Month September 2017

            The Rowlatt Act was the legislation passed by the Imperial Legislative Council, and it was officially named as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act. It was passed on March 18th, 1919. The act was based on the report of Rowlatt committee, and it was also named after its president, British judge, Sir Sidney Rowlatt.

     

 

            The act aroused protests among Indians. It endangered the basic civil rights of people who participated in political activities against the government. This act gave enormous powers to the police for inspection and to arrest any person on any grounds without a warrant. It aimed at curtailing the freedom of the Indian citizens, and to suppress any nationalist uprising in the country.

The act injured the civil rights and even the nationality of the Indians. Gandhiji was extremely critical of this act. It caused the government to enact repressive measures against the Indian citizens.

 

          When Gandhiji entered the Indian political scene, there was great communal disharmony among the people. Gandhiji asserted that Indians should be united to fight against the mighty imperial power of the British. It was in this background that the Khilafat issue came up.

          After Turkey was defeated in the First World War, its territories were divided among European powers. The Ottoman emperor in Turkey was also the Sultan-Khalifa of the global Muslim community. There was great worry among the Indian Muslims over the fate of the holy places of Islam which were under the custodianship of the Khalifa. Gandhiji feared that their resentment would turn into violent channels and he wanted to prevent this. Therefore, he offered to lead the Muslim community on this issue, if they accepted his nonviolent methods. His decision to help the Khilafat Movement was questioned by many. After the termination of the Khilafat Movement when Turkey gained a more favourable diplomatic position, communal riots started in many places in India, much to the displeasure of Gandhiji. 

 

 

          Many Indian soldiers flocked to participate in World War I. It was for them Gandhiji extended his support. This was partly due to the promise of the British government to reciprocate by supporting the Indian dream of Swaraj, after the end of World War I.

          The largely relocated Indian soldiers fought along with British soldiers. They struggled in numerous areas like Mesopotamia and Europe. Many lost their lives in the battles.

          Britain and her allies emerged victorious. But Indians lost their hearts as the British retreated from their promise of self-government after World War I. Instead of self-government, they offered minor reforms, but most of them were disappointing to Gandhiji and his followers. In short, Indians felt embittered.

          Then, it became clearer to Gandhiji and his men that the British would not free India, at any cost. 

 

 

The Champaran and Kheda agitations of Bihar and Gujarat in 1918 were the first golden feathers in Gandhiji’s crown.

What was the Champaran agitation? It was piloted by the local agrarians of Champaran in Bihar. They were enforced to cultivate indigo, whose demand had been declining over two decades and were forced to sell their crops at a fixed price.

Unhappy by this condition, they asked for Gandhiji’s help. Gandhiji proclaimed civil disobedience and his fight for justice was rewarded. The government compelled the landholders to refund a portion of the rent to the farmers and the enforcement on indigo cultivation was also abolished.

The Kheda Agitation took place when Kheda was affected by famine in 1918 and planters were demanding liberation from the levies.

Gandhiji, along with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel battled for this cause, using non-cooperation as a weapon. The deadlock lasted for five months as the authorities were not ready to compromise.

But finally, at the end of May 1918, the government relaxed the conditions of imbursement of the taxes up until the famine ended.

 

            Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a social and political leader of the Congress party, known for his restraint and moderation and his determination to work inside the system. Gandhiji admired Gokhale a lot and his liberal outlook impressed him very much. Gandhiji knew Gokhale from his South African days. When he came back to India, Gandhiji went to see Gokhale. Gokhale urged him to get a better understanding of India’s present status and problems, so that he could practice Satyagraha in the Indian struggle for freedom.

            In his autobiography Gandhiji talked about Gokhale as his greatest supporter and guide. Gandhiji had an admiration for Gokhale being a political leader as well. He respected the principles of Gokhale. Gandhiji described Gokhale as being pure as crystal, gentle as a lamb, brave as a lion and chivalrous to a fault. But, regardless of Gandhiji’s extreme reverence for Gokhale, he also had differences of opinion with him. 

