Decoding Gandhi Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

‘It has been my experience that I am always true from my point of view, but am often wrong from the point of view of my honest critics. I know that we are both right from our respective points of view. And this knowledge saves me from attributing motives to my opponents or critics. The seven blind men who gave seven different descriptions of the elephant were all right from their respective points of view, and wrong from the point of view of one another, and right and wrong from the point of view of the man who knew the elephant. I very much like this doctrine of the manyness of reality. It is this doctrine that has taught me to judge a Mussalman from his own standpoint and a Christian from his. Formerly I used to resent the ignorance of my opponents. Today I can love them because I am gifted with the eye to see myself as others see them and vice-versa.’ - Gandhi

One needs good IQ to justify criticising Gandhi, and a good EQ to love him. Legends like Tagore and Netaji had both. While they differed in their opinion, Tagore named him ‘Mahatma’ and Netaji addressed him as ‘The Father of the Nation’. It is only people who are both low in EQ and IQ, who can truly hate Gandhi. Gandhi once said to his confused followers, 

‘My language is aphoristic, it lacks precision. It is, therefore, open to several interpretation’.

 His words and actions are not always easy to understand. That’s the reason some people thought that he was too religious Hindu, while others thought he was anti-Hindu. Some considered him a lover of Dalits, while others thought that he was their enemy. He was indeed a riddle to many. For some Britishers like Churchill he was also a pain. Churchill mocked Gandhi as the Half Naked Fakir for the dress he wore and expressed his disappointment as Gandhi did not die in the hunger-strike. Gandhi wrote to Churchill  in  a letter dated 17th July 1944, 

‘ I have long been trying to be a fakir and that naked - a more difficult task. I, therefore, regard the expression as a compliment though unintended’. 

Gandhi had a brilliant sense of humour. He once met King George V in London wearing his usual attire. He was later asked what the king said about his attire. Gandhi replied ‘What could he say. He was wearing enough for the two of us.’ Another time someone asked what he thought about Western Civilisation, and his witty response was, ‘It is a good idea’. Without humour Gandhi would not have been able to survive the struggle. He himself confessed, ‘If I had no sense of humour, I would long ago have committed suicide.’ 

Alongside humour, he was also a very serious man whose strict principles could be hard to live by. There were eleven vows which were considered almost mandatory for those living in his ashram. They were: Truth (Satya), Non-Violence (Ahimsa), Chastity (Brahmacharya), Non-stealing (Asteya), Non-Possession (Aparigraha), Labour (Sharirashtrama), Control of Palate (Asvada), Fearlessness (Abhaya), Respect for all religion (Sarva-Dharma-Samanatva), Only use indigenous products (Swadeshi), and Removal of untouchability (Asprishyata Navaran). The strict principles led to friction between Gandhi and his son Harilal. He once confessed that his greatest regret was his inability to convince two people: Jinnah and Harilal. As a young man Harilal was deeply involved in the freedom movement. Between 1908 and 1911 he has been arrested 6 times. This earned him the nickname ‘Chotte (Little) Gandhi’. When he was 23 years old, he wanted to go to England for higher education and become a barrister. Gandhi himself had to fight against many to go overseas. The irony was that Gandhi was now against it. He did not want his son to get spoilt by Western education. Unfortunately, his opposition became the reason why his son got spoilt. In 1911 Harilal revolted against his father and renounced all family ties. He had problems with his wife, abandoned his children, became an alcoholic and gambler. Harlal started trading imported British clothes when his father urged the nation to boycott foreign goods. Even that business collapsed. Gandhi tried to make a saint out of his children and set example to the nation. He himself evolved over time, but Harilal was not given the time to mature. He broke under pressure. People must have always compared him to his celebrity father and reminded him what a failure he was. That would have left a deep psychological scar in his mind. In a letter Gandhi even accused Harilal of raping his own daughter. He wrote, 

‘Manu is telling me number of dangerous things about you. She says that you had raped her even before she was eight years and she was so much hurt that medical treatment was also to be taken’. 

The Father of Nation failed as a father.

After his death media and politicians left no stone unturned to turn Gandhi into a saint. Richard Attenborough’s 1982 epic film took it to a new level. With such a pure image any imperfections became easily visible. Quite naturally Gandhi’s critics, like  G. B. Singh and Dr. Tim Watson, started screaming to prove how bad a person he was. Time has made Gandhi more human. Gandhi was not a saint. He was an ordinary man who was put through extraordinary situations. Facing injustice from a powerful force, he did not accept it like most men—he revolted. Sometimes he was right and at times wrong. He was orthodox, discriminating towards the blacks, he was too religious, he was strict with his children, and he had flaws—like we all do. But what makes him different was that he stood for what he thought was right. He followed his heart and was not afraid to correct himself when he knew he was wrong. He did change his views about Africans, his religious beliefs evolved, and he constantly improved himself. He was a shy person who was afraid to speak in public but had the magnetic personality to attract millions of followers. 

