Page 51 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

great faith in the fair play and sense of justice of the British nation. But he was

disappointed. Indian demands met with a negative and cynical response. The

visit to England, however, gave him an opportunity to secure sympathy and
support from many leaders of public opinion in England. It also gave him an

opportunity to meet and exchange views with many Indian revolutionaries who

were advocating violent means to seek India's independence. This saddened

him. He felt that they had not thought out the meaning of independence or the
impact that one's methods would have on the attainment or distortion of one's

goals. He was also saddened by their unthinking acceptance of Western

Civilization and the cult of industrialism. He was convinced that the philosophy
of greed and indulgence would destroy human civilization. To him Satyagraha

was the answer. These thoughts were very much in his mind, and so, on his way

from England to South Africa, he put his views down in the form of a dialogue.

This book was published first in Gujarati as Hind Swaraj. It was later translated
into English, and is often looked upon as a basic exposition of Gandhi's political

and economic views.

It was during this visit to London that Gandhi first started corresponding with
Tolstoy, the great Russian thinker and litterateur. Gandhi had read his books.

To him Tolstoy was a sage, a revolutionary thinker. He had been greatly
influenced by Tolstoy's spiritual perceptions as well as his thoughts on social

and economic matters.

On his return from London, Gandhi was confronted with the need to intensify
his struggle. Many Satyagrahis were in prison. Many more would have to serve

terms in prison. He had to find a way of looking after their families while they

were in prison. He could not depend only on public funds. So he conceived the

idea of setting up a farm where the families could live, work on land or crafts
and produce what was needed for the community. One of his close associates,

Herman Kallenbach, an architect of German stock offered him a plot of 1000

acres which had already been acquired. On this plot was set up the Tolstoy
Farm. The object of the farm was to train Satyagrahis and their families to lead

a life of simplicity, love and truth, and to depend on one's own labour.

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