Essays

MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar, a small town on the western coast of India, which was then one of the many tiny states in Kathiawar. He was born in a middle class family of Vaishya caste. His grandfather had risen to become the Prime Minister of Porbandar and was succeeded by his son Karamchand who was the father of Mohandas. Putlibai, Mohandas's mother was a saintly character, gentle and devout, and left a deep impression on her son's mind. Mohandas went to an elementary school in Porbandar where he found it difficult to master the multiplication tables. He was seven when his family moved to Rajkot, another state in Kathiawar/ where his father became a Dewan. There he attended a primary school and later joined a high school. Though conscientious, he was a "mediocre student" and was excessively shy and timid. While he was still in high school, he was married, at the age of 13, to Kasturbai who was also of the same age. For a boy of that age marriage meant only a round of feasts, new clothes to wear and a strange and docile companion to play with.

After matriculating from high school, Mohandas joined the Samaldas College in Bhavnagar, where he found the studies difficult and the atmosphere uncongenial. Meanwhile, his father had died in 1885. A friend of the family suggested that if the young Gandhi hoped to take his father's place in the state service, he had better become a barrister, which he could do in England in three years. Gandhi jumped at the idea. The mother's objection to his going abroad was overcome by the son's solemn vow not to touch wine, women and meat. Gandhi went to Bombay to take the boat for England, In Bombay, his caste people, who looked upon crossing the ocean as contamination, threatened to excommunicate him if he persisted in going abroad. But Gandhi was adamant and was thus formally excommunicated by his caste. Undeterred, he sailed on September 4, 1888, for Southampton at the age of 18. Having passed his examination, Gandhi was called to the Bar on June 10, 1891, and sailed for India two days later. When he reached Bombay, he learnt to his profound sorrow that his mother had died. The news had been deliberately kept back from him to spare him the shock in a distant land. After spending some time in Rajkot, where with his usual earnestness, he immediately took in hand the education of his little son and of his brother's children, he decided to start legal practice in Bombay. He stayed in Bombay for a few months but had only one small brief. When he rose to argue it in the court, his nerve failed him and he could not utter a word. Having failed to establish himself in Bombay, Gandhi returned to Rajkot where he started again- But he did not make much headway and was unhappy and out of tune with the atmosphere of petty intrigue that was rampant in the small state of Kathiawar. In this predicament came an offer from Dada Abdulla & Co. to proceed to South Africa on their behalf to instruct their counsel in a lawsuit. It was a god-send opportunity to young Gandhi- Gandhi jumped at it and sailed for South Africa m April 1893. It was in South Africa that this shy, timid youth of 24, inexperienced, unaided, alone, came into clash with forces that obliged him to tap his hidden moral resources and turn misfortunes into creative spiritual experiences. After about a week's stay in Durban, Gandhi left for Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal, where his presence was needed in connection with a lawsuit. A first class ticket was purchased for him by his client. When the train reached Maritzburg, the capital of Natal, at about 9 p.m., a white passenger who boarded the train objected to the presence of a 'coloured' man in the compartment and Gandhi was ordered by a railway official to shift to a third class. When he refused to do so, a constable pushed him out and his luggage was taken away by the railway authorities. It was winter and bitterly cold.

In July 1914, he sailed with his wife for England where Gokhale had called him. Before sailing, he sent a pair of sandals he had made in jail to General Smuts as a gift. Recalling the gift twenty-five years later, the General wrote: "I have worn these sandals fur many d summer since then even though I may feel that I am not worthy to stand in the shoes of so great a man". In April 1893, Gandhi had sailed for South Africa, a young and inexperienced barrister in search of fortune. In January 1915 he finally returned to India, a Mahatma, with no possessions and with only one ambition - to serve his people. Though the intelligentsia had heard of his exploits in South Africa, he was not much known in India and Indians in general did not realize that "the Great Soul in beggar's garb", as the poet Tagore called him later, had reached her shores. Nor did he know his India well. He, therefore readily promised his 'political guru', Gokhale, that he would spend the first year in India studying the country, with "his ears open but his mouth shut". At the end of his year's wanderings, Gandhi settled down on the bank of the river Sabarmati, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, where he founded an Ashram in May 1915, He called it the Satyagrahd Ashram, The inmates, about twenty-five men and women, took the vows of truth, ahimsa, celibacy, non-stealing, non-possession and control of the palate, and dedicated themselves to the service of the people.