There were thousands, and sometimes millions, of followers who came to watch Gandhi. They would thought and chant his name at the sight of him. Thats how much people loved him. But the moment he would rise his finger there would be pin drop silence. Thats how much people respected him. Only because of Gandhi, the freedom movement reached the poor and illiterate mass instead of being a monopoly of few foreign-educated lawyers. He brought in a new method of satyagrahya that taught the world about nonviolent protest. It is for these reasons that he is, and will remain, one of the greatest heroes of the world. To understand Gandhi we must follow what the man himself said, 

‘See me please in the nakedness of my working, and in my limitation, you will then know me.’

Back to the Beginning

References:

1. http://indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/Mridula_Gandhi#.E2.80.9CI_requested_Bapu_to_allow_me_to_sleep_separately.E2.80.9D
2. https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20130617-mahatma-gandhi-experiment-sexuality-manuben-discovered-diaries-763997-1999-11-30
3. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/thrill-of-the-chaste-the-truth-about-gandhis-sex-life-1937411.html
4. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/01/gandhi-celibacy-test-naked-women
5. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-45469129
6. http://www.gandhi-manibhavan.org/activities/essay_elevenvows.htm
7. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1264952/A-new-book-reveals-Gandhi-tortured-young-women-worshipped-shared-bed.html
8. https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/gandhi-the-man-with-a-great-sense-of-humour/862449
9. http://www.gandhi-manibhavan.org/activities/essay_elevenvows.htm
10. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/aug/10/india
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harilal_Gandhi
12. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mahatma-gandhis-letter-accusing-son-of-raping-his-own-daughter-up-for-auction-in-uk-562069
13. https://www.amazon.in/My-experiments-truth-M-Gandhi/dp/9387585204/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0/260-3639262-6869921?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=9387585204&pd_rd_r=0d8cd17a-f987-4ec5-b9b0-525309023c06&pd_rd_w=f604U&pd_rd_wg=gzvz9&pf_rd_p=21bbdc4d-873b-48c5-a88a-70e643377944&pf_rd_r=AAQ1BZ6DZ5G5QH5EEW3Y&psc=1&refRID=AAQ1BZ6DZ5G5QH5EEW3Y
14. https://www.mkgandhi.org/bapumymother/bapumymother.htm
15. https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/an_atheist.pdf

Also Check Out:  5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes 

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

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Decoding Gandhi Part 6: The Miracle

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

‘I find myself all alone, even the Sardar and Jawaharlal think my reading of the situation is wrong and peace is sure to return if partitioning was agreed upon . . . the future of independence gained at this price is going to be dark.’

After the end of World War II Mountbatten found himself in a country where civil war was inevitable. All Britain wanted was to leave India before it started. India was divided into so many groups, not just in terms of language, religion, and caste but, more importantly, politics. Russia was already sponsoring the Communist parties bringing India into the radar of USA. Jinnah wanted a separate nation for Muslims of India as they felt insecure in India dominated by Hindus and Congress. Ambedkar favored partition, acknowledging the huge differences between two communities. He wanted a separate constituency for untouchables who were victimized by the upper castes. The far-right Hindu groups like Hindu Mahasabha were against INC’s pro-Muslim attitude and at the same time opposed partition. The Sikhs wanted partition of Punjab instead of getting clubbed with a dominant Muslim province. INC opposed partition of India and rightly tried hard to represent all communities and all castes in a not so right way. Though everybody wanted freedom, there was no common consensus to earn it. Mountbatten wrote to British Prime Minister Attlee:

‘The scene here is one of unrelieved gloom. . . . The Cabinet is fiercely divided on communal lines; each party has its own solution and does not at present show any sign of being prepared to consider another . . . unless I act quickly I may well find the real beginnings of a civil war on my hands.’

It was no wonder that Britain wanted leave India quickly, and the only way to do that was partition. Reluctantly, Jawaharlal and Jinnah agreed with the plan. Only Gandhi was still against it. He said, ‘I find myself all alone, even the Sardar and Jawaharlal think my reading of the situation is wrong and peace is sure to return if partitioning was agreed upon . . . the future of independence gained at this price is going to be dark.’ The immediate future was one of the darkest indeed.

