Gandhi - A Myth

Criticising Gandhi for WhatsApp-generated reasons is considered sigma these days. Here is a list of reasons for which Gandhi gets criticised, and are these criticisms even true?

 

Non-violence is a sign of weakness

                I.          The young generation is fascinated by wars and revolutions, so it is easy for us to call the non-violence tactic ineffective, but if it was ineffective, why did Nelson Mandela and Luther King use these tactics in their successful respective protests later?

              II.          Gandhi was a tactician, and he knew that nonviolence (NV) was an effective tool against a powerful British government that followed the rule of law in their day-to-day governance. However, if Gandhi had launched same nonviolent movements against Germany or Italy, he would've been jailed for life.

            III.          Gandhi knew that NV is a clever move if a cause is just (independence) and if there is a hero (Gandhi) and a strong organization (congress). Also, NV helped popularise independence movements among the masses, especially women. Had Gandhi used violence, maybe his chapter would've been over by 1920.

Gandhi was the reason for India's late independence.

•       I.          Let's assume that India gained independence in the 1920s or 1930s. A violent revolution like the Revolt of 1857 again happened, and Britishers were forced to flee India. So, India got independence now, but what about aftermath?
  
  
•     II.          Do you think North, South, East, and West India—which is very culturally, religiously, linguistically, and ethnically diverse—would've been united (like today) without a leader or a strong united organisation like Congress?
  
  
•   III.          The fact is that before Gandhi, there was no popular leader who had mass support. There were local leaders in Bengal, Madras, etc. Had India gotten independence without any leader or organisation, it might have been balkanized.
  
  
•   IV.          For example, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, both ethnically and culturally diverse countries, disintegrated into present-day Balkan countries because of weak leadership. To maintain unity in crucial times, a strong leader and stable government are required. India was lacking both before Gandhi.

He didn't save Bhagat Singh.

•       I.          Gandhi is also criticised for not trying to convince Irwin to commute Bhagat Singh's death penalty. However, he tried. In his initial meetings with Irwin, Gandhi requested the postponement of Bhagatsingh's death sentence, not commutation.
  
  
•     II.          That's bcz Gandhi's plan was to prolong postponement and use that time to get a guarantee from revolutionaries to shun violence if Bhagat's life is spared, then use this guarantee as a bargaining point with Irwin to commute the death sentence. But in the end, Irwin rejected this demand.
  
  
•   III.          Another effort Gandhi took was to send a mission under Aruna Asaf Ali to take an undertaking from Bhagat Singh and his comrades to shun violence. Gandhi thought such a declaration would help him convince Irwin to commute his death sentence. However, this mission failed too.
  
  
•   IV.          On March 23, 1931, despite huge pressure on Viceroy Irwin, he didn't commute the death sentences of Bhagat Singh and his comrades, and they were hanged. Not commuting the death sentences of those revolutionaries was a triumph of British bureaucracy rather than a failure of Gandhi.

Gandhi caused partition.

•       I.          In the provincial election of 1946, the Muslim League fought on the question of the demand of Pakistan. As a result, Jinnah won all 30 seats in the central legislative assembly and the majority of provincial assembly seats, where Congress also fought with their Muslim candidates.
  
  
•     II.          This hinted that the majority of the Muslim population in India wanted Pakistan. Then the cabinet mission came and when Jinnah wasn't convinced by that, out of frustration, he called for direct action. This led to humongous riots all over India that ultimately led to partition in the end.
  
  
•   III.          Now coming to Gandhi’s role in stopping partition. Had Congress and Gandhi addressed the separatist tendency that was growing since Syed Ahmed Khan, the partition wave would have never grown. Partition was Congress and Gandhi’s failure to win Muslim support till the end.
  
  
•   IV.          To stop partition, Gandhi proposed Jinnah’s name to be appointed as PM, but other leaders strongly opposed this. To stop riots, he appealed to everyone to shun violence, but his every appeal fell on deaf ears.

Gandhi chose Nehru over Patel.

When India's independence was just a matter of time, Interim PM of India was to be selected. Patel got the majority votes of Congress committees, but Gandhi wanted Nehru to become PM.

According to Rajmohan Gandhi's grandson, this is because of

-young age and health of Chacha.

- Modern View of Nehru

-international understanding of Nehru.

Though this was a biassed decision from Gandhi in favour of Nehru, in the long term it was a se decision. Patel died in 1950, and Nehru was able to lead an infant democracy in its crucial phase for a long time.

Gandhi, an anti-Hindu

•       I.          Do you know the main root cause of Hindu-Muslim disharmony was the separate electorate that was given to Muslims in 1909. In 1932, Britishers proposed to give the same separate electorate to the depressed classes of a faction among Hindus. This was very alarming.
  
  
•     II.          Gandhi knew that it might create a new faction among Hindus. To force the government to overturn this decision, he started Fast up to death.
  
  
•   III.          After a fast of six days, he was able to convince Ambedkar to withdraw his demands for a separate electorate for depressed classes (Puna Pact).
  
  
•   IV.          Probably he saved the birth of a new faction among Hindus. He did too much for depressed C classes in his life. Not exploring it now. People call him a Muslim appeaser because of many of his speeches and acts during Partition, but these acts cannot overshadow the great deeds he did for Hindus.

• Supporting the Khilafat Movement: His support for the Khilafat Movement was an example of using religion for political purposes (similar to what present-day politicians do) because he wanted to ensure participation of Muslims in his movement. Not a bad intention.
  
  
• Gandhi Supported killers of Swami Shradha Nada—a fake rumour Gandhi's private relationship with Manu and Abha is a fake rumour. Even Manu herself rejected these claims in her diary.
  
  
• These are some of the grounds on which people these days misjudge Gandhi.

READ GANDHI TO LEARN GANDHI

Of course, he wasn't the only main hero of the Freedom Struggle. Of course, he wasn't infallible. The world cherishes him as G.O.A.T.; at least we can stop treating him as a SCAPEGOAT.