Page 75 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

in the Young India and other weeklies to explain the implications of the

philosophy and methods of Satyagraha.

In 1927, the British Government appointed ^a Royal Commission to review the
working of the Reforms that had been introduced in 1919. This Commission was

headed by Sir John Simon. There was no Indian on the Commission. The people

of India looked upon the Commission as an insult to the nation, and the
Congress decided to boycott the Commission. Everywhere the Commission met

with black flags and deafening cries of "Simon Go Back".

The British Government challenged the Indian leaders to produce an agreed

proposal for Constitutional Reform. In answer, a Committee set up by an All

Parties Conference under the Chairmanship of Motilal Nehru formulated a set of

proposals. But the younger leaders like Jawaharlal and Subhash Bose were not
satisfied with the demand for 'Dominion Status'. They wanted complete

Independence. It looked as though there would be a break. At the Calcutta

Congress, Gandhi suggested a compromise. The Nehru report should be

accepted with the condition that if the British Government did not grant
Dominion Status, within one year, the Congress would accept complete

Independence as its goal, and would lead a movement of non-violent, non-co-

operation to achieve the objective.

For five years after his release in 1924, Gandhi buried himself in all these

activities. Meanwhile many changes were taking place in the political field.

In 1928 Gandhi got another opportunity to demonstrate the power of non-

violent Satyagraha; to show how even 'unlettered' peasants could use the

weapon to bring mighty Governments to their knees. The British Government of

the Bombay Presidency decided to increase land revenue by 22% in the Bardoli
Taluk. The area was already suffering from the failure of crops, and the poor

peasant found it beyond his competence to pay the taxes, even if he lived on a

starvation diet. When all efforts to persuade the Government failed, Gandhi
felt that the poor peasant could secure justice and save himself only through

Satyagraha. But Satyagraha demanded firm determination, effective

organization, unflinching courage and readiness to suffer. Gandhi deputed his

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