Introduction
“Christ
furnished the spirit and motivation (of nonviolent resistance
against evil) and Gandhi furnished the method.”
Martin Luther King Jr
And this method furnished by Gandhi of nonviolent
resistance against evil is the biggest impact made by Gandhi in Indian
politics. From the Sathyagraha movement till the Partition of India
before his demise in 1948, his struggle by peaceful means has been admired
by renowned political leaders around the world and has earned him the
name “Mahatma”.
The beginning
Born in the banya caste of a middle class family,
Gandhi was a shy and mediocre boy who went to London to pursue his career
in law. After his early years in England studying law, Gandhi at the
age of twenty four arrived at Durban in defense of an Indian merchant
against a Transvaal merchant. It was this place that changed the fate
of Indian politics, the place where Gandhi is said to have received
his Political Baptism. A night’s experience at the ticket collector’s
room where he was discriminated based on color put Gandhi in a dilemma
to return to India, or join the revolutionist movement in South Africa.
But, with the Franchise Amendment Law taking away the voting rights
of Asiatic origins, Gandhi plunged into active politics by forming the
Natal Indian Congress on 22
nd August 1894.
The Non-violent struggle
After being involved in
the Black Conscious movements which marked the beginning of the black
revolutionist movement in South Africa, he returned to India in 1914
as a respected, religious and well known political leader. He travelled
far and wide to understand the pulse of the freedom movement prevailing
in India. His popularity among the masses made him gather great support
for his first Sathyagraha movement in India in 1918 followed by a country
wide bandh. With the Jallianwaila Bagh tragedy striking headlines on
April 13th, 1919 Gandhi tightened his stand on the freedom
struggle that he had just started. A list of revolutionary movements
– The Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, Dhandi March followed by the
Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930 were conducted by Gandhi, all of
which had non-violent resistance as its root.
Even after the long struggle
of Independence of India was accomplished on 15th August
1947, Gandhi was fasting unto death for the restoration of peace in
violent prone areas. This non-violent struggle of Gandhi is recorded
as one of the longest of its kind in world political history.
Gandhi’s political mantra
Gandhi believed that politics
devoid of Religion has absolute no meaning as it touched the vital being
of India almost at every point. His ceaseless efforts to introduce religion
into politics were basically confined to making people strong with God-force
and follow their rights and duties accordingly His ideologies - Sathyameva
Jayathe(Truth Alone Triumphs), Ahimsa(Non-violence), Swadeshi(Buying
own goods), Ram Rajya(Kingdom of God on Earth) Aparigraha (non-possession),
Asteya(Non-covetousness)and Brahmacharya(Self control of sex impulses)(Saran
A.K.,) are still considered as a Bible for good governance.
Conclusion
The United Nation’s declaration of Gandhi’s birthday
as “International Day of Nonviolence” is a proof of the impact
Gandhi’s political strategy has made on the international stage. From
Anna Hazare to Jawaharlal Nehru, budding to renowned political leaders,
most of them have found the Gandhian way to reach the people of India.
Though Gandhi’s few political moves are still debatable, one can’t
miss his non-violent protest and the impact it has made on Indian politics.
