Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 13 Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement (Civil Disobedience and Beyond)
Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 13 – 2 Marks Questions
Question 1.
When Gandhiji returned to India in 1915, he observed a few changes in India. Mention any two such changes. (HOTS: Delhi 2011)
Answer:
Following were the two changes observed by Gandhiji when he came back to India:
- India was far more active in a political sense. Branches of Indian National Congress had been established in major cities and towns.
- The base of the Indian National Congress had registered a growth particularly among the middle classes.
Question 2.
Why was salt march notable? Mention any two reasons? (All India 2011)
Answer:
The salt march was notable because:
- The choice of salt as a symbol of protest against the colonial rule was a remarkable indicative of Gandhiji’s tactical wisdom.
- By making the salt as his target he wanted to garner the maximum participation of the masses in the National Movement.
Question 3.
State the significance of Gandhiji’s speech at Banaras Hindu University. (All India 2008)
Answer:
The speech of Gandhiji at Banaras Hindu University was an indicative of the fact that the Indian nationalism was a creation of elite such as the lawyers, doctors and landlords. Besides this, it was also the first public announcement of the desire of Gandhiji that he wanted to make nationalism more properly representative of the Indian people as a whole.
Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 13 – 8 Marks Questions
Question 4.
Gandhiji encouraged the communication of the Nationalist Message in mother tongue rather than in language of the ruler.
Examine how he knitted the Non-Cooperation Movement with his philosophy. (HOTS; Delhi 2015)
Answer:
Gandhiji believed that any struggle can be successful only when masses will support it. For participating in any movement masses must known the aim of movement. In India through local languages or mother tongue, communication with public could be done easily. So, Gandhiji advised nationalist to use mother tongue.
In addition, he believed that masses will felt more connected to movement when there will be communication in mother tongue. Gandhiji believed that mother tongue will play an adhesive role in dividing society and will help in bringing masses at single platform. Englishmen during these years believed that their language is superior than other language. Use of Indian language for communication by every Indian will change this notion and alongwith this, it will boost confidence in Indian citizen that their language has its own importance. Therefore, considering all above factors Gandhiji stressed on use of mother tongue.
Making the Non-Cooperation Movement successful Gandhiji called for renunciation of all voluntary associations with the British and as responded very optimistically to it. Students stopped going to the schools and colleges run by the government, lawyers refused to attend courts. There were strikes in factories, mills and workshops, peasants stopped paying taxes, tribes violated forest laws, forests were burnt and liquor shops were picketed..
Non-Cooperation Movement was very successful as masses participated in it without any difference of caste, creed, religion, economic and education, status and language. Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi played seminal role in uniting different regions of India as country and promoted a sense of nationhood among the fellow citizens.
Question 5.
“The salt march of 1930 was the first event that brought Mahatma Gandhi to world attention.” Explain significance of this movement for Swaraj. (All India 2015)
or
Explain the main events of the Dandi March. What is its significance in the history of the Indian National Movement? (All India 2008)
Answer:
On 26th January, 1930, ‘Republic Day’ was observed, with the National Flag being hosted in different venues, the patriotic songs being sung and after the observance of this day, Mahatma Gandhi announced that he would lead a march to break one of the most widely disliked laws in British Indiq. The law which gave the state a monopoly in the manufacture and sale of salt.
The conditions in the country had become very favourable to launch a widespread movement against the British, the movement was started with famous Dandi March on 12th March, 1930. Gandhiji alongwith 78 of his followers began his foot march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a village of seashore in Surat district, about 375 km away from Sabarmati Ashram. The violation of salt law by Gandhiji was a signal of the beginning of Civil Disobedience Movement. Soon, this movement spread like wildfire through the length and breadth of the country.
Gandhiji’s Dandi March occupies a very significant place in the history of the freedom struggle of India because of several reasons:
- This march made Gandhiji a centre of attraction of the whole of the world. The European press and the American press published detailed accounts of the Salt March conducted by Gandhiji.