 

 

          Gandhiji was a popular figure when he returned to India from South Africa. He returned along with his family in 1915. He received a warm welcome from his people.

          Gandhiji was not aware of the existing conditions and key problems in India. So, he was certain to not to campaign for the rights of Indians until he got to know the context clearly. Gandhiji built an ashram at Sabarmati in the heart of Ahmadabad. About 200 people including men and women promised to live in the ashram, according to the principles of Gandhiji. They had to follow a simple vegetarian diet, with prayer and social service. There were no luxuries. Weaving was their major vocation. Gandhiji encompassed the castaways also. This caused great disapproval among the inhabitants of the ashram itself.

          Even in the contemporary world, there are ashrams around India, where people still follow the Gandhian philosophy of life. 

               John Ruskin and his magnum opus ‘Unto This Last’ was an influential force in Gandhiji’s life. Ruskin argued in his writing that true wealth is not earning more and more money but accustomed more to peace in one’s life. He also held that being peaceful is more imperative than being powerful.

               Motivated by this idea, Gandhiji began a farm outside Durban -the Phoenix settlement. It was Gandhiji’s first experimental ashram. In the ashram, Gandhiji and his supporters lived a life of no luxuries. They cultivated and ran a printing press for the Indians to express their opinions. They published a weekly journal founded by Gandhiji. It featured informative articles on various topics like politics, diet, health and sanitary habits. 

 

 

               The Tolstoy Farm was another community started by Gandhiji near Johannesburg. Gandhiji urged proper hygiene in his ashrams, as he believed that being hygienic is important for a healthy spiritual life. 

 

           

 

 

             Gandhiji was an ardent believer of Satyagraha as a powerful weapon. The word Satyagraha means truth-force. It embraces civil disobedience and a relentless pursuit for truth and peace. This inspirational concept, which completely changed the face of Indian struggle for independence, was first tested in South Africa. Gandhiji proposed certain rules for satyagrahis to follow. He trained the Indians during the South African passive resistance campaign. In short, this was a trial run for his future campaigns.

            No worship of violence and belief in suffering the insults patiently etc. are the mottos of a satyagrahi. Satyagraha does not aim at humiliating rivals, but aims to soften their heart by peace. Satyagraha was fruitful in South Africa and along with this, Gandhiji practiced self-reliance. It was compulsory for him that his family should also be self-reliant. He used to wash his cloths by himself. He cut his own hair and that of his children as well.

            In short, it is clear that the Indian freedom struggle was a much bigger test for Gandhiji and his idea of Satyagraha. 

            Gandhiji raised an ambulance corps during the Boer War. The corps comprised of 1,100 volunteers, out of them, 300 were free Indians and the rest were bonded labourers. It was a heterogeneous group that included barristers, accountants, artisans and workers. They were used as stretcher bearers. Indians were of great support to the British. The service they delivered in the Battle of Spion Kop was laudable.

            It was Gandhi’s mission to instigate in them the essence of service mindedness to their oppressors. In the Zulu campaign also, Gandhiji helped the government by organizing another Indian ambulance corps. They had to parade up to 64 kilometres a day to nurse a chain of beaten and injured Zulus. Many Indian leaders were awarded the Queen’s South Africa medal for their selfless service in the Boer War. 

 

 

 

        Do you know who the Boers are? ‘Boer’ is the Dutch word for farmer. It was used to designate the progenies of the Dutch speaking settlers of the Eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century.

          Boer War was fought between the British and Boers. This war was a symbol of the imperialistic greed of the British over its colonies. The British decided to mine gold and diamonds in the land of Boers. The Boers became so offended by this decision, that they declared a war against the British. Eventually, the Boers lost the war against the British.

          Surprisingly, the Indians in South Africa, along with Gandhiji, supported the British, during the war, though they sympathized with the condition of the Boers.

          This was because they believed that only then could they survive or earn their rights in the territory of Britain. The services provided by the Indians in the Warfield were appreciated by the British officers.