Gandhi
Pioneer of Nonviolent Social Change
By
Tara Sethia
Gandhi
Pioneer of Nonviolent Social Change
CONTENTS
Abbreviations
Chronology of major events
Glossary
Introduction
1
Chapter 1:
Formative Years
11
Chapter 2:
Transformative Years
32
Chapter 3:
Satyagraha in South Africa
53
Chapter 4:
Hind Swaraj: Gandhi’s Vision of Freedom
81
Chapter 5:
Cooperation, Caution, and Introduction of Satyagraha in India
103
Chapter 6:
Noncooperation and the 1920s
127
Chapter 7:
Civil Disobedience and the 1930s
152
Chapter 8:
Quit India to 1947
180
Chapter 9:
Fasts: Satyagraha to the Last
204
Chapter 10:
Global Legacies in Nonviolent Social Change
224
Select Bibliography
250
Abbreviations
AEA
AEI
AICC
ANC
APO
AIVIA
BHU
CORE
CWC
CWMG
CWMG-V:
EIC
FOR
HS
ICD
ICS
INA
INC
NIC
INR
IVU
LAFTI
NAACP
NBA
NGO
NWFP
PRIO
RSS
RTC
SEWA
SWMG
SWMG-V:
TARA
TBIA
TIRA
TRC
UFW
VSUK
WWI
WWII
Albert Einstein Archives, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Albert Einstein Institution, Boston.
All India Congress Committee
African National Congress,
African Political Organization
All India Village Industries Association
Banaras Hindu University
Congress of Racial Equality
Congress Working Committee
Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi
Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi-Volume #: page(s) #
East India Company
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Hind Swaraj
Individual Civil Disobedience
The Indian Civil Service
Indian National Army led by Subhas Chandra Bose
Indian National Congress, the Congress
Natal Indian Congress
Institute of Nonviolent Resistance
International Vegetarian Union
Land for the Tillers Freedom
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement
Non Governmental Organization
North West Frontier Provinces
Peace Research Institute, Oslo
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a fundamentalist wing of Hindu Mahasabha
Round Table Conference (held in England).
Self Employed Women’s Association
Selected Works of Mahatma Gandhi
Selected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Volume#: page(s) #.
Transvaal Asiatic Registration Act (Black Act)
Transvaal British Indian Association
Transvaal Immigration Restriction Act
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
United Farm Workers
Vegetarian Society of United Kingdom
First World War, also known as the ―Great War‖
Second World War
Chronology of Major Events in Gandhi’s Life
1869
1883
1888
1891
1892
1893
1894
1896
1897
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1908
1909
1910
1913
1914
1915
1916
Born on October 2 in Porbandar, Gujarat, India
Marriage with Kasturbai Makanji
Birth of Harilal, their eldest son; departs for England to study Law
Called to the Bar from the Inner Temple and returns to India; A spiritual encounter
with Raychand Bhai, known as Shrimad Rajchandra—first major influence on Gandhi
Second son, Manilal is born.
Arrives in Durban, South Africa; experiences racial discrimination and assault; ―the
year of spiritual striving.‖ Read Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God is Within You
Becomes the founder-secretary of the Natal Indian Congress, enrolls in the High
Court of Natal; starts campaigns against anti-Indian racial laws.
Third son, Ramdas, is born; Visit to India, June-November, recalled to South Africa in
November.
Returns to South Africa with family; physically assaulted on arrival by the White mob.
Organizes Indian Ambulance Corps to assist the British during the Anglo-Boer war.
Fourth son, the youngest, Devdas is born.
Returns to India, Recalled to South Africa before the end of the year.
Returns to South Africa with family
Settles in Johannesburg, Registers in Transvaal High court, Indian Opinion
launched; campaign against anti-Indian racial laws continues.
Read John Ruskin’s Unto the Last, the second major influence on Gandhi; founds an
experimental community in Phoenix, near Durban.
The British partition of Bengal
Organizes the Indian Ambulance Corps during the Zulu ―Rebellion,‖ takes the vow of
celibacy for the rest of his life; on September 11 moves the resolution to launch civil
disobedience to protest the anti-Indian racial legislation, the black ordinance.
The term ―satyagraha‖ is adopted; mass burning of registration certificates, first
imprisonment (January 10-30); second imprisonment (October 7-December 12).
Third imprisonment (February 25-May 24). In London to lobby for Indians in South
Africa (July –November); On his return Journey from London (November 13-22)
writes Hind Swaraj.
Establishes the Tolstoy Farm outside Johannesburg; Union of South Africa
Leads the ―Great March‖ or the ―Epic March‖ of satyagraha from Charlestown to
Volkrust in South Africa to protest against anti-Indian laws; fourth imprisonment
(November 11-December 18).
Gandhi-Smuts Agreement; Leaves South Africa for good; In London (AugustDecember) organizes the Indian Ambulance Corps to assist the British during WWI.
Arrives in India in January and establishes the Satyagraha (Sabarmati) Ashram in
Ahmedabad.
Gandhi’s first public speech in India at BHU; Joint convention of the Muslim League
and Congress in Lucknow, the Moderates and Extremists unite.
1917
1918
1919
1920
1922
1924
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1936
1937
1939
1940
1941
1942
1942
1944
1946
1947
1948
Campaign against export of Indian Indentured labor resulting in its abolition in 1920;
Champaran satyagraha to redress the grievances of Indigo farmers
Satyagraha to settle dispute between Ahmedabad mill-owners and mill-workers ,
Undertakes a fast on March 15 to resolve the deadlock between mill-owners and
mill-workers; Kheda Satyagraha to redress the grievances of Kheda peasants;
Volunteers to actively recruit Indians to fight in WWI.
