From Rebel to Father of the Nation

The difference between what we do and Strength does not come from what we are capable of doing would suf- physical capacity. It comes from an fice to solve most of the world’s prob- indomitable will. Mahatma Gandhi lems. Mahatma Gandhi We take you on the incredible journey of an audacious teenager sacre, Gandhi realised that there was from a privileged background who went on to become an apostle of no hope of getting any justice from the British. After Jallianwala Bagh, Indi- peace, and subsequently helped overthrow the British rule in India 1920 to ans were asked to relinquish their ti- tles and resign from nominated seats in the local bodies as a mark of protest. People were requested to resign from 1922 their government jobs and boycott for- eign goods. They were also asked not Launched the to serve in the British army. Gandhi called off the movement on February 1869 Non-Cooperation Movement 12, 1922 in the wake of the Chauri he Non-Cooperation Movement be- Chaura incident where a violent mob Reckless and fiery gan under the leadership of Gandhi set fire to a police station, killing 22 T and the Indian National Congress. policemen during a clash between the ohandas Karamchand Gandhi was From September 1920 to February 1922, it police and protesters of the movement. born on October 2, 1869, in the marked a new awakening in the Indian In- However, the movement sent a jolt Mprincely state of Porbandar, now dependence Movement. After a series of among the British. It also established modern-day Gujarat. His father, Karamchand events, including the Jallianwala Bagh mas- Gandhiji as a leader of the masses. Gandhi, was a high-ranking official of the regional government. Gandhi’s mother, Put- Gandhi called libai, was a devout follower of Vaishnavism. Gandhi had three siblings – two brothers and off the a sister. Like many teenagers Gandhi fell prey movement on to bad company and picked up poor habits. February 12, Gandhi once stole a piece of gold to pay off 1922 in the a debt that his brother had incurred. He knew he had committed a serious crime and con- wake of the fessed his misdeeds to his father by writing Chauri Chaura Gandhi at the a letter to him. Seeing his father’s disap- incident age of seven pointment, Gandhi vowed to never veer from the path of righteousness. Photo: Getty images Gandhi Photo: Getty images 1883 Photo: Getty images 1930 Photo: Getty images Marries Kasturba in an Led the famous Dandi March arranged child marriage From rebel to he British Salt Act of 1882 prohibited Indians from collecting or selling salt andhi married Kasturba Makhan- T and also imposed a heavy tax on it. The ji at the age of 13. Later, he went on Act created an uproar as salt was an impor- G to disclose that marriage didn’t tant component in Indian cooking. In 1930, mean anything to him at the time. He was from March 12 to April 6, Gandhi marched 388 just happy and excited about wearing a set km from Ahmedabad to Dandi, in Gujarat, to of new clothes. When he grew up, Gandhi extract salt from seawater, as was the practice always condemned child marriage and father of the nation of locals until the British Salt Act. Thousands spoke against this practice. His marriage of Indians joined him in this the Salt March lasted until the death of Kasturba in 1944. The marriage of the two was the culmination also known as Dandi March. It sparked large They had four children: Harilal, Manilal, of the friendship of their parents scale acts of civil disobedience against British Ramdas and Devdas. salt laws by millions of Indians, leading to 80,000 Indians being taken into police custody. Gandhi picking up grains of salt at 1888 Photo: Getty images the end of the Dandi March Reaches England to study law 1932 andhi began studies at the Universi- Fight against untouchability ty College, London. During his stay in GLondon, from 1888 to 1891, he started n 1932, the British announced ‘The Com- following a vegetarian diet and joined the ex- munal Award’, considered to be one of the ecutive committee of the London Vegetari- I tools of the divide and rule in India. On an Society. His stint in England provided op- September 20, Gandhi sat on a ‘fast unto death’ portunities for widening his horizons and seminal moment occurred on June 7, 1893, in Yerawada Central Jail, where he was lodged getting a better understanding of religions during a train trip to Pretoria, South Africa, Photo: Getty images at that time, to protest against the provision and cultures. He also developed an interest A when a white man objected to Gandhi’s pres- 1915 of separate electorates for Dalits. An agree- in books on philosophy, particularly