Page 65 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

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The World War-I ended in 1918. It was hoped that when the war ended the

British Government would take steps to meet the aspirations of the Indian

people for self-government. Gandhi himself had great faith in the intentions
and fair play of the British. But he, as well as the country, received a rude

shock. It was incredible. Instead of transferring more power and freedom to the

people, the Government proposed to make the severe restrictions on freedom
imposed during the war a part of the regular laws of the country. The new Bill

that was to be introduced would give the Government powers to detain citizens

without trial, to search premises, to prevent meetings, to suppress newspapers

and publications, and so forth. This was deceit, betrayal, a tightening of
chains. The Bill called the Rowlatt Bill could not be allowed to become law. It

had to be resisted. But how ? By whom ?

Upto now, the Congress and the national movement had seen only two
alternatives. One was the method of praying and petitioning to the

Government. The other was the cult of terrorism, the bomb and assassination.

Of these, the first depended on the Government's goodwill. The other was an
unequal fight, because an unarmed people could not match the forces of the

Government through sporadic acts of indignation or revenge. The masses of the

people were not involved in either. Gandhi believed that the Government could

be defeated only if the masses entered the battle. They could do so only if the
fight was waged with means that they had access to. These were the methods

of non-violent Satyagraha. He had seen the masses use this method with

courage and success in South Africa. If it could be done by Indians in South

Africa, why could it not be done by Indians in their own motherland ?

He formed Satyagraha Sabhas in which members took the Satyagraha Pledge.

He began a campaign to educate people in the meaning and methods of
Satyagraha. He had tried Satyagraha in Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda. He

believed that the time had come for him to place it before the whole of India,

and to use it to resist the Rowlatt Bill. The struggles that he had led had been

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