Tuesday, October 11, 2011

why was the Gandhi leader of masses in india?

Why Gandhi was the leader of masses in India

Gandhi success ed  in remarkably short period from 19 19 to 1922 informing a mass movement “ for real freedom or power , that was entirely unprecedented in India. His dramatic  political achievement at this time was transformation of Indian national congress into political organization with mass base. Gandhi said that highly educated men to carry out all stages of co-operation and his hope is more with masses. His faith in people is bound less. There is an amazing responsive nature. Gandhi requested let not leaders disrupt them.

Gandhi saw non-cooperation as way of involving whole spectrum of Indian society in political movement
. This worked through three dissent levels or tiers of followers : the western -educate elite, the  “ the power brokers”  or middle level political operators in law, business and agriculture and finally “ dumb million s “ as Gandhi call them or silent majority of people without property. Gandhi influence on this last group particularly the vast poor peasantry was substantial. By 1921 his message of Swaraj as personnel as well as social and political revolution had dug deeply into the popular consciousness.

Self purification along with social reform merged into the constructive program that congress promoted through its pervasive organization. Swaraj  was introspected as demanding charges in personal behavior that extended family planning and dies. Yet he  transformed himself as  people call him “ Mahatma “ . Charisma  came from Gandhi skill as communicator and especially his ability to use symbols and images in a languages for and Indian people. Like a poet, Gandhi treated his past with affection, drawing from Indian classics  old words - ahimsa , karma yoga, Ramraj , Tapsya- moksha and charging them with fresh meaning until they become symbols of both past and future. Gandhi drew from Hinduism  the core ideas that gave his taught continuity and coherence, yet he repeatedly reexamined that tradition  for purpose of social reform. Gandhi said his sacred wisdom is the  Bhaghawat Gita. The following are Gandhi opinion on Gita.

What, however , I have done is to put a new but natural and logical interpretation upon whole teachings of Gita and spirit of Hinduism. Gita itself an instance in point. It has giving new meaning to karma, sanyasa, yajna etc. it has breached new life into Hinduism . According to Gandhi view the Gita is an aphoristic work, it is a great religious poem. The deeper you drive into the rich meanings you get. It is being meant for the people at large, there is pleasing repetitions. With  every age the important of words will carry new and expanding meanings. Non of Gandhi terms were infused with rich traditional Indian symbolism than two key concepts of his thought, Swarajya and Satyagraha  and no one remained  more sensitive to their meaning. Gandhi liked word Swarajya  because it had traditional roots, and he seldom missed an opportunity to evoke the religion symbolism explicit in the idea of both Swarajya and satyagraha. 

It is some times assumed that since Gandhi for noble causes such as abolition of untouchablity and developed a world wide reputation as saint  he stood above criticism .

Thirty five years later, near the end of Gandhi long public carrier, Jawaharlal Nehru soon to become independent India’s first prime minister , reflected back turning point, of nationalist movement.  With un paralleled eloquence that deserves to be quoted as length, Nehru wrote what remains as perhaps the most moving assessment of what Gandhi achieved.

And then Gandhi came. He was like a powerful current of fresh air that made us stretch ourselves and take deep breath like beam of light that pierced the darkness and removed the scares from our eyes, like a whirlwind that upset many things but most of all the working peoples minds. He did not descend from top , he seemed to emerge from millions of India , speaking their language and incessantly drawing attention to them and their appalling condition. Get off the backs of these peasants and workers, he told us all you who live by their exploitation, get rid of the system that produces this poverty and misery. 

Political freedom took new shape then and acquired a new content. Much that he said we only partially accepted or some times did not accept at all. But all this was secondary. The essence Gandhi teaching was fearless and truth and action allied to these always keeping the welfare of masses in view. The greatest government for an individual nation or so we had been told in ancient books was abhaya , fearlessness, not merely body courage but the absence fear from our mind. But dominant impulse  in India under British rule was that of fear,  pervasive , oppressing , strangling fear of the army, the police, the wide spread  secret service, fear of official class, fear of laws meant for suppress, and of unemployment and starvation, which were always on there sold. It was against this all pervading fear that Gandhi quiet and determined voice was raised. Be not afraid.

The Gandhi had millions of people with him when he was fighting  with British for getting freedom to our country.  His contribution to our country is enormous and marvelous and   that is the reason he fondly called father of nation. He is one of great  world  leaders  among 19th century  leaders’.

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