those by 1893 ence in a first-class railway compartment, although Gandhi (centre) ment (called Poona Pact) was signed by Pt Leo Tolstoy, John Ruskin and Henry David Sailed to South he had a valid ticket. When Gandhi refused to move sitting with four Bestowed the title of Mahatma 1917 Madan Mohan Malviya, Dr BR Ambedkar and Thoreau. Putlibai, his mother, passed away to another compartment, he was thrown off the train some Dalit leaders at Yerawada Jail in Pune, when he was in London but this news was Africa to work for a at Pietermaritzburg station. He stayed at the station associates in abindranath Tagore referred to Gandhi Led Champaran Satyagraha to convince Gandhi to give up his fast. kept from him until he returned to India. that night shivering in the cold. This incident prompt- front of his as Mahatma for the first time . The title Photo: Getty images Artist’s impression of Gandhi’s fast in law firm ed him to remain for 21 years in South Africa and meaning “Great Soul”, is given only to andhiji led a successful Satyagra- legal practice R support of oppressed castes, 1932 fight for civil rights. In his autobiography, Gandhi office at the holiest men. Gandhi didn’t want to accept ha campaign fighting for the rights wrote, “It was winter. The cold was extremely bitter. it because he believed that all men are equal. G of the indigo planters at Cham- South African I began to think of my duty. Should I fight for my Johannesburg, While he reposed his faith in Gandhi as a leader, paran district in Bihar. Champaran was rights or go back to India, should I go on to Pretoria South Africa Tagore was critical of some of his policies, par- a turning point in India’s freedom strug- railway incident without minding the insults, and return to India af- ticularly his adherence to non-cooperation. gle. For the first time, using peaceful Mahatma ter finishing the case? It would be cowardice to run Photo: Getty images means, Gandhiji declared that the “British 1942 Kalam Azad, Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai made Gandhi back to India without fulfilling my obligations.” The cannot order me about in my own coun- Patel were arrested. Despite the lack of lead- Gandhi (R) determined to fight same unassuming man would go on to become a gi- try”. Simultaneously, he stoked the latent Launched the Quit India ership, large-scale protests and demonstra- with his ant force for civil rights. Next, Gandhi formed the embers of self-respect among Indians. tions were held all over the country. The brother, racial oppression Natal Indian Congress (NIC) in 1894 to fight dis- Movement in 1942 British made more than 100,000 arrests, while Laxmidas crimination against Indians in South Africa. Photo: Getty images some 10,000 people died in police firing. 1908 andhi launched the Quit India Move- Though the Quit India Movement was sup- Gandhi, ment on August 9, 1942, demanding an pressed by the British, they realised it was India, 1886 Arrested for the first time Photo: Getty images G end to British Rule in India. He made now impossible to rule over India. At the end 1915 a call for do-or-die in his Quit India speech. of the war, the British indicated that power Gandhi n January 10, 1908, Gandhi was arrested Within hours of the speech, almost all the mem- would soon be transferred to India. Subhas for the first time for refusing to carry an Gandhi returned bers of the Indian National Congress (INC) Chandra Bose, was, by this time, organising 1906 addressing O obligatory identity document card com- were imprisoned without a trial. Several na- the Indian National Army and the Azad Hind Gandhi asks the the Indian monly known as the ‘pass’. He was released in to India tional leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul government from outside the country. community February after negotiations with the government. Photo: Getty images Indian community in South When he was arrested later that year, he read the fter his long stay in South Demonstrators lying book, “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thore- Africa — 20 years — in South Africa Africa in 1910 on the road to au and became even more committed to peaceful A Gandhi arrived in India avoid clouds of tear resistance. In South Africa, Gandhi also set up to a rousing welcome as a na- to refuse to hen the Transvaal (province of SA from 1910 to Phoenix Farm, near Durban, where he trained tionalist, theorist and organis- gas released by the 1891 comply with the 1994) government announced that all Indians must his cadres on peaceful restraint or non-violent Mahatma Gandhi with Nobel Laureate er.

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