Page 85 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

of India. He had, therefore, no right to wear anything more than what they

were. He met the King clad in his loin cloth and shawl.

The visit to Lausanne in Switzerland was memorable. It was there, at a meeting
of religious practitioners, philosophers and intellectuals that Gandhi first

explained the profound significance that he attached to the fine distinction

between the two statements : God is Truth and Truth is God. He used to say
God is Truth. But now after many years of experience and reflection, he had

come to realize that it was more correct to say Truth is God than to say God is

Truth. Gandhi himself did not believe that God was a person. God or Truth was
the law, and the law giver rolled into one.

He visited Italy. He could not meet the Pope. But he was overcome by the

figure of the Christ on the Cross that he saw in the Pope's Chapel. He met the

Fascist dictator Mussolini. There were fears that the dictator might exploit

Gandhi's visit. Gandhi told Mussolini that he was building a house of cards.

Gandhi landed at Bombay on the 28th of December, 1931. He was candid. He

told the people that he had returned empty handed. He did not believe that

Britain would accept the demand for Independence without further struggle. He
was apprehensive of what lay ahead. In the meanwhile Irwin's successor,

Willingdon, had already destroyed whatever good will had been created by the

Gandhi- Irwin Pact. While Gandhi was in Europe or on the high seas, many

leaders of the Congress including Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan had been arrested.
Jawaharlal Nehru had been arrested while he was on his way to receive Gandhi

at Bombay. Willingdon had promulgated new orders restricting freedom. Lathi

charges and firings were the order of the day. Thousands had been put in jail. A

war of repression had been launched. The Congress Working Committee had
come to the conclusion that the Congress had no alternative but to revive Civil

Disobedience.

Gandhi still wanted to meet the Viceroy and persuade him to see reason and

not push the country into another holocaust. But he was rebuffed. The

Government had decided to teach the Congress and Gandhi a lesson. Congress

was declared an unlawful association. Its offices were sealed. Its funds were

www.mkgandhi.org Page 84