One-fifth of human race (400 million people) got freedom on 15 August 1947. Gandhi was not there to celebrate it. He was in Kolkata, trying to stop the riots. It was not the freedom he fought for. Nor was this freedom due to him. 

There are debatable articles that quote British Prime Minister Atelee, when he was asked about the reason for leaving India, as citing various reasons,

‘The most important were the activities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which weakened the very foundation of the attachment of the Indian land and naval forces to the British Government.’ 

When asked on the contribution of Gandhi, ‘Attlee’s lips widened in a smile of disdain and he uttered, slowly, putting emphasis on each single letter “mi-ni-mal”’. There is no solid proof that he actually said that. But even if he did, he would not be far off. This was not the freedom he was fighting for.

Here it was the Sikhs, in other places it was the Muslims or the Hindus, but the victims of this brutal form of revenge and counter-revenge were inevitably women. The few who survived had their hands and breasts cut off, genitals mutilated, or the name of their rapist tattooed on their body. 

It was August, and monsoon was yet to arrive. The hot Indian summer of 1947 was also a lot drier than usual. The weather probably reflected the dark evil that engulfed the mind of Indians. A large group of Muslim women were stripped not just of their clothes but their soul and paraded naked in Amritsar as violent mobs of Sikhs raped and murdered them. Few women managed to survive the ordeal, only because of some brave Sikh men who hid them inside the sacred Golden Temple. Sikhs were avenging the March massacre where the Muslims in Pakistan raped and murdered the Sikhs. Here it was the Sikhs, in other places it was the Muslims or the Hindus, but the victims of this brutal form of revenge and counter-revenge were inevitably women. The few who survived had their hands and breasts cut off, genitals mutilated, or the name of their rapist tattooed on their body. If they survived to cross the border in one piece, there were pimps waiting to gift them one of the oldest professions in a man’s world: prostitution. It was the lucky ones who died because a life worse than hell awaited the ones who survived. A very conservative estimate by the government of India suggests that 83,000 women were violated during partition. Gandhi was grief stuck by the events that were unfolding. He said on his birthday,

‘I have no desire now to live for 125 years. Today you must all pray to God either to take me away from this fire or to grant good sense to India. I had never been so downcast in any of my numerous fights with the British. But what am I to do today with my own kith and kin? People try to kill their own brothers nowadays. I don't want to live to see this fratricidal war.’

Imperialism, the new and more powerful enemy, had shifted our focus from our old foes. Now that the giant was slayed, the old wounds surfaced once more. Muslim extremist groups, Sikh Akali Dal, Hindu Mahasabha, and the likes fuelled the violence. Over 12 million people were displaced from their homes and had to migrate across the border with death chasing them at every step. It was the largest mass migration in human history. Around a million died in the process. The riots that began in Bengal took the most brutal form in Punjab. These were the two states partitioned by Radcilffe line. In Punjab the Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims were evenly spread unlike in Bengal where the Hindus were dominant in the west and Muslims in the east. That made it that much harder to cut Punjab into two half. Bengal, which had already experienced partition, got its boundary declared couple of days before Punjab. This aggravated the violence in Punjab. More importantly, Bengal had Gandhi. It was in Bengal that Gandhi became a saint because it was in Bengal where he performed a miracle.

One could hear the resounding cries of ‘Hindu Muslim Ek ho’, ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ in the streets of Kolkata. 

When India leaders were celebrating Independence Day, Gandhi was taking a difficult journey through the riot-stricken areas to calm people down. He first went to Bihar; and from there, he traveled to Bengal, which had been the heart of communal violence for a year since Jinnah declared Direct Action Day. Gandhi’s plan was to be with the Hindus of East Bengal during the partition. His plans changed when the terrified Muslim leaders in Kolkata invited him to stay with them. They assured him that if there was no riot in Kolkata, there would be no riot in the rest of Bengal. If the Hindus of Kolkata did not harm the Muslims, the Muslim-dominated regions of East Bengal would not harm the Hindus. With that assurance, Gandhi went to Kolkata and stayed in a Muslim house. Angry Hindu mob shouted at Gandhi, telling him to go back. They blamed him for supporting the Muslims and were asking for the blood of Shaheed Suhrawardy, the Muslim leader and ex-chief minister of Bengal. Gandhi brought Suhrawardy forward with a hand placed firmly over his shoulders. The crowd asked if he took the responsibility for the killings of Hindus last year. Surprising everyone, Suhrawardy accepted the blame and said that he was ashamed of it. By accepting his mistake, he won over the crowd. Soon there were Hindus and Muslims hoisting the Indian flag together amid the huge cheer from the crowd. On 15 August, Kolkata became the city of joy. The fairy tale did not last long as within a week violence returned. The old man, who had already distanced himself from politics and considered by many as a spent force, decided to go on a fast until people stopped killing one another. The city calmed down once more. Leaders from all faith came to him and put down their weapons and pledged not to fight. One could hear the resounding cries of ‘Hindu Muslim Ek ho’, ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ in the streets of Kolkata. Lorries, buses, and taxis filled with Hindus and Muslims drove around the street, shouting the slogans of brotherhood. Bengal survived because of the old man’s miracle, but Punjab was not that lucky.