- Undoubtedly it was the first National Movement in which women participated in large numbers. Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay, the renowned socialist worker advised Gandhiji not to keep the movements limited to men-folk only. A large number of women alongwith Kamala Devi violated the salt and liquor laws and courted arrest collectively.
- As a result of the salt movement, the colonial rulers understood it clearly that their authority was not going to remain permanent in India and now they will have to give some participation to the Indians in power.
Question 6.
In the history of nationalism Gandhiji was often identified with the making of a nation. Describe his role in the freedom struggle of India. (Delhi 2014)
or
Explain how Gandhiji transformed Indian Nationalism by 1922. (Delhi 2010)
Answer:
The period of 1919-1947 occupies a very important place in the history of the Indian freedom struggle. It was the third and the final phase of the Indian freedom struggle. It was during the period that a great personality entered the Indian political scene with several weapons like Satyagraha, Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience, based on truth and non-violence and soon became the pioneer of the National Movement. This period is generally known as the ‘Gandhian Era’, Gandhiji transformed the nature of the National Movement and it became a mass movement.
Gandhiji transformed the National Movement of the masses by following his new technique of struggle based on the principle of Satyagraha and Civil Disobedience. Indian nationalism witnessed a transformation in its nature with the active participation of Gandhiji in Indian National Movement. The mass appeal of Gandhiji was undoubtedly genuine. His qualities of efficient leadership made a remarkable contribution in making the base of Indian nationalism wider. It is worth mentioning that the provincial committees of the Congress were formed on linguistic regions and not on the artificial boundaries of the British India. These different ways contributed greatly to take nationalism to the distant corners of the country.
Consequently, the social groups previously untouched by nationalism, now became an important part of it. Thousands of peasants labourers and artisans started participating in the National Movement. Similarly the common masses participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement significantly. In Delhi, some 1600 women picketed the liquor shop. In the same way, Quit India Movement became genuinely a Mass Movement, hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians participated in it.
Besides the common Indian, some very prosperous businessmen and industrialists too became supporters of the Indian National Congress. They came to realise it well that the favours enjoyed by their British competitors would come to them in free India.
Consequently, some renowned industrialists such as GD Birla started supporting the national movement openly whereas some others began to do so tactly.
Thus, the followers and admirers of Gandhiji included both the peasants and the rich industrialists. Thus, under Gandhiji the National Movement was transformed into a Mass Movement.
Question 7.
Describe the different source from which we can reconstruct the political career of Gandhiji and the history of National Movement? (All India 2014)
or
How have the different kinds of available sources helped the historians in reconstructing the political career of Gandhiji and the history of the national movement that was associated with it? Explain. (Delhi 2013)
or
Explain the sources from which we can reconstruct the political career of Gandhiji and the history of the nationalist movement. Delhi 2012, (All India 2011)
or
How do autobiographies, government records and newspapers help us in knowing about Gandhiji? Explain. (All India 2010)
or
Examine the different kinds of sources from which political career of Gandhiji and the history of the National Movement could be reconstructed. (Delhi 2009)
or
Explain three different kinds of sources through which we come to know about Gandhiji. Give any two problems faced while interpreting them. (Delhi 2008)
Answer:
Private letters and autobiographies furnish us with significant information about an individual. With these help we can make almost an accurate estimate of the concerned individual’s ideology and career. For instance, Gandhiji’s letters and his autobiography help us significantly in understanding Gandhiji and his ideology.
Different kinds of sources from which the political career of Gandhiji are as follows:
Autobiographies:
They give us an account of the past i.e. rich in human detail. Autobiographies are retrospective accounts written very often from memory. They tell us what the author would be able to recollect, what he or she saw as important or was recounting or how a person wanted his or her life to be viewed by others.
