Mahatma Gandhi's Role In Civil Disobedience
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was able to raise awareness of the injustice of apartheid; segregation, racism, and oppression of Indian people in both India and South Africa. Through nonviolent protests and a political movement he led, named the Indian National Congress, Gandhi was able to inspire and encourage his followers to stand against injustice. Gandhi was a charismatic and devout man. He studied law, languages, and the philosophical study of religions, including Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and more (Redirecting). Gandhi’s nonviolent, passive movement was named, “Satyagraha,” loosely translated as “moral domination” (Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti in India). Taking their cue from the peaceful salt march, or “Satyagraha or Salt (Dandi) March,”
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British leaders knew that Gandhi’s followers held him in such high esteem that they would engage in mass civil disobedience because of political and personal influence. They had no choice, over the course of many years, to negotiate with Mahatma and the Indian National Congress, which resulted in the alleviation of poverty, enshrined rights for women, status to ‘untouchables’, and of course the ultimate goal of Swaraj. However, Gandhi was persecuted, jailed numerous times; one time during which his beloved wife was also jailed and died in prison. Gandhi had many assassination attempts on his life. From June 25, 1934 until his death August 15, 1947 there were six documented attempts on his life by Hindu extremists (Mahatma Gandhi). However, Gandhi never retaliated. He simply was not that kind of man. his retribution came in the form of a hunger fast. The last attempt of Gandhi’s life was to bring Muslims and Hindus together after a long history of hostility. Still, the gentle, force of nature that he was, maintained, “Have faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the whole ocean doesn’t become dirty” (Daman). He peacefully protested for political unity while the British urged forward a Partition that created a Muslim-Pakistan and a Hindu-India; a move that history would prove created the difficulties Gandhi
British leaders knew that Gandhi’s followers held him in such high esteem that they would engage in mass civil disobedience because of political and personal influence. They had no choice, over the course of many years, to negotiate with Mahatma and the Indian National Congress, which resulted in the alleviation of poverty, enshrined rights for women, status to ‘untouchables’, and of course the ultimate goal of Swaraj. However, Gandhi was persecuted, jailed numerous times; one time during which his beloved wife was also jailed and died in prison. Gandhi had many assassination attempts on his life. From June 25, 1934 until his death August 15, 1947 there were six documented attempts on his life by Hindu extremists (Mahatma Gandhi). However, Gandhi never retaliated. He simply was not that kind of man. his retribution came in the form of a hunger fast. The last attempt of Gandhi’s life was to bring Muslims and Hindus together after a long history of hostility. Still, the gentle, force of nature that he was, maintained, “Have faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the whole ocean doesn’t become dirty” (Daman). He peacefully protested for political unity while the British urged forward a Partition that created a Muslim-Pakistan and a Hindu-India; a move that history would prove created the difficulties Gandhi