Seventy-year-old Gandhi started his journey towards Punjab to do what he did in Bengal. Meanwhile, riots spread to Delhi, breaking Gandhi’s journey in between. The emotionally charged Sikhs and Hindus migrating from Pakistan attacked the Muslims in Delhi. Fearing for their lives, the Muslims ran away to fortified places like Jama Masjid and Old Fort. A frustrated Jawaharlal warned people through radio, ‘We are dealing with a situation analogous to war, and we are going to deal with it on a war basis in every sense of the word’. Gandhi visited the hospitals to meet all victims. He requested Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs to stop the violence so that he could continue his journey towards Punjab. When violence did not stop, he resorted to another fast. Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh leaders came together and pledged to stop the violence. Gandhi broke his fast. Delhi, however, did not calm down like Kolkata. Two days later, there was an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Gandhi. Gandhi ignored the attack and kept meeting the people in Delhi.  The life of innocents were more important than his own. On 30 January, ten days since the first attack, Gandhi began his fateful walk towards the prayer meeting ground. His destiny awaited him.

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out:  5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes 

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

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Decoding Gandhi Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning


Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Gandhi blamed his lust for the tragedy. 

Gandhi got married at a very young age. While his wife was pregnant his father fell sick. Gandhi was unable to give attention to his wife as he spend a lot of time taking care of his father, messaging his feet. One night his uncle took over from him. Getting a rare opportunity he went straight to his room where his wife was. The young couple had sex that night. Later he came to know that his father has died, while they were having sex. The child born later also did not survive. The incident left behind a dark impression in his mind. Gandhi blamed his lust for the tragedy. Now he wanted to end that lust by controlling it. It was only in South Africa, when he was 38 years old, that he took the vow of Brahmacharya, i.e. to conduct consistent with Brahman or eternal conscience. It is a spiritual path that includes abstinence. 

'I am a Super-atheist' - Gandhi

Gandhi was a religious man more than a politician. India’s freedom was important to him, but more that that he cared about the welfare of people. He was a social reformer who was dragged into politics rather unwillingly. According to Gandhi, politics divorced from religion or social reform was of no use. His inclination towards religion began when he was in England. It was in his second year when Gandhi read Gita for the first time. He started reading other religious books as well like The Light of Asia and was impressed by Hindu philosophy. He realized that superstition was not part of Hinduism. In later, life he fought hard to abolish all forms of superstition from Hindu religion. His devotion became stronger in South Africa after experiencing Boer War and the Zulu uprisings. There he was also influenced by his Christian and Muslim friends who wanted him to get converted to their own religion. Because of his friends he became familiar with Bible and Koran. Tolstoy’s ‘Kingdom of God’ left a lasting impression in his mind. Gandhi considered atheism as denial of self. Logic cannot help one understand existence of god as god was beyond comprehension. But Gandhi was a man with a broad mind that was always evolving. He once believed that ‘God is Truth’, but it did not satisfy him. So he evolved to ‘Truth is God’. After many interactions with his atheist follower Gora he even went on to call himself a super-atheist. Gandhi   was also a practical man. While he himself was a theist, if atheism 'served to stop communal hatred and riot’ he would not mind the community turning towards atheism. 

‘most dangerous, semi-repressed sex maniac’

While living a simple spiritual life of non-violence and poverty came easy to him, he found abstinence very difficult.  Gandhi had an unusual sex life. C.P. Ramaswami Iyer once told Mountbatten that Gandhi was the ‘most dangerous, semi-repressed sex maniac’. His obsession with Brahmacharya developed from the childhood experience he had during his dad’s demise. In 1906, when he was still in South Africa, he took the vow of chastity. In India, Gandhi was involved in the much-controversial Brahmacharya experiments. In this weird experiment, he slept with the naked ladies, which included his personal doctor, Sushila Nayar, and his grandnieces  Manubai and Abhaben. Gandhi believed that 

‘one who never has any lustful intention, who by constant attendance upon God has become proof against conscious or unconscious emissions, who is capable of lying naked with naked women, however beautiful they may be, without being in any manner sexually excited’. 