Private Letters:
They give us a glimpse of the private thoughts of an individual. In letters we see people expressing their anger and pain, their dismay and anxiety, their hopes and frustrations, in a way in which they may not express themselves in public statements. Gandhiji regularly published in his journal Harijan, letters written to him during the national movements. Nehru edited a collection of letters called Bunch of Old Letters.
Government Records:
The letters and reports written by policemen and other officials were secret at that time, but now they can be accessed in archives. One such sources is the fortnightly report prepared by the home department from early 20th century. These reports were based on information given to the police by the localities, but often expressed what the officials saw or wanted to believe, e.g. in fortnightly reports for the period of the salt march, it is noticed that the home department was unwilling to accept that Mahatma Gandhiji’s actions had evolved any enthusiastic response from the masses.
Newspaper Records:
Both Indian and foreign newspapers played an important role while covering the news of Indian National Movement and the political career of Gandhiji. Every detail given in the state reports cannot be accepted as factual statements of the events that had been happening. Often these details acquaint us with the anxieties and worries of the officials who had been finding themselves incapacitated in controlling the movement and who were much too worried about its getting momentum. They were unable to take the decision whether they should arrest Gandhiji or not. They were also not able to realise that what would be the result if Gandhiji was arrested. Thus, it can be concluded that the accounts furnished by private letters and autobiographies differ from the officials account in several ways.
Question 8.
Examine the causes and contribution of Non-Cooperation Movement to India’s freedom struggle. Why did Gandhiji couple Non-Cooperation Movement with Khilafat Movement. (HOTS; Delhi Board 2011)
Answer:
Undoubtedly, the Non-Cooperation Movement was a form of protest. It w7as a popular form of the expression of public resentment and protest against the Rowlatt Act. Its main objective was not to extend any cooperation to the administration, thus, rendering it completely crippled.
The Non-Cooperation Movement was a form of protest and by it national leaders wanted to express their protest against the abominable events such as the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. By launching this movement they wanted to severely punish those British who were responsible for killing hundreds of innocent people by firing on the peaceful meeting.
The Non-Cooperation Movement was a form of protest on another account also because it aimed at boycotting government jobs, titles, honorary offices, law courts and educational institutions, etc. The Indians wanted to display their protest against the British rule by boycotting foreign goods and government elections by non-payment of taxes to government and by peaceful disobedience of government laws. Law courts were boycotted, renowned advocates like Deshbandhu, Chittaranjan Das, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabh Bhai Patel, Rajgopalachari, Babu Rajendra Prasad and Asaf Ali left their lucrative legal practices.
Thousands of students boycotted the government and semi-government educational institutes. Many Vidyapeeths such as the Kashi Vidyapeeth, Bihar Vidyapeeth and Aligarh Muslim University, etc were set up in various parts of the country to impart national education.
A strong wave of the movement swept the country side as well in Northern Andhra. The hill tribes refused to obey the colonial forest laws. Farmers in Awadh refused to pay taxes and the peasants in Kumaun refused to carry loads for colonial officials. In Assam, the labourers on tea plantations went on strike and the farmers of Midnapore refused to pay taxes to Union Board.
Gandhiji couple this movement with Khilafat Movement to foster the feeling of unity between two dominant religious communities and gave a movement an all India outlook. Indian Muslim were angered with the removal of Khalifa and they wanted English to restore the Khalifa so they also participated against British in this movement.
Question 9.
Assess the significance of salt march in India’s freedom struggle. How did the • British.Government reach to it? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
The choice of salt as a symbol of protest against the colonial rule was remarkable indicative of Gandhiji’s tactical wisdom which were as follows:
- Salt law was one of the most widely disliked laws in British India. It provided the state a monopoly in the manufacture and sale of salt.
- The common-folk hated the salt law. Salt was an inseparable part of food for every household, but people were prohibited from making salt even for domestic use. It was because of this law that Indians were compelled to buy salt from shops at a high price.
- The state monopoly over salt was deeply unpopular. By making it his target, Gandhiji hoped to mobilise a wider discontent against British rule.
