication problems accepted English. This was the reason why our ancestors coined an educational language with a grammar and semantics (Sanskrit) from Himalaya to Kanyakumari and the spoken regional languages all over India is at present indebted to that common educational language .In fact England learned the practical importance of a common language from India in establishing a trade all over the world .
A farmer from Bihar Champaran(Raj Kumar Shukla) met Gandhi at Lahore congress and told him about the atrocities in the Indigo plantations. Therefore after the Calcutta he went with Shukla to Patna.Shukla did not know answers to questions Gandhi asked about the land tax and its laws there. That is how .Kripalani and Gandhi become known to each other. He was a professor and hostel warden in Muzzafarpur college. His students came to railway station to receive Gandhi and did an arathi in front of him. This troubled Gandhi, since Arathi should be done only in front of God.
Kripalani had written that he was amused to see the unshaken belief of Gandhi that the British people are essentially good people ,and that India is the foremost nonviolent nation in the world. He even felt that this is a joke.Kripalani thought a empire built of deceitful diplomacy and fraud for commercial benefits can never have dharma. And India with history of wars ,both small and big, can never be a nonviolent nation. After several years Kripalani understood what Gandhi meant .Wars in Ramayana and Mahabharata were fought between two armies in a special place ,and civilians were never killed.Agriculture,trade ,other day to day economical and social functions were never affected even in such great wars. People could carry on their day to day life as usual. War was a local phenomenon and even kings who fought it believed that killing is evil .Every village had a self-governed self-sufficient socioeconomy and it was never affected by the change in governments after the wars. The educational network from a small village ,centered around a temple ,and a self-sufficient agro economy (for free education) extending upto grand universities where advanced studies under a Guru is possible for a student who is an ardent learner was not disturbed by kings. In fact by their Brahmadeya they allowed such free education centers to flourish .To have each unit or village /Panchayathana in the Veda (modern Panchayath) as a self-sufficient agricultural, educational and production unit ,so that the people can barter the things across villages, towns and abroad (Babylon,Assyria,Egypt) and to hand over the taxes as kind or service to the chief of the grama panchayath etc was an excellent system ,even praised by Marx as the communes of ancient India .This system was what Gandhi meant .Kripalani when he understood Gandhi’s idea ,recognized that cooperation and tolerance and dharma with peaceful coexistence happen only when such a society exist and such a world nation has never been recorded in history .That is what Gandhi meant when he said India is a nonviolent nation. Similarly ,though Britain had colonized entire world for their benefit, the common British citizen as well as its educated nobles have an aristocratic disposition towards understanding and differentiating dharma and adharma.That is why he had total faith in Britain and its people as essentially good. And he was not wrong .In Kheda satyagraha ,the British recognized Gandhi’s dharma, the unity of the farmers and their sacrificing mentality and gave them freedom from taxation. Then Gandhi requested the villagers that those who can give tax , pay it as a gentleman .They obeyed it. It shows his honesty, dharma and leadership quality .

Gandhi’s dream:- When Rowlett act came, to prevent the black bills to be passed ,Gandhi came to Madras ,even though he was physically ill. He didn’t have any idea about how to formulate a programme.He thought about the problem and went to sleep. In between awakened and dream state ,as if a dream an idea struck him.(This he has written in his biography) It was all people to fast and pray for entire day, without doing any work. He said this is self-purification as protest against the bill. The first day proposed was March 30 in 1919.Later the date was changed to April 6th.Gandhi was on a south Indian tour. A section of people had done fasting on the first date itself ,not knowing about the postponement. When Gandhi returned on April 4th to Mumbai, he heard the Government had fired at Delhi and Punjab seeing the success f the fast and its popularity. Hearing this Swami Sradhananda had asked Gandhi to reach Delhi immediately .But when Gandhi reached Mathura,from railway station ,he was asked to go back to Mumbai by a Government order which prohibited him to enter Delhi. Yet he traveled .At Palwal he was arrested and sent back to Bombay. Gandhi was sad to see the revolution being turned violent .Then came the most tragic incident in Indian freedom struggle.The jallianwallabag.