Gandhi tried hard to attain that perfection. But his unwilling “nocturnal emissions” kept reminding him that that he was failing. Sometimes he even blamed his imperfection for the troubles India was going through because of the Hindu-Muslim riots. While in Bengal during the riots he told Manubai, 

‘We both may be killed by the Muslims, and must put our purity to the ultimate test, so that we know that we are offering the purest of sacrifices, and we should now both start sleeping naked.’ 

Gandhi  advised newlyweds to stay celibate for the sake of their souls. Even Jawaharlal Nehru thought that such views of Gandhi were ‘abnormal and unnatural’. Jawaharlal’s wife, Kamala, however, was very much influenced by Gandhi. In her later life, she abstained from sex, much to the dislike of Jawaharlal. 

Gandhi’s own men, including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Nirmal Bose, disliked the Brahmacharya experiment and urged him to stop. But Gandhi was adamant and even frank about what he wanted. Gandhi’s reply to his critics was ‘If I don’t let Manu sleep with me, though I regard it as essential that she should, wouldn’t that be a sign of weakness in me?’ Manu’s diaries throw light on the kind of effect the experiments had on her. She was devoted to Gandhi and was not forced to stay in there. Manu wrote, ‘Bapu is a mother to me. He is initiating me to a higher human plane through the Brahmacharya experiments, part of his Mahayagna of character building. Any loose talk about the experiment is most condemnable.’  The relation she shared with Gandhi was like ‘Mirabai who lived only for her Shyamlo [Krishna].’ Manu was standing beside Gandhi when the latter was shot. She was shocked. She wrote with dark void filling her heart, 

‘As the pyre was lit and Bapu’s body was consigned to the flames, I wanted to sit there forever. It was all a bit difficult for me to accept; only a few days ago Bapu was with me, now I am completely lonely, completely helpless.’ 

Gandhi’s methods might have been weird, and may be even wrong, but he was not a ‘sex maniac’ as many try to project out of political malice or colonial prejudice. He did not lust for sex. He wanted to end that lust forever.

Part 6: The Miracle
Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out:  5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes 

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

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Decoding Gandhi Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 4: The Practical Man

‘Go and work. Work solves your difficulties.’ 

During the non-cooperation movement in 1920 some students complained to Gandhi that khadi (Indian handwoven cloth) clothes were costlier than foreign clothes. Boycotting foreign goods are only going to burden the poor. Gandhi had a simple solution to that problem - ‘wear less clothes’. From that day onwards Gandhi renounced dhoti and kurta and wore just a langot. He became the ‘half-naked fakir’. Gandhi was a very practical man who believed in simplicity and led by example. Once an interviewer came to Gandhi and explained his problems in detail. After listening patiently he replied, ‘The fact you talked so long on the problem shows you have not understood the problem’. The interviewer was shocked and confused. So Gandhi clarified, ‘Go and work. Work solves your difficulties.’ Gandhi measured ideas and theories by testing them practically, and not by intellectual debates. That was the reason why he was so successful and it was easy for the mass to follow him. He had a simple vision - Poorna Swaraj (Total Self Governance). His mission was Bharat Chhodo (Quit India), which he wanted to achieve through non-violent means like satyagraha and non-cooperation.

Yet, it was Gandhi, who led thousands of Indians to march towards Dandi without a single act of violence. 

Non-violent methods were not simple. Saints and scholars like Buddha and Mahavira has tried to make the world understand it’s meaning. But, none of them could bring the concept of non-violence to the large number of illiterate mass of India like Gandhi did. It is difficult for people to sacrifice their ego and suffer physical pain at the hands of an oppressor, and still protest. It is easy for people to misunderstand non-violent methods. Gandhi ultimately paid the price of that ignorance. Yet, it was Gandhi, who led thousands of Indians to march towards Dandi without a single act of violence. One must note that Gandhi was practical even with non-violence. Once an activist named Gora wanted to dissect a frog to teach heartbeat to the nurses in Gandhi ashram. The nurses protested, as the method was against Gandhian principle. When the matter was reported to Gandhi he said, ‘Dissect the frog, if that is the only way to explain the heart-beat.’ Gandhi had witnessed Britain’s ammunition power first hand. He knew that India cannot match them in an arms combat. He chose non-violence only because he thought it would be more practical.