Thus, Gandhiji by making the salt law his target wanted to garner the maximum participation of the masses in the National Movement.
Question 10.
“Wherever Gandhiji went rumours spread of his miraculous powers.” Explain with examples. (All India 2011)
Answer:
The peasants regarded Gandhiji as their ‘Messiah’ and considered him to be having many beneficial and miraculous powers. Many rumours were in circulation at various places regarding his miraculous powers. At some places the common masses came to believe that he had been sent by the king to remove their miseries and resolve their problems and he had such power that he could even reject the orders of all the officials.
At some other places it was affirmed that Gandhiji’s power was greater than even the English king and it was claimed that with his arrival the colonial rulers would run away out of fear.
In many villages this rumour was in circulation that the persons criticising Gandhiji got their houses mysteriously caved and their standing crops getting destroyed without any reason.
Gandhiji was popular with many names such as ‘Gandhi Baba’, ‘Gandhi Maharaj’ or ‘Mahatma’ among the peasants. They considered him as their saviour and believed that only he could save them from the exorbitant rate of land revenue and the oppressive activities of British officials.
Question 11.
Explain why many scholars have written of the month after the Independence as being Gandhiji’s ‘finest hour.’ (Delhi Boord 2010)
Answer:
Gandhiji did not attended any function or hoist a flag either at the day of Independence, instead he marked a day with 24 hour fast. He kept himself isolated from the celebrations as he believed that freedom has come at an unacceptable price, country has been divided and due to communalism, two religious communities of India are seeking life of each others.
After attainment of Independence, Gandhiji kept himself aloof from the political work and engagements. He focussed on pacifying people, went around hospitals and refugee camps and giving consolation to distressed people. He appealed to Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims to forget the past and extend the hand of friendship and cooperation to one another.
He said the worst is over and all Indians should work together for equality of all classes and creeds. He even thought that though India and Pakistan are divided geographically and politically, but at heart we shall be friends and brothers and be the one for outside world. Gandhiji was in Bengal when India attained its freedom, after bringing peace to Bengal he shifted to Delhi and he was willing to go to Punjab to console the people.
So, it can be said that in his last days Gandhiji was spending time to bring peace without any pressure of political objectives. He was serving the humanity, tried to reduce the sufferings of displaced people with hands of empathy. Thus, keeping the all above in consideration, scholars described the month after Independence being Gandhiji’s ‘finest hour’.
Question 12.
Explain the ideas expressed by Gandhiji in his address at the time of opening of Banaras Hindu University in February 1916. Did he put his precepts into practice? Give examples. (All India 2010)
Answer:
As per the advice of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gandhiji spent about a year travelling around the various parts of India in order to know about the India masses. The first major public appearance of Gandhiji was at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University in February 1916.
Gandhiji felt that it was very bad that there was no mention of poor labourers in the speeches of the dignitaries. Therefore, while speaking on the occasion, he criticised the elite for it.
While expressing his views he said that the opening of Banaras Hindu University was ‘certainly a most gorgeous show’ but the ever increasing economic rift between the richly bedecked noblemen present there and the ‘millions of the poor Indians’ who were not present was really a matter of worry for him.
Gandhiji said, “there is no salvation for India unless you strip yourself of this jewellery and hold it in trust for your countrymen in India.” He further said, “there can be no spirit of self-government about us, if we take away or allow others to take away from the peasants almost the whole of the results of their labour. Our salvation can only come through the farmer. Neither the lawyers nor the doctors, nor the rich landlords are going to secure it.”
It is worth mentioning that the opening of the Banaras Hindu University was an occasion for celebration because this nationalist university was founded by Indian money and Indian efforts. But Gandhiji in place of adopting a tone of self congratulation, wanted to remind those present of peasants and workers who thought of forming the majority of Indian population and were not present there as audience.