Gandhi’s swaraj was not just political selfGovernement.Social and economical justice, unity of entire people ,khadi ,swadeshi,developmental works in villages, ending of inequalities and untouchability, cottage industries, national educational policies, complete prohibition of liquor, reconstruction of ancient village panjayaths and their orderly function etc were in his swaraj.In 2010 ,when we look back ,we can ourselves see how much of these we have attained, and which all things Gandhi did not want to happen in India we are witnessing here etc.
After Nagpur session, in Beswada AIC C ,Thilak swaraj fund of one crore rupees was decided to be collected for the reconstruction programmes.To enroll one crore members in congress, to distribute 20 lakhs charka, and to utilize entire one crore within one year of collection for the purposes it was collected were planned. To carry out a programme in a limited and fixed timespan was executed in this way .The enthusiasm of people in this programme was great. Gandhi was very popular among people. But since Gandhi insisted on nonviolence at any cost a division of the congress under Dr B.S Moonche brought a bill proclaiming that they have no confidence in Gandhi in Delhi AICC.This made the Government courageous to arrest him at Sabarmathi for three of his articles in Young India .The conversation between the Judge (a European)and Gandhi in the court was very interesting. Gandhi said he was really guilty and he should be given the greatest possible punishment for his guilt. He said that I know that I am playing with fire, and I do not beg for mercy. What your law see as guilt, is seen by me as the greatest dharma of a responsible citizen.Therefore,if the judge comes to the conclusion that I have not done any violation of law, the judge should recognize the law he follows as adharma,and resign from his post. Or ,if he thinks that law is dharma, and my karma is dangerous to my people ,I should be given greatest punishment for it.
This was Gandhi’s view.
The judge said that by saying that he has done the crime, Gandhi has made his duty easy and that law does not respect individuals. But ,he stated that Gandhi was a very different person ,from all those on whom he had passed a judgement and will pass judgments in future too. Gandhi being a popular leader and loved by his people ,even his enemies respect him for his simple pure life and high ideals and for the judge ,he had no duty to pass a verdict on his character or all his actions, but just on one nature. A person who is under a law, and who has purposefully broken it, and against a Government ,the judge said he had to pass a judgement.Many people in India do believe that you should be allowed to go freely, but since it is my duty to include you under the same class as Thilak and give you 6 months imprisonment ,I hope you will not consider it as irresponsible on my part. If the Government decides to decrease the period or to set you free, there will be no other person than me who would rejoice in that .
Gandhi thanked the judge for comparing him to Thilak,the veteran leader. The conversation between a judge and a accused ,of this type is rare .Once in jail ,Gandhi had to undergo a surgery for acute appendicitis. Since surgeon was Colonel Maddock ,Gandhi was allowed to call any doctor in whom he has faith. That was because the authorities thought Gandhi had no faith in British people. But Gandhi said he had perfect faith in Maddock and allowed him to operate successfully.
In 1925 November as a penance to the deeds of the inmates of Sabarmathi ashram Gandhi fasted for 7 days. What eyes are for the external world, fasting is for inner world –he said. He said that children should be brought up on the basis of mutual love for all. If every child will grow pure, I will give up my life voluntarily –Gandhi declared. He wrote the story of my experiments with truth in 1925 in Gujrati language and its translation by Mahadev Desai came in Young India. Without notes or documents, during travels ,using hastily scribbled diaries and memories in brain he wrote his autobiography. He wrote that for the last 30 years I had been experimenting to know self. To see God. That alone is my goal .(He had written his autobiography till 1920).When Swaraj party had a split Gandhi said that the split is between the educated people of India and that his path was not theirs. He said he is making the nation from the lowest strata upwards and they want to build it from up down.( Because they wanted to be at the political power positions).