The British apathy frustrated INC and they were finally ready to go on the aggressive path. Tricolor Indian flag with the spinning wheel in middle was hoisted in Lahore, independence pledge was read out, and 26 January was declared as the Independence Day, or Poorna Swaraj. Gandhi called for the civil disobedience movement, which included non-payment of taxes. He also launched salt satyagraha with Dandi March on 12 March 1930. Many, including Jawaharlal, ridiculed the idea of protesting against British salt monopoly instead of bigger issues. But Gandhi knew well that bigger political concerns do not connect to the masses. He was more concerned with issues of the poor in order to bring them into the movement of civil disobedience. It was a huge success. Thousands of Indians were put behind bars, including Gandhi, for making illegal salt. Ghaffar Khan, with over 50,000 followers, joined the movement to fill in for those who were put behind the bars. After Ghaffar Khan’s arrest thousands  more gathered to protest. The British police were ordered to open fire on the peaceful protesters. Over 250 people were killed, but the protesters stood firmly in front of the bullets without any violence. Even the bullets failed this time.

After all key leaders were arrested, 76-year-old Abbas Tyabji and Gandhi’s wife, Kasturba, followed Dandi March with the Dharasana March; and after their arrest, Sarojini Naidu took the lead. Women, for the first time, became actively involved in freedom struggle of India. American journalist Webb Miller published the atrocities of British rule against nonviolent protests and helped turn the world opinion against the British rule in India. Time Magazine declared Gandhi as ‘The Man of the Year’ in 1930. Webb had immense respect for the naked fakir. He used to carry a cigarette case, and in one of his meetings with Gandhi, the latter promised to sign it only if he never smoked again. Webb Miller maintained his promise till he died. Even after the massive protests, the salt tax was not reduced. The movement, however, united the Indians and also managed to get the support of the world for India’s cause. Gandhi was released from prison and was called to a round table conference, the first time for an Indian as an equal. It was not much of a success though.

‘Gandhi should be allowed to fast to death’

After Britain’s failure to guarantee India complete independence post the World War, Gandhi launched Quit India Movement in August 1942. He gave the ultimatum: ‘Do or die’. It was a moral dilemma for many Indians who hated the Nazis for killing the innocent Jews and the Romani people. The Romani people were a group of Indian-origin migrants who left India over 1,000 years ago. At the same time, the Indians could not support the arrogant British, especially after the bitter experience of World War I. The British government was quick to suppress the movement, especially because Japan had already invaded Burma and were closing in on India. Over 100,000 Indians were imprisoned, including Gandhi and all top leaders of Congress. On 9 February 1943, old but still strong, Gandhi went for a 21-day fast in jail. The British Raj was unmoved, and Linlithdow wrote, ‘Gandhi should be allowed to fast to death’.  All preparations were made for his funeral, and an ambulance was left on standby.

‘Do you know how much it costs every day to keep you in poverty?’

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Gandhi was temporarily released to meet his ailing wife. She died on Gandhi’s lap. The was the only day people saw tears in Gandhi’s eyes. Despite the dire situation, he did not allow doctors to give her Western medicine. Instead, Gandhi and his followers were singing devotional songs near her deathbed. Long back, Gandhi said that it was difficult for someone to be his wife and only Kasturba could manage it. She did it till the end. How could he allow Western medicine to save the life of his wife? How could he betray the image that he created for himself? It was not easy being Gandhi, and it came at a price. Poetess Sarojini Naidu once jokingly questioned her friend Gandhi, ‘Do you know how much it costs every day to keep you in poverty?’. Gandhi had no reply because he knew. Heavy security followed Gandhi wherever he went. When he stayed with the Dalits, there were disguised congress men who stayed around him. Even Gandhi was not aware of them. Gandhi preferred to travel in third class compartment of the train. But, as Jinnah once said, his first class travels were cheaper than Gandhi’s. There were millions of people flocked up to catch a glimpse of the man even when we was travelling. The railways had to schedule special train and book the whole compartment for him. 

"Gandhi was more that a person, he was an idea that bound the nation."

Ref: https://www.freepressjournal.in/

Despite the expense, Gandhi did all he could to reduce the burden. Once Gandhi was travelling with Manuben. She booked two full compartments, one for Bapu, and other for all the luggage they were carrying as there would be lots of people who would come and visit Gandhi. When Gandhi came to know he was furious and said, ‘This is what is called blind (undiscerning) love. You do know that to save me trouble the Government offered me a special train if I did not want to go by 'plane. How many trains would be held up and what a lot it would cost to run a special train? How can I tolerate it? I am very cost-minded….Now the only way of repentance is to remove all the luggage into this compartment and to request the station-master to see me at the next station.’ Gandhi was more that a person, he was an idea that bound the nation. How else could the millions of Indians follow him?

