Gandhi Pioneer of Nonviolent Social Change By Tara Sethia
Gandhi Pioneer of Nonviolent Social Change CONTENTS Abbreviations Chronology of major events Glossary Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Formative Years 11 Chapter 2: Transformative Years 32 Chapter 3: Satyagraha in South Africa 53 Chapter 4: Hind Swaraj: Gandhi s Vision of Freedom 81 Chapter 5: Cooperation, Caution, and Introduction of Satyagraha in India 103 Chapter 6: Noncooperation and the 1920s 127 Chapter 7: Civil Disobedience and the 1930s 152 Chapter 8: Quit India to 1947 180 Chapter 9: Fasts: Satyagraha to the Last 204 Chapter 10: Global Legacies in Nonviolent Social Change 224 Select Bibliography 250
Abbreviations AEA Albert Einstein Archives, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem AEI Albert Einstein Institution, Boston. AICC All India Congress Committee ANC African National Congress, APO African Political Organization AIVIA All India Village Industries Association BHU Banaras Hindu University CORE Congress of Racial Equality CWC Congress Working Committee CWMG Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi CWMG-V: Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi-Volume #: page(s) # EIC East India Company FOR Fellowship of Reconciliation HS Hind Swaraj ICD Individual Civil Disobedience ICS The Indian Civil Service INA Indian National Army led by Subhas Chandra Bose INC Indian National Congress, the Congress NIC Natal Indian Congress INR Institute of Nonviolent Resistance IVU International Vegetarian Union LAFTI Land for the Tillers Freedom NAACP National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NBA Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement NGO Non Governmental Organization NWFP North West Frontier Provinces PRIO Peace Research Institute, Oslo RSS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a fundamentalist wing of Hindu Mahasabha RTC Round Table Conference (held in England). SEWA Self Employed Women s Association SWMG Selected Works of Mahatma Gandhi SWMG-V: Selected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Volume#: page(s) #. TARA Transvaal Asiatic Registration Act (Black Act) TBIA Transvaal British Indian Association TIRA Transvaal Immigration Restriction Act TRC Truth and Reconciliation Commission UFW United Farm Workers VSUK Vegetarian Society of United Kingdom WWI First World War, also known as the Great War WWII Second World War
Chronology of Major Events in Gandhi s Life 1869 Born on October 2 in Porbandar, Gujarat, India 1883 Marriage with Kasturbai Makanji 1888 Birth of Harilal, their eldest son; departs for England to study Law 1891 Called to the Bar from the Inner Temple and returns to India; A spiritual encounter with Raychand Bhai, known as Shrimad Rajchandra first major influence on Gandhi 1892 Second son, Manilal is born. 1893 Arrives in Durban, South Africa; experiences racial discrimination and assault; the year of spiritual striving. Read Tolstoy s The Kingdom of God is Within You 1894 Becomes the founder-secretary of the Natal Indian Congress, enrolls in the High Court of Natal; starts campaigns against anti-indian racial laws. 1896 Third son, Ramdas, is born; Visit to India, June-November, recalled to South Africa in November. 1897 Returns to South Africa with family; physically assaulted on arrival by the White mob. 1899 Organizes Indian Ambulance Corps to assist the British during the Anglo-Boer war. 1900 Fourth son, the youngest, Devdas is born. 1901 Returns to India, Recalled to South Africa before the end of the year. 1902 Returns to South Africa with family 1903 Settles in Johannesburg, Registers in Transvaal High court, Indian Opinion launched; campaign against anti-indian racial laws continues. 1904 Read John Ruskin s Unto the Last, the second major influence on Gandhi; founds an experimental community in Phoenix, near Durban. 1905 The British partition of Bengal 1906 Organizes the Indian Ambulance Corps during the Zulu Rebellion, takes the vow of celibacy for the rest of his life; on September 11 moves the resolution to launch civil disobedience to protest the anti-indian racial legislation, the black ordinance. 1908 The term satyagraha is adopted; mass burning of registration certificates, first imprisonment (January 10-30); second imprisonment (October 7-December 12). 1909 Third imprisonment (February 25-May 24). In London to lobby for Indians in South Africa (July November); On his return Journey from London (November 13-22) writes Hind Swaraj. 1910 Establishes the Tolstoy Farm outside Johannesburg; Union of South Africa 1913 Leads the Great March or the Epic March of satyagraha from Charlestown to Volkrust in South Africa to protest against anti-indian laws; fourth imprisonment (November 11-December 18). 1914 Gandhi-Smuts Agreement; Leaves South Africa for good; In London (August- December) organizes the Indian Ambulance Corps to assist the British during WWI. 1915 Arrives in India in January and establishes the Satyagraha (Sabarmati) Ashram in Ahmedabad. 1916 Gandhi s first public speech in India at BHU; Joint convention of the Muslim League and Congress in Lucknow, the Moderates and Extremists unite.