In Wardha congress Gandhi declared that to get swaraj ,people should take up three important items:- The Hindu-Muslim harmony, removal of untouchability and Swadeshi.By 1927 in Gandhi ashram at Banarus Khadi worth of Rs 70000 was produced. All types of workers were given employment in the ashram. From Nandihills at Bangalore Gandhi spoke on a common universal lipi(albhabet)and its need for uniting all people of India .The swadeshi fro him was to find employment for the weavers of India who had lost it by the millcloths .All his programmes had farreaching visionary implications for the wellbeing of Indians .When the Independent league within the congress with Sreenivasa Aiyangar,Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal as its architects declared Poornaswaraj as its only goal Gandhi said that it is a hastily conceived and thoughtlessly passed resolution.
Kripalani points out that Britain had realized the goal as well as the strength of Gandhi than the congress leaders. The prohibition of liquor, removal of untouchability,Khadi/swadeshi ,and nonviolence –as Gandhi envisaged – these were the backbones of real free India and if these are made possible no foreign country can ever exploit India .Kripalani says British administrators had understood that well and that is why they feared as well as respected Gandhi .The congress leaders always underestimated him ,and thought they are only one among them .But Britain never made that mistake throughout history .
For Gandhi’s compromise resolution Subhash Chandrabose brought an amendment in open session of AICC and Nehru supported it. Gandhi did not approve of the amendment .He said that without knowing the respect and love being the name of God ,as if it is an empty equation ,you are repeating the word Swaraj with your lips only .If you cannot act according to your dharma and your word, where is your freedom? Freedom is something to be earned with hard task .Not a word to be played with .On that stage Sardar Patel ,the hero of Bardouli was not given entry because the gateman did not recognize him. Kripalani writes that at those days leaders did not do work to be spotted on stage and in the front page of media and they never ran behind media to be highlighted in propaganda .They did what they thought was for their dharma and did not wish for publicity. What are we now !!! That question is what we should ask .

Do you know Gandhi was arrested for Rowdiyism ? On February 15th 1929.For eliminating hunger of millions of people of India Gandhi started a movement of discarding all foreign clothes. On March 4th in Calcutta Sradhanand park, when Gandhi moved forward to set fire to a pile of foreign clothes he was arrested under the charge of Rowdism by police. He was asked to pay a fine of Rs one .But Gandhi adamantly refused to pay fine .Someone else then paid the fine which Gandhi did not like. He said :_ That person ,whoever it is cannot be my friend. At the same period someone who visited Gandhi’s ashram gave Rs 4 to Kasthurba as a donation and when Gandhi returned from Calcutta he found this. He wrote in Navajeevan that Kasthurba was a thief and her deed as a act of shame .About this Azad wrote that this man is so truthful that even an enemy will not suspect him.
In January 1930 Tagore visited Gandhi at Sabarmathi .Gandhi told him that however he tries to make the struggle nonviolent ,some groups does not understand it and does things against it and that it troubles him. On January 26th Gandhi put forth a eleven point programme as a forerunner of the free Republic of India.
1.Total prohibition of liquor
2.Reexamining the value of the Rupee
3.Reduce the cost of maintaining an army
4.Reduce the salary of the administrative class
5.Reduce land tax about 50 %
6.Protection tariff against the foreign cloths
7.Abolish tax on salt
8.Special reservation for Indian ships for traveling along coasts
8.Abolish CID
10.Free all political prisoners
11.Allow Indians also to carry a pistol.
The first 10 are for Indian economy,agroindustry,trade and for the lower stratum of society and shows his practicality and visionary power .9.10.and 11 are actually questioning some of the special rights of the British administration .The 11th one is a surprising statement from one who is for nonviolence. It was because of fundamental rights and equality of rights that Gandhi included such an item in his programme.But it is still disconcerting .
India of Gandhi’s dreams:-
When Gandhi was on voyage for the round table conference, a journalist of Reuter on the ship asked him about his dreams of a free India. Gandhi spoke of his India in his dreams.