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out:  5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes 

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

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Decoding Gandhi Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Part 1: The Assassination

Part 2: The Beginning

Part 3: The Cult of Chakra

Gandhi returned to India in 2015. It was during the First World War when Gandhi became actively involved in Indian politics. The war had no relevance to India, but even then, she sent more than 1.1  million armies, whom the world forgot. Over 60,000 Indians died fighting someone else’s war.  Not just men, India also sent horses and other animals and over 100 million pounds to support the British. Quite contrary to British feeling that Indians would take the opportunity to revolt, majority of Indians remained loyal to the Crown with a hope that the British Raj would be kinder to them and grant them their demand for home rule once the war was over. The reluctance of the British government to give India self-rule after the war, along with the worsening of her economic condition, led to frustration among the youths. Young Indians took to the path of violence to get rid of the Raj. Few members of Indian Army were disgruntled with the British for treating them like slaves and secretly supplied arms to the extremist groups in India. The occasional incidents of violence by nationalists in Bengal, Punjab, and Maharashtra led to the enactment of Rowlatt’s Act in March 1919. It gave British government the authority to arrest and imprison any person suspected of terrorism without warrant or trial. Gandhi criticized the act and on 6 April he began his first satyagrahya on Indian soil against what he called a ‘black act’. He was arrested immediately while proceeding to Delhi.

Gandhi ji in 1918. Source Wiki

Immediately after Rowlatt’s Act was passed, Dr Satyapal and Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew were arrested in suspicion of spreading terrorism. Huge crowds gathered in front of police station, demanding their release. Panicked, police fired at the mob, killing several protesters. The angry mob went rampant, attacking British officers and killing three in the process. A European teacher was also attacked, saved only by few Indians who hid her under a table. Gandhi had to call off satyagrahya due to these incidents of violence. He called the Satyagraha as ‘premature’ and as a ‘Himalayan miscalculation’. Tagore wrote an open letter to Gandhi addressing him as ‘Mahatmaji’ for the first time. He wrote, 

‘You have come to your motherland in the time of her need … to lead her in the true path of conquest… Freedom can never come to a people through charity…We must win it before we can own in…I pray most fervently that nothing that tends to weaken our spiritual freedom may intrude into your marching line…’.

For the first time Indian freedom movement got a face that attracted Indians from all spectrum of life. Both Hindus and Muslims, from scholars like Tagore to tribals, higher and lower casts, everyone respected Gandhi. The tribal group Tana Bhagats became followers of Gandhi and took active part in his satyagrahya. The modern Tana Bhagats still believe in Gandhi’s philosophy of ahimsa and wear khadi clothes, dhoti, and Gandhi cap with a tricolour flag on it. Similarly, when Gandhi stayed at the Firangi Mahal, all Muslim families abstained from cooking meat during his stay out of respect. Hindus and Muslims joined hands and chanted ‘Hindu-Muslim Bhai Bhai’. The frail man who was once scarred to speak infont of public, turned out to be the nemesis for the Great British Empire.

Gandhi often said that he is not a politician, but a man of religion and a social reformer. Politics divorced from religion had no use for him. Gandhi was a staunch Hindu. While he challenged superstition and did have a modern outlook, he was not able to break away completely from the orthodoxy in which he grew up. Gandhi saw in industrialization a hidden evil that tied men into a vicious web of the materialistic world. The promise of science, technology, and prosperity were illusions that threatened not just our nation but also the souls of our men. Running blindly after Westernization made our youth lose their identity.

Wearing English clothes, learning in English-medium school, working in industries controlled by British masked as modern and liberal and which Indians were proud of were only created for the profit of our oppressor. British advertised the so-called ‘modern’ attitude because it bred industries, like the Manchester clothes. These industries made a huge profit by selling costly products in India while the ‘out of fashion’ indigenous industries suffered. In this culture, both consumer and worker became a slave to the machines controlled by the big industries in Britain. It was a culture that promoted suspicion, hatred, racism, and exploitation. Such industries only ended up making us poorer. Gandhi called for the renunciation of everything Western. He wanted complete non-cooperation with the government. Gandhi advocated following a simple lifestyle and using indigenous products. Chakara, or the spinning wheel, was the symbol of such simplicity. Gandhi started the chakara agitation, inviting all Indians to spin the wheel and make India self-sufficient. Rabindranath Tagore, one of Gandhi’s greatest admirers, criticized this extreme view.

