Established by the United Nations, the International Day of Non-Violence is held on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. The Day is an occasion to 'disseminate the message of non-violence, through education and public awareness'.
One day, the Inspector of Schools, Mr. Giles, came to Gandhi's school and took a spelling test. He read out five English words to the class and asked the boys to write them down. Gandhi wrote four words correctly, but he could not spell the fifth word 'Kettle'. Seeing Gandhi's hesitation, the teacher made a sign behind the Inspector's back that he should copy the word from his neighbour's slate. But he refused. All other boys wrote all the five words correctly except Gandhi. This principle of truth remained a steadfast companion throughout his life.
Like most growing children Gandhi passed through a rebellious phase quite normal to any growing up adolescent. From meat- eating to smoking, petty stealing to lying, he underwent a few crises in this phase of his life. But after every misadventure he posed for himself a moral problem and ceaselessly looked for a solution. ‘Never again’ was his promise to himself after each escapade. And he kept the promise.
In his early days in London, Gandhi attempted his best to fit into English society and become an English gentleman by buying new suits, fine-tuning his English accent, learning French, and taking violin and dance lessons. After three months of these expensive endeavours, Gandhi decided they were a waste of time and money. He then cancelled all of these classes and spent the remainder of his three-year stay in London being a serious student and living a very simple lifestyle.
On 30th November 1896, Gandhi after a short trip to India was returning to South Africa. During his absence, his pamphlet of Indian grievances, known as the Green Pamphlet, had been falsely exaggerated and distorted. The rumour was that Gandhi was returning with two shiploads of Indian passengers to overrun South Africa. When he embarked from the ship he was assaulted with bricks, rotten eggs, and fists. Police arrived in time to save Gandhi from the mob and then escorted him to safety. But Gandhi refused to prosecute those who had assailed him, as it was against his principle of Ahimsa.
One of the reasons why Gandhi formed the Indian Ambulance Corp was to disprove the British idea that Hindus were not fit for "manly" activities involving danger and hard work, like fighting on the warfront. It confirmed his belief that true manliness lies in serving humanity and following the path of non-violence.
In Greek mythology, a phoenix is a legendary bird that lives for a thousand years and then burns itself only to be reborn from the ashes.
It symbolizes purification and renewal of life, the philosophical principles on which Gandhi founded the farm.
The first time Gandhi officially used satyagraha was in South Africa in 1907 when he organized an opposition to the Asiatic Registration Law (known as the Black Act). In March 1907, the Black Act was passed, requiring all Indians - young and old, men and women to get fingerprinted and to keep registration documents on them at all times. While using satyagraha, Indians refused to get fingerprinted and protested at the documentation offices. Mass protests and masses of Indians illegally travelled from Natal to the Transvaal in opposition to the Black Act. Many of the protesters were beaten and arrested, including Gandhi. (This was the first of Gandhi's many jail sentences.) It took seven years of protest, but in June 1914, the Black Act was abolished. Gandhi had proved that nonviolent protest could be immensely successful.
The Farm was a long distance from Johannesburg and the only way to reach it was to walk. Gandhi himself, though past forty and living only on fruits, did not think much of walking forty miles a day; he once did 55 miles without feeling exhausted. For most of his followers it was a real challenge to keep pace with Bapu when he walked!
During his travels Gandhiji visited the famous writer Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan, who eventually gave him the title “Mahatma” or the ‘great soul’! They remained friends throughout and though they differed on certain issues they shared a deep bonding for the welfare of India and Indians.
Gandhiji was always a tactful leader and strategic thinker. He aligned himself with many Farmers’ Movements in order to connect with and uplift the conditions of the people at the grassroots level. However, he would always ensure that these movements were localized and the solutions ensured fair justice to all. He wanted the focus to be on the national freedom struggle and he mobilized the masses toward that goal.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was condemned by both Winston Churchill and Herbert Henry Asquith (former Prime Ministers of Great Britain). Asquith named it "One of the worst outrages in the whole of our history”.
After the incident, Rabindranath Tagore, renounced his Knighthood as a mark of protest stating, “I ...wish to stand, shorn, of all special distinctions, by the side of those of my countrymen who, for their so called insignificance, are liable to suffer degradation not fit for human beings.”
It was indeed an act of violence that ended the Non-Cooperation movement. When on 5th February 1922, in Chauri Chaura, a mob set fire to a Police station, killing 22 policemen; Gandhi was disappointed that the revolution had taken a violent turn. He went on a fast for 3 weeks and then called off the movement.
In fact, Gandhi was arrested on 10th March 1922, tried for sedition, and sentenced to six years imprisonment for the Chauri Chaura incident – for which he took moral responsibility and pleaded guilty.
The strategy of ‘Divide and Rule’ is a very common strategy employed by most imperial powers throughout history to consolidate power, from Julius Caesar to Napoleon Bonaparte. In fact, the British and French in the early days set the Indian states against each other to consolidate their authority. This philosophy was employed by the British throughout their tenure in India – from the partition of Bengal to the final partition of India.
Harper Collins Publishers declared the book as one of the "100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century" in 1999.
The official flag of India was hoisted by Congress President Jawaharlal Nehru on 31st December 1929 in Lahore.
Over 80,000 Indians were jailed as a result of the Salt Satyagraha.
During the peaceful raid at the salt depots at Dharasana, the police rained blows mercilessly at the protestors, but not one flinched or even retaliated. Webb Miller, an American journalist, wrote: "In eighteen years. I have never witnessed such harrowing scenes as at Dharasana. Sometimes the scenes were so painful that I had to turn away momentarily. One surprising feature was the discipline of volunteers. It seemed they were thoroughly imbued with Gandhi’s non-violent creed."
Such was the power of Gandhi, that the British were scared even of his work at the village level! They believed he would be propagating sedition and anti-British sentiments at the grass root level and warned the provincial administrations to be on a look-out.
Almost the entire political leadership of India was put in jail immediately after Gandhi’s speech for immediate independence, including Nehru and Jinnah amongst other. In fact, most of them spent the entire tenure of the war in Jail.
Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the first Prime Minister of India, made one of the most famous and historic speeches on the eve of India’s Independence:“ Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.”
Prophetically enough, Gandhi had given a speech nine months before the assassination saying "Even if I am killed, I will not give up repeating the names of Rama and Rahim, which mean to me the same God." Incidentally, his last word, he spoke was “Hey Ram” (Oh God).