Gandhian Nationalism
- Anupam Dixit
- Nov 26, 2019
- 2 min read
By 1922, Gandhiji had transformed Indian nationalism, thereby redeeming the promise he made in his BHU speech of February 1916.
People’s Movement by People’s Leader : He was one of them – Lanuage, Cloths and life style (Charkha)
It was no longer a movement of professionals and intellectuals; now, hundreds of thousands of peasants, workers and artisans also participated in it.
They appreciated the fact that he dressed like them, lived like them, and spoke their language. This identification was strikingly reflected in his dress: while other nationalist leaders dressed formally, wearing a Western suit or an Indian band gala, Gandhiji went among the people in a simple dhoti or loincloth.
He spent part of each day working on the charkha (spinning wheel). The act of spinning allowed Gandhiji to break the boundaries of traditional caste system, between mental labour and manual labour.
Strong Organisation : While Mahatma Gandhi’s mass appeal was undoubtedly genuine – and in the context of Indian politics, without precedent – it must also be stressed that his success in broadening the basis of nationalism was based on careful organisation.
New branches of the Congress were set up in various parts of India.
A series of “Praja Mandals” were established to promote the nationalist creed in the princely states.
Gandhiji encouraged the communication of the nationalist message in the mother tongue, rather than in the language of the rulers, English. Thus, the provincial committees of the Congress were based on linguistic regions.
Supporters accross the classes:
Among Gandhiji’s admirers were both poor peasants and rich industrialists. There were some very prosperous businessmen and industrialists who supported Gandhi ji either openly or tecitly. Indian entrepreneurs were quick to recognise that, in a free India, the favours enjoyed by their British competitors would come to an end. Some of these entrepreneurs, such as G.D. Birla, supported the national movement openly; others did so tacitly.
Great followeres of a Great Leader:
The growth of what we might call “Gandhian nationalism” also depended to a very substantial extent on his followers. Between 1917 and 1922, a group of highly talented Indians attached themselves to Gandhiji. They included Mahadev Desai, Vallabh Bhai Patel, J.B. Kripalani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Govind Ballabh Pant and C. Rajagopalachari. Notably, these close associates of Gandhiji came from different regions as well as different religious traditions. In turn, they inspired countless other Indians to join the Congress and work for it.
In these different ways nationalism was taken to the farthest corners of the country and embraced by social groups previously untouched by it.
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