Gandhi ji spinning Chakra in late 1920s. Source Wiki

Tagore started the reorganization of Indian villages long before Gandhi returned from Africa. He was educating the villagers and promoting agriculture, cotton, and village industries. Tagore himself wanted to get rid of the British Raj and was an adherent follower of nonviolence. When he found that the young patriotic minds were leaning towards violence, and especially after Khudiram and his friends killed innocent European women, he distanced himself from the movement. Some called him a betrayer. But that did not change his mind as he was against ‘blind nationalism’. According to Tagore, those who uphold the ideals of nationalism are the most conservative in their social practice. It becomes more problematic in a country like India where there is a physical repulsion between different castes. To Tagore, renunciation of everything Western, including science and technology, was stupid. Saying everything Western is bad is as ridiculous as saying everything Western is good. While to Gandhi poverty was a virtue, for Tagore, it was a problem that we needed to get rid of. Chakara, to Tagore, was not a symbol of progress but of poverty and everything that was wrong with India. According to the poet, 

“Western science should merge with eastern spirituality to create a complete society that is without the self-created borders”.

Nationality, to Tagore, was the root cause of our problems, not industries. Nationalism threatens humanity as it ultimately promotes exploitation of one country by another. Colonization is rooted in the idea of nationalism. The two world wars were enough proof to support Tagore’s thought. Hitler was a product of extreme nationalism. Non-cooperation movement was doing exactly that by creating hatred for everything Western. The poor were forced to buy khadi clothes that were more expensive. Students were told to boycott English-medium schools, thus hampering their education. Tagore was against the idea of youths blindly following a cult and losing their ability of reasoning. In the eyes of Tagore, ‘what India most needed was constructive work coming from within herself’. In poet’s words, he wanted an India ‘where the mind is without fear, head is held high, knowledge is free and world was not broken into fragments’.

Indian customs, like caste system, bind a person to a specific duty chosen by one’s ancestor. It helps in gaining labor but kills the free mind by binding one to repeat the same job over and over for ages without question. Such mind always required a ruler or a saint to tell them what to do, and hence, such minds can never be free. Tagore saw the same ignorance in the blind followers of Gandhi who ‘follow him like rats’ without questioning. Gandhi himself became a cult. Sarojini Naidu once said that it cost a lot to keep Gandhi in poverty. The protection he required to continue with his simple way of life was a costly affair. It was symbolic and necessary, as the freedom struggle required the mass of India. The chakara was part of that cult that Tagore did not like. Tagore firmly said, 

‘Lest I should be a party to the raising of the charkha to a higher place than is its due, thereby distracting attention from other more important factors in our task of all-round reconstruction.’

Gandhi ji and Tagore

Gandhi replied to Tagore, assuring him that there was nothing to fear. Gandhi had a lot of respect for Tagore and often asked him for advice. He used to call Tagore Gurudev. Gandhi explained that he was not trying to build a China Wall between East and West. He was protesting against forceful cooperation rather than voluntary cooperation based on mutual trust and respect. Gandhi disagreed with Rabindranath about the students’ education. According to him, 

“training by itself adds not an inch to one’s moral height and that character-building is independent of literary training. I [Gandhi] am firmly of opinion that the Government schools have unmanned us, rendered us helpless and Godless”. 

Non-cooperation with the bad is as important as cooperation with the good. Gandhi went on to say, “I am certain that it does not require ages for Hindus to discard the error of untouchability, for Hindus and Mussulmans to shed enmity and accept friendship as an eternal factor of national life, for all to adopt the charkha as the only universal means of attaining India’s economic salvation and finally for all to believe that India’s freedom lies only through non-violence, and no other method.” Tagore was still not convinced, so when Gandhi said, “Everyone must spin. Let Tagore spin like the others. Let him burn his foreign clothes; that is his duty today. God will take care of the morrow” Tagore was quick to reply, 

“The charka does not require anyone to think; one simply turns the wheel of the antiquated invention endlessly, using the minimum of judgment and stamina.” 

Tagore wondered why a person with skill to do better things would waste his talent in spinning a chakara. Tagore did not want India to become isolated from the rest of the world. Instead, he believed in fluid borders of countries where every country learned from the other and grew together. Both Mahatma and Gurudev were right in their own way. Despite the differences, both continued to have immense respect towards each other.

Part 4: The Practical Man

Part 5: The Sex Maniac

Part 6: The Miracle

Part 7: Decoding Gandhi

Also Check Out:  5 Questions of the Inquisitive Apes 

Written by Subhrashis Adhikari

"Engaging and entertaining, this page-turner is remarkable in its narration and will give you a new perspective on various aspects of life. Wellresearched and heartfelt, the encouraging tone throughout the book tries to motivate towards a happier life." - Times of India

Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Questions-Inquisitive-Ape-Subhrashis-Adhikari/dp/9387022552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=subhrashis&qid=1570535712&sr=8-1

Read More