It was the Rowlatt Act with its denial of civil liberties which finally brought Gandhi into active' Indian politics- From 1919 to his death in 1948, he occupied the centre-stage of the Indian politics and was the hero of the great historical drama which culminated in the independence of our country. He changed the entire character of the political scone in India. He only grew. Even in the thick of the battle, he remained a man of god. In 1920, he dominated the political scene. In whole, he re-created the Congress and turned talking politicians into active revolutionaries and anglicized leaders of society into servants of the people who henceforth wore white home-spun clothes. He bridged the gulf between the intelligentsia and the masses and widened the concept of Swaraj to include almost every aspect of social and moral regeneration. From now on, the story of his life is the story of how Congress fought for and won India's freedom.

Like a magician, Gandhi roused a storm of enthusiasm in the country with his call to non-co operation. He began the campaign by returning to the Viceroy the medals and decorations he had received from the Government for his war-services and humanitarian works. The anti-climax came suddenly in February 1922. An outbreak of mob violence in Chauri Chaura so shocked and pained Gandhi that he refused to continue the campaign and undertook a fast for five days to atone for a crime committed by others in a state of mob hysteria. On March 12, 1930, after having duly informed the Viceroy, Gandhi, followed by seventy-eight members of his ashram, both men and women, began his historic 24-day march to the sea beach at Dandi to break the law which had deprived the poor man of his right to make his own salt. The rest is history—how a single man shook the foundations of the British Empire and how at his single call the entire nation rose from slumbers to fight for their rights unanimously, forgetting all their differences.

On August 15, 1947, India was partitioned and became free. Gandhi declined to attend the celebrations in the capital and went to Calcutta where communal riots were still raging. And then, on the day of independence, a miracle happened. A year-old riot stopped as if by magic and Hindus and Muslims began to fraternize with one another Gandhi spent the day in fast and prayer.

Unfortunately, the communal frenzy broke loose again on August 31, and while he was staying in a Muslim house/ the safety of his own persona was threatened. On the following day, he went on a fast which was "to end only if and when sanity returns to Calcutta". The effect was magical. Those who had indulged in loot, arson and murder amidsts shouts of glee, came and knelt by beside him and begged for forgiveness. On September 4, the leaders of all communities in the city brought him a signed pledge that Calcutta would see no more of such outrages. Then, Gandhi broke the fast. Calcutta kept the pledge even when many other cities were plunged in violence in the wake of Partition.

Forty years earlier when his life was threatened by a Pathan in South Africa, he had replied: "Death is appointed end of all life. To die by the hand of a brother, rather than by disease or in such other way, cannot be for me a matter of sorrow. And if, even in such a case, I am free from the thought of anger or hatred against my assailant, I know that will redound to my eternal welfare". These sublime words proved to be prophetic. On January 30, 1948, ten days after the bomb incident, Gandhi hurriedly went up the few steps of the prayer ground in the large park of the Birla House. He had been delayed due to a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and was late by a few minutes^ He loved punctuality and was worried that he had kept the congregation waiting. "I am late by ten minute," he murmured. "I should have been here at the stroke of five". He raised his hands and touched the palms together to greet the crowd that was Waiting. Everyone returned the greeting. Many came forward wanting to touch his feet. They were not allowed to do so, as Gandhi was already late. But a young Hindu from Poona forced his way forward and while seeming to do obeisance, fired three point-blank shots from a small automatic pistol aimed at the heart. Gandhi fell, his lips uttering the name of God (Hey Ram). Before medical aid could arrive the heart had ceased to beat " the heart that had beat only in love for humanity had 'stopped'. Thus died the Mahatma, at the hands of one of his own people, to the eternal glory of what he had lived for and to the eternal shame of those who failed to understand that he was the best representative of the religion for which he suffered martydom.

The nation's feeling was best expressed by Prime Minister Nehru when with a trembling voice and a heart full of grief, he gave the news to the people on the radio:

"The light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere and I do not quite know what to tell you and how to say it. Our beloved leader, Bapu as we call him, the father of our nation, is no more... The light has gone out... For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined this country for these many years, and the world will see it and it will give solace to innumerable hearts. For that light represented the living truth, and the eternal man was with us with his eternal truth reminding us of the right path, drawing us from error, taking this ancient country to freedom..."