How different would have been the achievement of Indian Independence without Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhi arrived in India as a mature leader who had experimented with Satyagraha in South Africa. He was instrumental in giving direction and orientation to the congress. Congress had developed dissent and division. It had disintegrated into dominant strands extremists and moderates. They were fighting for independence through their personal methodology. Gandhiji acted as a binding force and provided a unified front to freedom struggle. He was widely respected and all sections looked onto him for leadership in crucial stages.
Gandhi brought in the masses into freedom struggle. He had immense belief in the capability of the masses to sacrifice. Before Gandhi, Congress was restrictive and didn’t consider to rope in the masses. Post–Gandhi Congress membership fee was reduced to a nominal amount and Gandhi’s charismatic mass appeal made him a Pan–India Leader.
Gandhi’s Unique mode of struggle by Satyagraha was unprecedented and left the British baffled . When the British didn’t respond congress declared victory and whey British responded the Congress cried repression The launch of Civil Disobedience Movement by Salt satyagraha was an ingenious move by Gandhi which received widespread press coverage with some declaring that Britain had lost its moral right to administer India.
Gandhi also prevented breakup of India by opposing separate communal electorates. He launched a fast unto death in order to oppose the communal award by Ramsay Mac Donald and persuaded Ambedkar to sign the Poona Pact in 1932.
Gandhi provided for avenues to the bristling youth momentum to express their dissatisfaction regarding the British rule. Whenever Gandhi receded from the national stage there was spike in revolutionary activities.
Though Gandhi worked incessantly for Hindu Muslim unity he could not prevent the partition of India due to communal polarization.
Gandhi’s predominant role in freedom struggle can be well understood by the title Subash Chandra Bose conferred on him—Father of the Nation . Without Gandhi’s presence it is speculated that the freedom struggle would have been a bitter prolonged battle without a clear direction .
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