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1909 setting forth his ideas on peasants for whom this nar- power further enhanced his all forms of war, when the
home rule for India. He des- row strip of cloth was often all leadership. Every time his Second World War broke out
cribed an "exploitation free" that they possessed in the authority was challenged, he in 1939, Gandhi was almost
society and condemned the world. Winston Churchill, would threaten a fast unto alone in giving unconditional
"modern machine civiliza- who had a very sharp tongue, death if he was not obeyed. support to the British cause.
tion". Gandhi left South described him as "a half- One example of this took He seems to have done this in
Africa definitively in January naked, seditious fakir". place after he had been insis- the belief that, upon achieving
1915 and returned to India. He ting for some time that the victory, the British would feel
was already hailed by the On 12 March 1930 he set in "untouchables" should not be obliged to grant independence
Nobel Prize-winning poet motion his well-known cam- treated as a separate caste. He to India. However, once more,
Rabindranath Tagore as paign of disobedience against called them harijans (the chil- Jinnah, the leader of the
Mahatma (Great Soul). His the salt tax, which was a bur- dren of God). In 1932, he rea- Muslim League, made it per-
first task was to set up an ash- den on the poorest sectors of lised that his opinion on this fectly clear that the Muslims
ram (a religious hermitage) the population. With several matter was being ignored and wanted their own independent
where, as the guru or teacher, followers, he set out from announced that he would start state. During the war, faced
he was expected to set an Ahmedabad to walk the 400 a fast on 20 September. On the with increasing unrest, it beca-
example of a life worth living. kilometres to the remote seasi- fifth day a solution was found me obvious to the British that
Among other things, the de village of Dandi. On 6 to the situation of the untou- some kind of agreement was
inmates took vows to observe April he arrived at the seasho- chables and Gandhi broke his necessary if the whole country
truth, non-violence, celibacy re amongst a great throng of fast. As a result of this victory, was not to rise up in a mass
and fearlessness, and to pro- people and picked up some he founded a weekly publica- revolt. In 1942, Gandhi laun-
mote education in the mother- muddy sea salt, thereby tion entitled Harijan, which ched a "Quit India" campaign
tongue. They also promised to defying the government's would be his mouthpiece for which quickly spread throu-
use only products made in monopoly. People followed the rest of his life. ghout the whole country.
India, to wear only hand- his example and mass arrests Gandhi was arrested once
woven cloth and to consume took place. Although the In the period following the more, but the British were
only what was available in government did not repeal its First World War the Indian eventually obliged to release
or
Congress
him on health grounds.
their immediate neighbour- salt laws, there were a number National
hood. He revived Indian han- of positive repercussions. It Congress Party had become
dicrafts and made these into told people that they were associated with Gandhi, who On May 1946, after the
an economic weapon against stronger than they thought and remained its unofficial, spiri- Second World War had ended,
the colonizer in his call for that their oppressors were tual leader and mass icon even it was proposed that India
swadeshi -- the use of one's weaker than they imagined. as younger men and women should become a federal state,
own and the boycott of the For the first time, women led the party. Eventually, with a central government
oppressor's products. began to play a significant however, he believed that they responsible for foreign affairs,
role in the independence had only adopted non-violent defence and communications.
But far from retiring into movement. Finally, the atten- means as a political expedient A new interim government
reclusion, Gandhi travelled far tion of the whole world was and he resigned from the headed by Jawaharlal Nehru
and wide across India righting drawn to the moral legitimacy party. took office, but Jinnah on
wrongs, stirring up the popu- of India's cause. behalf of the Muslims did not
lation to carry out civil disobe- Although he was opposed to participate in it. Inter-commu-
dience and boycott of British In September 1931 Gandhi
rule through non-violent travelled to London to attend a
means. The political landsca- conference and was able to - ALLEMAND - ANGLAIS - ITALIEN - ESPAGNOL - CHINOI5
pe was rapidly changing as the bring the matter of Indian YIDDISH ECOLE VARADI SAJ
whole country began to strug- independence to the attention ALBANAIS
gle for independence. Every of the British public. The TURC - Le tour d'une langue en 80 heures
time he was arrested, he was British were genuinely
at pains to plead guilty and the concerned that one of the prin- Anglais Ailemand Chinois . Français kusse
British soon realised that, cipal difficulties to ending +33 langues
even if they threw him in pri- colonization was that no-one S Cours personnalisés adultes enfants. entreprises
son, they would have to nego- could ever govern India's Stages intensifs d'éte
tiate with Gandhi at every myriad castes, creeds, classes SCUWYZERDUTSCH - UEDOIS - Soutien scolaire toutes matières • Remotivation • Lecture - - ARABE - CROATE FARSI FINNOIS
turn. To further promote the and languages. To which
independence movement, Gandhi replied that Indians Diplôme de Secretariat & Assistante de Direction -
Formations accélérées en 3 mois
from September 1921 he only were quite capable of solving
ever wore a loincloth or dhoti their own problems. However, Orientation scolaire et professlonnelle . Coaching
that he had spun and woven there were already signs of a Horaires a la carte de 7h a 22h. 7 jours sur 7
himself. Gandhi sought swaraj growing rift between Muslims SERBE - Premier cours sans engagement
(home rule) and the spinning and Hindus. - - GREC HEBREU
wheel became the symbol of RUSSE - 32, avenue de Frontenex - 1207 Genève
www.ecole-varadi.ch

this movement. He wore the Gandhi's quiet and resourceful Ir 022 736 28 74
loincloth and walked barefoot simplicity, his boundless ener- - PORTUGMS - POLONAIS - JAPONATS - HONGROIS - HOLLANDMS
to show solidarity with the gy and his incredible staying
1 2011 Diva 45

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