Mahatma Gandhi

 

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), when he entered public life, was at first hailed as the Mahatma (Great Soul) and was generally called Mahatma Gandhi. Since his death he has been universally acclaimed as the Father of the Nation.

 

Gandhiji started his public career in South Africa, where the white race ruled and Indians and native Africans alike were treated as slaves and outcastes. He entered Indian public life through the Indian National Congress, which he dominated from 1920 onwards. He was the main architect of the Indian nation and is rightly called the Father of the Nation.

 

The important dates and events of his life are briefly described below:

 

1869 October. 2:

Born at Porbandar, Kathiawar, India, son of Karamchand and Putlibai Gandhi.     

 

1883:

Married Kasturba.

 

1888:

Sailed from Bombay for England to study law.

 

1891 Summer:

Returned to India after being called to the Bar. Began to practise law in Bombay and Rajkot.

 

1893 April:

Sailed for South Africa to become lawyer for an Indian firm. Found himself subjected to colour discrimination.

 

1894 May:

Organized the Natal Indian Congress.

 

 

1899:

Organized Indian Ambulance Corps for the British in the Boer war.

 

1901:

With the family embarked for India.

 

1901-02:

Travelled extensively in India attended Indian National Congress meeting in Calcutta and opened law office in Bombay.

 

1902:

Returned to South Africa at the request of the Indian community.

 

1904:

Established the weekly journal 'Indian Opinion', Organized Phoenix Farm near Durban.

 

1906 September:

First 'Satyagraha' campaign in protest against proposed Asiatic ordinance directed against Indian immigrants in Transvaal.

 

1907 June:

Organized 'Satyagraha' against compulsory registration of Asiatics (The Black Act).

 

1908 January:

Stood trial for instigating 'satyagraha' and was sentenced to two months imprisonment in Johannesburg jail (his first imprisonment). Summoned to consult General Smuts at Pretoria; compromise reached; was released from jail.

 

February:

Attacked and wounded by Indian extremist for settlement with Smuts.

 

August:

After Smuts broke agreement, second 'satyagraha' campaign began with bonfire of registration certificates.

 

1909 February:

Sentenced to three months imprisonment in Volksrust and Pretoria jails.

 

June:

Sailed for England to present Indians' case.

 

1910 May:

Established Tolstoy Farm near Johannesburg.

 

1913 September:

Helped campaign against nullification of marriages not celebrated according to Christian rites. Third 'satyagraha' campaign. Led 2,000 Indian miners from New Castle across Transvaal border.

 

November:

Arrested for third time in four days.

 

December:

Released unconditionally in expectation of a compromise.

 

1914 July:

Returned to India, leaving South Africa for ever.

 

1915 May:

Established Satyagraha Ashram near Ahmedabad.

 

1917:

Moved Ashram to new site on Sabarmati River. Led successful 'satyagraha' campaign for rights of peasants on indigo plantations in Champaran. Defied order to leave area in April was arrested at Motihari and tried, but case was withdrawn.

 

1918 February:

Led strike of millworkers at Ahmedabad. Millowners agreed to arbitration after his three-day fast (his first fast in India).

 

March:

Led 'satyagraha' for peasants in Kheda.

 

April:

Organized nationwide hartal-suspension of activity for a day-against the Rowlatt Bills. Fasted at Sabarmati for three days in penitence for violence and suspended 'satyagraha' campaign which he called a 'Himalayan miscalculation' because people were not disciplined enough. Became Editor of English weekly 'Young India' and Gujarati weekly 'Navajivan.'.

 

1920 April:

Elected president of All India Home Rule League. Successfully urged resolutions for a 'satyagraha' campaign of non-co-operation.

 

1921:

Resolved to wear only a loincloth to propagate homespun cotton and to signify his identification with the people. Mass civil disobedience, thousands went to jail. Gandhi invested with 'sole executive authority' on behalf of Indian Congress.