Leads All-India satyagraha and hartal against the Rowlatt Act; the Amritsar
Massacre; Edits weekly newspapers, Navjivan (Gujarati) and Young India (English).
Founds Gujarat Vidhaypith (university); INC adopts Non-Cooperation Movement,
which is subsequently launched.
Violence at Chauri Chaura; Fasts (February 12-16) and Suspends Non-cooperation
Movement; The ―Great Trial;‖ Fifth imprisonment (March 10, 1922 to February 5,
1924).
President of the Indian National Congress; Fasts (September 17-October 7) for
Hindu-Muslim Unity
Published Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, part 1.
Published Satyagraha in South Africa. Mobilizes the Bardoli satyagraha
Published Autobiography-The Story of My Experiments with Truth, part 2.
Launches the Salt satyagraha, intentionally breaking the salt laws. Appears on the
cover of Time Magazine twice in a row.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact; Participates in the Round Table Conference in London. Speaks at
the Vegetarian Society. Time Magazine features him as the Man of the year.
Seventh imprisonment(January 4- September 20); Fasts (September 20-25) to
protest the Communal Award granting separate electorates to the ―Untouchables.‖
Poona Pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar.
Eighth Imprisonment (August 1-4); Ninth Imprisonment (August 4-23); Edits the
English Weekly, Harijan; Publishes From the Yervada Mandir
Inaugurates All-India Village Industries Association.
Founds the Sevagram Ashram, Wardha
Inaugurates an Educational Conference in Wardha.
Outbreak of WWII; Gandhi opposes the War
Launches the Individual Civil Disobedience Campaign
Publishes Constructive Programme: Its Meaning and Place
Quit India Speeches and plan to launch the Quit India Movement; Tenth
imprisonment (August 9, 1942-May 6, 1944) in Aga Khan Detention Center
Death of Mahadev Desai, Gandhi’s secretary in Aga Khan Detention Center
Death of Kasturba in prison; Gandhi-Jinnah Talks on Hindu-Muslim unity
Meets with the Cabinet Mission; Attends the Simla Conference; Visits the riot-ridden
districts of Bengal.
Partition and independence of India and Pakistan. Communal Riots. Gandhi’s
Calcutta fast to reinstate Hindu-Muslim peace.
Delhi fast to restore peace among Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities; January 29
writes the draft constitution for the Indian National Congress; January 30
assassinated by Nathuram Godse.
Glossary
The following words are italicized only when used for the first time in the book.
adivasi
original inhabitants, indigenous people
ahimsa
nonviolence
anna
one sixteenth of Indian rupee
ashram
spiritual community
Bania
third highest class in Hindu social hierarchy, Gandhi’s caste.
bapu
father
bhajan
devotional song or hymn
Bhangi Bustee
weeper colony
Baisakhi
A festival marking the beginning of a solar year.
Bhoodan
Gift of land. Associated with Vinoba’s Bhoodan movement
bustee
colony
brahmacharya
celibacy
charkha
spinning-wheel
chipko
to cling or hug,
crore
a sum of 10,000,000
dalits
darshan
the ―oppressed,‖ formerly called the―untouchables,‖ or
―harijans‖ as Gandhi called them, ―scheduled castes, ―under
the Indian constitution.
to see, to pay homage
dharma
duty, ethics, moral law
dharana
sit-ins, a sit-down strike.
diwan
prime-minister
dhoti
cloth covering waste down to ankles
durbar
royal court
hartal
cessation of all economic activities
Harijans
―children of God,‖ a term Gandhi used for the untouchables
Jain
follower of Jainism—a sixth century BCE religion in India
katha
story, Gandhi katha refers to the story of Gandhi
khadi
home-spun cloth, made famous by Gandhi
Khudai Khidmatgars
Servants of God, the nonviolent soldiers of Islam
lathi
stave, steel-clubbed stick
mahatma
the great soul, the title Tagore gave to Gandhi
mandir
sacred space, a temple
mantra
sacred formula
metta
amity, friendship
moksha
salvation--final goal in Hinduism
mullah
religious leader in Islamic traditions
nai taleem
new education, holistic model aimed at the development of
mind, body and spirit.
panchayat
village council, a form of local self government in the villages
pandal
a temporary or permanent structure made for an event
patidars
land-owning farmers
Pranami
a syncretistic sect of Hinduism that venerates the Quran
prarthana
prayer
poorna swaraj
complete freedom, freedom for all
pugri
turban
raj
British rule in India, literal meaning is rule.
ryot
tenant-farmer
Sabha
organization
samadhi
memorial
sarvodaya
welfare of all, awakening of all
satyagraha
insistence on truth, firmness in a true cause
satyagrahi
one who observes satyagraha
shanti sena
peace brigade
shramadana
gift of service or physical labor
sthitha-prajana
the one who maintains equanimity
swaraj
self-rule, self-government, freedom
swadeshi
pertaining to one’s own country
tilak
auspicious mark or symbol of devotion marked on forehead
tinkathia
an expolitative system in which fifteen percent of the land
rented by ryot had to be planted with indigo for the landlord
Vaishnava
Belonging to the sect which worships Vishnu, a Hindu God