Page 66 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

in the North and West of India. He had to explain Satyagraha to the people of

the South as well. He went to Madras on this mission. It was there that he made

the acquaintance of Rajagopalachari who later became one of his chief
lieutenants.

The situation called for immediate action. One could not wait — even to

convince the Indian National Congress. He had to appeal to the people. It was a
battle for Dharma or Truth. He was confident that the people of India would

respond to the appeal of Dharma. He was turning these thoughts over in his

mind. While still at Madras, he decided to appeal to the people of India to
observe a hartal, to voluntarily desist from all work and spend the day in prayer

and self-purification for the battle. "Last night, the idea came to me as if in a

dream, that we should call on the country to observe a general hartal" He 'Said

that the appeal was also a serious risk. If people were roused, but went out of
control, the struggle would suffer a grievous setback, and result in more

ruthless repression. But Gandhi was confident. "The step taken is possibly the

most momentous in the history of India. It constitutes an attempt to

revolutionize politics and to restore moral force to its original station."

It was a gamble. The inert people of India might not have responded. He would

then have become a laughing stock. But he was vindicated. The response
proved that he had understood the masses of India. He had discovered the key

to their hearts and minds.

He had asked that the hartal be observed on the 30th March. But later the date
was shifted to the 6th of April. The postponement caused some confusion. Delhi

observed the hartal on the 30th of March. There was unprecedented

enthusiasm and public response. But there were also incidents of violence.

Gandhi went to Delhi and wanted to go to Punjab where the cauldron was
brewing. But he was arrested at the outskirts of Delhi and put on a train that

carried him back to Bombay. At Bombay he learned that there were violent

incidents in Ahmedabad and Viramgam in Gujarat, involving the death of
innocent Englishmen. He was shocked. He decided to postpone his journey to

Punjab and atone. He confessed that he had made a 'Himalayan miscalculation'

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