 

1922:

Suspended mass disobedience because of violence at Chawri Chawra and undertook five-day fast of penance at Bardoli. Arrested at Sabarmati on charge of sedition for articles in 'Young India.' Pleaded guilty in a famous statement at the 'great trial' in Ahmedabad before Judge Broomfield. Sentenced to six years' imprisonment in Yervada jail.

 

1929:

Arrested for burning foreign cloth in Calcutta and fined one rupee.

 

1929 December:

Congress session at Lahore voted for complete independence and a boycott of the legislature. January 26 proposed as Independence day. Third all-India 'satyagraha' campaign.

 

1930 March 12:

Set out from Sabarmati with 79 volunteers on historic Salt March 200 miles to sea at Dandi.

 

April 6:

Broke salt law by picking a handful of salt up at seashore. Arrested by armed policemen at Karadi and imprisoned in Yervada jail without trial. One hundred thousand persons arrested.

 

1931 January:

Released unconditionally with 30 other Congress leaders. March: Gandhi-Irwin (Viceroy) Pact signed, which ended civil disobedience.

 

August:

Sailed from Bombay for the Second Round Table Conference in London.

 

December:

Returned to India. Authorised by Congress to renew 'satyagraha' campaign (fourth nation-wide effort).

 

1932 January:

Arrested in Bombay with Sardar Patel and detained without trial at Yervada prison.

 

September. 20:

Began 'fast unto death' while in prison in protest against British action giving separate electorate to untouchables.

 

September 26:

Concluded "fast" in the presence of Rabindranath Tagore after the British accepted 'Yervada Pact.'

 

1933:

Began weekly publication of 'Harijan' in place of 'Young India.'

 

July:

Disbanded Sabarmati Ashram, which then became centre for removal of untouchability.

 

November:

Began ten-month tour of India to help end untouchability.

 

1934 October:

Launched All India Village Industries Association.

 

1940 October:

Launched limited, individual civil disobedience campaign against Britain's refusal to allow Indians to express their opinions regarding World War II. 23,000 persons imprisoned within a year.

 

1942:

Met with Sir Stafford Cripps in New Delhi but called his proposals 'a postdated cheque; these were ultimately rejected by the Congress. Congress passed 'Quit India' resolution-the final nation-wide "Satyagraha campaign" with Gandhi as the leader. Arrested with other Congress leaders and Kasturba and imprisoned in Aga Khan Palace, near Poona. Revolts in many parts of the country.

 

1943 February 10:

Began fast at Aga Khan Palace to end deadlock between Viceroy and Indian leaders.

 

1944 February 22:

Kasturba died in detention at Aga Khan Palace at the age of 74.

 

May 6:

After decline in health, was released unconditionally from detention (this was his last imprisonment; he had spent 2,338 days in jail during his lifetime).

 

1946:

Began four-month tour of 49 villages in East Bengal to quell communal rioting over Muslim representation in provisional government.

 

1947:

Toured Bihar to lessen Hindu-Muslim tensions. Began conferences in New Delhi with Lord Mountbatten and Jinnah.

 

May:

Opposed Congress decision to accept division of country into India and Pakistan. Fasted and prayed to combat riots in Calcutta as India was partitioned and granted independence. Visited Delhi and other neighbouring areas to stop rioting and to visit camps for refugees.

 

1946 onwards:

Gandhiji's efforts were concentrated on effecting Hindu-Muslim accord. Hindu-Muslim riots had broken out all over India, ever since the League President Jinnah, rejected the Cabinet Mission Plan and proclaimed August 16, 1946 as Direct Action Day. It was never clarified what Direct Action really involved. But the Muslims responded to this call with vengeance. The great Calcutta killings of August 16/18 were the first bitter harvest of the Direct Action Day, Gandhiji visited many of these areas-Noakhali for instance-to restore communal amity.

 

1948:

Gandhiji undertook a fast for 5 days to bring about communal unity. On January 30, while holding a prayer meeting at Birla House, Delhi, Gandhiji was shot dead by a Hindu fanatic Nathuram Vinayak Godse, who was deadly opposed to Gandhiji's efforts to bring about Hindu-Muslim amity. Thus ended the life of the greatest Indian since The Buddha.