1917 Campaign against export of Indian Indentured labor resulting in its abolition in 1920; Champaran satyagraha to redress the grievances of Indigo farmers 1918 Satyagraha to settle dispute between Ahmedabad mill-owners and mill-workers, Undertakes a fast on March 15 to resolve the deadlock between mill-owners and mill-workers; Kheda Satyagraha to redress the grievances of Kheda peasants; Volunteers to actively recruit Indians to fight in WWI. 1919 Leads All-India satyagraha and hartal against the Rowlatt Act; the Amritsar Massacre; Edits weekly newspapers, Navjivan (Gujarati) and Young India (English). 1920 Founds Gujarat Vidhaypith (university); INC adopts Non-Cooperation Movement, which is subsequently launched. 1922 Violence at Chauri Chaura; Fasts (February 12-16) and Suspends Non-cooperation Movement; The Great Trial; Fifth imprisonment (March 10, 1922 to February 5, 1924). 1924 President of the Indian National Congress; Fasts (September 17-October 7) for Hindu-Muslim Unity 1927 Published Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, part 1. 1928 Published Satyagraha in South Africa. Mobilizes the Bardoli satyagraha 1929 Published Autobiography-The Story of My Experiments with Truth, part 2. 1930 Launches the Salt satyagraha, intentionally breaking the salt laws. Appears on the cover of Time Magazine twice in a row. 1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact; Participates in the Round Table Conference in London. Speaks at the Vegetarian Society. Time Magazine features him as the Man of the year. 1932 Seventh imprisonment(january 4- September 20); Fasts (September 20-25) to protest the Communal Award granting separate electorates to the Untouchables. Poona Pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar. 1933 Eighth Imprisonment (August 1-4); Ninth Imprisonment (August 4-23); Edits the English Weekly, Harijan; Publishes From the Yervada Mandir 1934 Inaugurates All-India Village Industries Association. 1936 Founds the Sevagram Ashram, Wardha 1937 Inaugurates an Educational Conference in Wardha. 1939 Outbreak of WWII; Gandhi opposes the War 1940 Launches the Individual Civil Disobedience Campaign 1941 Publishes Constructive Programme: Its Meaning and Place 1942 Quit India Speeches and plan to launch the Quit India Movement; Tenth imprisonment (August 9, 1942-May 6, 1944) in Aga Khan Detention Center 1942 Death of Mahadev Desai, Gandhi s secretary in Aga Khan Detention Center 1944 Death of Kasturba in prison; Gandhi-Jinnah Talks on Hindu-Muslim unity 1946 Meets with the Cabinet Mission; Attends the Simla Conference; Visits the riot-ridden districts of Bengal. 1947 Partition and independence of India and Pakistan. Communal Riots. Gandhi s Calcutta fast to reinstate Hindu-Muslim peace. 1948 Delhi fast to restore peace among Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities; January 29 writes the draft constitution for the Indian National Congress; January 30 assassinated by Nathuram Godse.
Glossary The following words are italicized only when used for the first time in the book. adivasi ahimsa anna ashram Bania bapu bhajan Bhangi Bustee Baisakhi Bhoodan bustee brahmacharya charkha chipko original inhabitants, indigenous people nonviolence one sixteenth of Indian rupee spiritual community third highest class in Hindu social hierarchy, Gandhi s caste. father devotional song or hymn weeper colony A festival marking the beginning of a solar year. Gift of land. Associated with Vinoba s Bhoodan movement colony celibacy spinning-wheel to cling or hug, crore a sum of 10,000,000 dalits darshan dharma dharana diwan dhoti durbar hartal Harijans Jain katha khadi Khudai Khidmatgars lathi the oppressed, formerly called the untouchables, or harijans as Gandhi called them, scheduled castes, under the Indian constitution. to see, to pay homage duty, ethics, moral law sit-ins, a sit-down strike. prime-minister cloth covering waste down to ankles royal court cessation of all economic activities children of God, a term Gandhi used for the untouchables follower of Jainism a sixth century BCE religion in India story, Gandhi katha refers to the story of Gandhi home-spun cloth, made famous by Gandhi Servants of God, the nonviolent soldiers of Islam stave, steel-clubbed stick
mahatma mandir mantra metta moksha mullah nai taleem panchayat pandal patidars Pranami prarthana poorna swaraj pugri raj ryot Sabha samadhi sarvodaya satyagraha satyagrahi shanti sena shramadana sthitha-prajana swaraj swadeshi tilak tinkathia Vaishnava the great soul, the title Tagore gave to Gandhi sacred space, a temple sacred formula amity, friendship salvation--final goal in Hinduism religious leader in Islamic traditions new education, holistic model aimed at the development of mind, body and spirit. village council, a form of local self government in the villages a temporary or permanent structure made for an event land-owning farmers a syncretistic sect of Hinduism that venerates the Quran prayer complete freedom, freedom for all turban British rule in India, literal meaning is rule. tenant-farmer organization memorial welfare of all, awakening of all insistence on truth, firmness in a true cause one who observes satyagraha peace brigade gift of service or physical labor the one who maintains equanimity self-rule, self-government, freedom pertaining to one s own country auspicious mark or symbol of devotion marked on forehead an expolitative system in which fifteen percent of the land rented by ryot had to be planted with indigo for the landlord Belonging to the sect which worships Vishnu, a Hindu God