Thus, the speech of Gandhiji at Banaras in February 1916 was an indicative of the fact that the Indian nationalism was a creation of elite such as lawyers, doctors and landlords. Besides it was also the first public announcement of the desire of Gandhiji that he wanted to make Indian nationalism more properly representative of the Indian people as a whole.
Question 13.
How was Quit India Movement genuinely a mass movement? Explain. (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
The conditions that are responsible for Quit India Movement are as follows:
- In 1942 Winston Churchill, the conservative Prime Minister of Britain sent Sir Stafford Cripps to India to try and force to compromise with Gandhiji and insisted that if it was to help the British defend India from the Axis powers, then the Viceroy had first to appoint an Indian as the Defence Member of his Executive Council.
- The entry of the Axis power Japan in India during the World War II.
- Defeat of the British in the World War.
The above conditions led Gandhiji to launch ‘Quit India Movement’ against the British rule. The main characteristics of the movement was that it was a Mass Movement, bringing into its ambit hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians. It especially energised the young who in very large numbers left their colleges to join the Congress leaders languishing in jails.
After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Mahatma Gandhi decided to launch his third major movement the ‘Quit India’ campaign which began in August 1942. Gandhiji was jailed at once, but the young activists organised strikes and acts of sabotage all over the country.
Question 14.
Explain how Gandhiji’s mass appeal was undoubtedly genuine in the context of Indian politics and how it contributed to his success in broadening the basis of nationalism? (All India 2009)
Answer:
Gandhiji’s mass appeal was undoubtedly genuine in the context of Indian politics as:
- By 1922, the Indian nationalism had undergone an important and substantial change and Gandhi emerged as people’s leader. The awakening arising among the masses because of the Non-Cooperation Movement transformed the National Movement into a Mass movement.
- The common masses were admirers of Gandhiji because like other leaders Gandhiji neither remained cut off from ordinary people nor did he appear to be different from the common masses and would wear clothes like them.
- He would go among the common masses in a very simple dhoti. In 1921, during his visit to South India, he got his head shaved and started wearing cotton clothes in order to identify himself with the poor.
- Simplicity of Gandhiji and his sympathy for the common masses made him very popular among the common folk.
- Undoubtedly, Gandhiji with spinning wheel had become the most popular identity of the Indian nationalism.
- The work of spinning by Gandhiji helped him significantly in breaking the boundaries prevailing within the traditional caste system between mental labour and manual labour.
Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 13 Source Based Questions
Question 15.
Why the Salt Satyagraha?
Why was salt the symbol of protest? This is what Mahatma Gandhi wrote.
The volume of information being gained daily shows how wickedly the salt tax has been designed. In order to prevent the use of salt that has not paid the tax which is at times even fourteen times its value, the government destroys the salt it cannot sell profitably. Thus it taxes the nation’s vital necessity; it prevents the public from manufacturing it and destroys what nature manufactures without effort. No adjective is strong enough for characterising this wicked dog-in-the-manager policy. From various sources I hear tales of such wanton destruction of the nation’s property in all parts of India. Maunds if not tons of salt are said to be destroyed on the Konkan coast. The same tale comes,from Dandi.
Wherever there is likelihood of natural salt being taken away by the people living in the neighbourhood of such areas for their personal use, salt officers are posted for the sole purpose of carrying on destruction. Thus valuable national property is destroyed at national expense and salt taken out of the mouths of the people.
The salt monopoly is thus a fourfold curse. It deprives the people of a valuable easy village industry, i.e. involves wanton destruction of property that nature produces in abundance, the destruction itself means more national expenditure, and fourthly to crown this folly, an unheard of tax of more than 1,000 per cent is exacted from a starving people. This tax has remained so long because of the apathy of the general public. Now that it is sufficiently roused, the tax has to go. How soon it will be abolished upon the strength of the people.
- Why was salt monopoly introduced by the British considered as a curse by the Indians?
- How did Gandhiji illustrate his tactical wisdom with regard to salt monopoly?