1 .It should be a country which has freedom of expression to even the poorest individual
2.All citizens will feel pride in saying that this is my country
3.There wont be any distinction between high and low, rich and poor and all will be equal
4.There wont be class and caste and everyone will live happily and peacefully together
5.In that dream India there is no place for liquor, drugs or for untouchability.
6.Women have equal rights as men
7.India will not exploit other countries but will not allow other countries to exploit her either
8.In that India the need for power of army will be minimal
9.India will never show discrimination in protecting the wellbeing of all ,whether Indian or foreigners. I do not like a distinction between swadeshi and videshi .
10.I see this India in my dreams and it is for this I am participating in round table conference.

But as C.F.Andrews pointed out the Round Table conference was just a magnificent failure. In his European journey many people met Gandhi. Both common men and dignitaries wanted to see him. The Kingsley hall of Miss Murrail Lester became an ocean of people. Children ,women and common men became his dearest friends. Even the mill workers of Lancashire who were affected by Gandhi’s swadeshi movement understood Gandhi’s way of seeing it and respected Gandhi for it. There were only two people who objected to see Gandhi and there was only one person whom Gandhi declined to see.
Churchill and the Pope did not want to see Gandhi .Gandhi did not want to see Mussolini though Mussolini desired it. Yet Mussolini came to see Gandhi and Gandhi didn’t like his dress or his expressions and told him blindly that he was building palaces with cards .Though Pope didn’t come to see Gandhi went to the cistine chapel and prayed and the cross made him emotional. Though Churchill didn’t come his son Ranfold Churchill wished to see Gandhi and came. These show the character of Gandhi as well as the nature of the people who detested him and respected him.Lyod George,Harold Lasky,Lady Aster, Bernard Shaw, Charlie Chaplin ,Prof Lindsay, Gilbert Murray,Prof Edward Thompson etc were those who visited and became friends with him there .The half naked Fakir going to Buckingham palace was an event and when asked about the event Gandhi said that the king had worn enough for both of them, the sense of humor in it was well appreciated by the British who have a natural sense of humor .In Gandhi’s absence Lord Wellington had resorted to armed suppression of rebellions in Bengal and about it Gandhi wrote : Nonviolence is my absolute creed. Civil disobedience is not only the natural right of the people but also an effective substitute for violence of armed rebellion”.

Gandhi was not against the British people or to Britain as a nation but to the ways of its administration in India. Therefore Gandhi never hated anyone. It was from the compassion and love for all ,that he had the courage to speak out the truth frankly and that was the reason why the British people loved and respected him just as the Indians did. When Gandhi was leaving for Yervada jail as a prisoner he wrote to Father Werrier Elvin who loved Gandhi: Tell your countrymen that I do love them just as I love my countrymen. I am not doing anything with hatred for them. With God’s grace that will never happen in future too.
To Indians he gave a message that the love of God is endless and we should never deviate from path of truth and nonviolence. We should never go back from our efforts. Let us even sacrifice our own lives for the sake of swarajya.
Karl Heith called Gandhi a new type of prophet of the society.Romain Rolland wrote:- If the India of Satyagraha were to go down in the battle, it is Christ himself who would be pierced by it, with a supreme lance-thrust ,on the cross. And this time there would be no resurrection!!
Albert Einstein had a lot to praise Gandhi and knew him as an extraordinary person the like of whom come to earth only once in an era.
I was only one year and 10 months old when Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Vinayak Godsay .My parents observed 16 days pithrusradhakarma and on the 16th day took all of us as a procession to the ocean to do the last rites of that wellrespected,loved grandfather of all of us .Gandhi is not only the father of our nation, but the grandfather and great grandfather for all our children to be born on this great land of ancestors. We are honored by his presence amidst us and his memory should linger forever in us for recreation of an India which is free from evils of selfishness and inequalities and exploitations of any sort .
We may feel that what Gandhi dreamed had not happened in free India .But there is no need to panic. The Indian people will see the visionary prophesies of this selfless Nishkaamakarmayogi as the only means for a happy peaceful equal state of existence and slowly and steadily move to that goal, if not today, tomorrow .