- Explain the significance of Gandhiji’s challenge of salt protest. Delhi 2016
Answer:
1. Salt monopoly has four fold curse:
- Government destroys the salt which cannot be sell profitably.
- Law prevents manufacturing of salt and destroys what nature manufactures without effort.
- Salt officers were posted for preventing the locals from carrying the natural salt and for destruction of mounds of salts formed so.
- It deprives people of valuable village industry.
2. Gandhiji said salt tax has remained so long because of unawareness of Indian citizen. As people will understand the nature of the law and people will be sufficiently aroused that salt law will be broken. As salt is very inevitable for everyone so if any National Movement is carried taking salt as medium of protest, it will result in large scale participation of masses.
3. Gandhiji targeted the salt law to easily mobilise a wider discontent against the British rule. Through salt law he was trying to connect everyone with National Movement. As the salt was a necessity for everyone and salt law caused deep resentment, so people responded very enthusiastically to call of march. People participation was overwhelming and at many places parallel marches were undertaken and salt were made.
Question 16.
“Tomorrow we shall break the salt tax law”
On 5th April, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi spoke at Dandi
When I left Sabarmati with my companions for this seaside hamlet of Dandi, I was not certain in my mind that we would be allowed to reach this place. Even while I was at Sabarmati there was a rumour that I might be arrested. I had thought that the government might perhaps let my party come as far as Dandi, but not me certainly. If someone says that this betrays imperfect faith on my part, I shall not deny the charge. That I have reached here is in no small measure due to the power of peace and non-violence: that power is universally felt. The government may, if it wishes, congratulate itself on acting as it has done, or it could have arrested every one of us.
In saying that it did not have the courage to arrest this army of peace, we praise it. It felt ashamed to arrest such an army. He is a civilised man who feels ashamed to do anything which his neighbours would disapprove. The government deserves to be congratulated on not arresting us, even if it desisted only from fear of world opinion. Tomorrow we shall break the salt tax law. Whether the government will tolerate that is a different question. It may not tolerate it, but it deserves congratulations on the patience and forbearance it has displayed in regard to this party… What if I and all the eminent leaders in Gujarat and in the rest of the country are arrested? This movement is based on the faith that when a whole nation is roused and on the march no leader is necessary.
- Why did Gandhiji start the Dandi March?
- Why was the salt march notable?
- “The power of peace and non-violence are universally felt”. Why did Gandhiji said so? (All India 2016)
Answer:
1. He started Dandi March to break the salt law. Salt law gave British government monopoly in manufacture and sale of salt. The state monopoly was very unpopular and by breaking a salt law Gandhiji hoped to mobilise a wider discontent against British rule.
2. It was notable because for first time European and American press started following Indian National Movement and for the very first time large number of women participated in the movement.
3. Gandhiji believed that he had come to Dandi alongwith large number of fellow Indians to break salt law only because of peace and non-violence. Otherwise, British government would have arrested him and fellow follower.
British did not arrested them because it lacked the courage to arrest army of peace or may be just because of fear of world opinion. Therefore, he said peace and non-violence is universally felt.
Question 17.
Ambedkar on separate electorates
In response to Mahatma Gandhi’s opposition to the demand for separate electorates for the Depressed Classes, Ambedkar wrote.
Here is a Class which is undoubtedly not in a position to sustain itself in the struggle for existence. The religion, to which they are tied, instead of providing them an honourable place, brands them as lepers, not fit for ordinary intercourse. Economically, it is a class entirely dependent upon the high-caste Hindus for earning its daily bread with no independent way of living open to it.
Nor are all ways closed by reason of the social prejudices of the Hindus but there is a definite attempt all through our Hindu Society to bolt every possible door so as not to allow the Depressed Classes any opportunity to rise in the scale of life.
In these circumstances, it would be granted by all fairminded persons that as the only path for a community so handicapped to succeed in the struggle for life against organised tyranny, some share of political power in order that it may protect itself is a paramount necessity.
- Examine the arguments given in favour of separate electorate for depressed classes, by Dr Ambedkar and give your reactions.
- Describe the position of economically depressed class.
- Suggest some other ways to provide an honourable position to depressed classes. Delhi 2009
Answer:
1. Dr. Ambedkar stated that religion have Indians of one faith had also to cultivate a branded them as lepers, economically these classes of people depends upon higher-castes Hindus and every possible steps are taken to not allow people of these classes to rise in the life. Dr. Ambedkar’s argument were true for these classes. Due to distortion in Hindu religion, superstitious beliefs and Brahminical dominance, these evils corrupted the society. These classes were considered untouchables, they live in separate ghettos, prohibited from going to public places and not allowed to mix with higher caste Indians.
2. These classes depend on high-caste Hindus for earning and independent way of living is not available to them. These people were suppressed if they try to enter some different profession, so it can be said that depressed classes were not provided opportunity to rise in the life.
3. To provide an honourable position to depressed class:
- There should be equality in behaviour, equality in society and equality in profession and economic opportunities.
- These classes should be given some share in the political power.
Important Questions for Class 12 History Chapter 13 Value Based Questions
Question 18.
Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.
“Gandhiji was as much a social reformer as he was a politician. He believed that in order to be worthy of freedom, Indians had to get rid of social evils such as child marriage and untouchability.
Indians of one faith had also to cultivate a genuine tolerance for Indians of another religion hence his emphasis on Hindu – Muslim harmony.”
In the light of the above statement, highlight the values upheld by Mahatma Gandhi. (All India 2017)
Answer:
The values upheld by Mahatma Gandhi are discussed below:
- Gandhiji was admired worldwide as a great social reformer, political leader and thinker.
- As a politician, he transformed Indian National Movement into a broad Mass Movement.
- Through a unique method of non-violence, he won civic rights and eventually Independence for India’s people. Due to this, he was followed by a number of people in his campaign for swaraj or ‘Home rule’.
- He worked to reconcile all classes and religious sects, especially Hindus and Muslims.
- When he came from jail in 1924, he devoted his attention to encourage the home spun cloth (Khadi) and to eradicate untouchability from the society He wanted to remove child marriage. He stressed on Hindu-Muslim harmony.
- In Dandi March (salt law) in 1930, he also allowed women to participate at a large scale.
These values proved that he was an ideal statesman of Indian sub-continent, who always worked for the welfare of human beings.
Question 19.
Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.
When his turn came to speak, Gandhiji charged the Indian elite with a lack of concern for the labouring poor. The opening of the BHU, he said, was “certainly a most gorgeous show”. But he worried about the contrast between the “richly bedecked noblemen” present and “millions of the poor” Indians who were absent. Gandhiji told the privileged invitees that “there is no salvation for India unless you strip yourself of this jewellery and hold it in trust for your countrymen in India”. “There can be no spirit of self-government about us,” he went on, “if we take away or allow others to take away from the peasants almost the whole of the results of their labour. Our salvation can only come through the farmer. Neither the lawyers, not the doctors, not the rich landlords are going to secure it.”
Why was Gandhiji worried about on the opening of the Banaras-Hindu University in 1916? Discuss. (All India 2017)
Answer:
Gandhiji was invited in the opening of the Banaras Hindu University on account of his work in South Africa. In his speech he charged the India’s elite groups with a lack of concern for the labouring poor sections of our society.
He was really worried about the contrast between the rich and poor section of people in our country. India could not overcome from the disaster in British raj as long as the aristrocrat class would not gain the confidence from the common mass.
Self-government had no significance if it would took away all the results of the labour from the peasants. Gandhiji strongly believed that proper salvation could only be achieved through the initiative of farmers, as they are the backbone of our country.
He wanted to uplift the status of a common man (especially the poors) and spread the feeling of nationalism through equality and harmony.