THE ROLE OF MAHATMA GANDHI IN THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT OF INDIA
The father of the Nation. Mahatma Gandhi was one of these great men who dedicated their whole life to the service of the mankind.Like Buddha and Christ before him he too was born to carry the message of peace truth and Non!violence to the strife turn world. "e was born on #ctober $.%&'( ).*. in a trading family of porbander a small town in +athiawara. "is full name was Mohan *as +aram Chand Gandhi and his father was the *iwan of ,a-kot.)fter passing his matriculation eamination he was sent to /ngland and he came back to 0ndia in %&(1 ).*. as a Barrister. There after he stayed in 2outh )frica for over $$ years and thereafter served the people of 0ndia for over thirty years. "e deserves the credit of obtaining freedom for 0ndia as he was the 2upreme leader of the Congress from %(%( to %(34 ).*. and it was he who played the most prominent part in the national struggle.Gandhi-i entered the 0ndian politics in %(%( ).*. 5hen the British Government passed the ,owlatt )ct. Before that he had served the 0ndian settlers in 2outh )frica for $$ years 6%&(7! %(%8 ).*.9 There the 0ndians were treated like coolies and were not allowed even to board such a compartment in!which a /uropean might be travelling.The Government also denied them the right to vote and sub-ected them to other humiliating laws. They had to register themselves and pay various un-ust taes. )s such they were treated like a tribe of criminals. Gandhi-i fought against un-ust laws bolly. "e was several times mercilessly beaten and physically is laboured and arrested but he remained firm on his determination.)t last the 2outh )frica Government had to accept several of his demands. )fter his successful fight in 2outh )frican Gandhi-i returned to 0ndia in %(%8 ).*. 5here he soon plunged in to the political field. "e led the :reedom Movement up to %(34 ).*. 5hen 0ndia became free. That is why most historians call this period 6between %(%( and %(349 as the Gandhian /ra. 6b9 Gandhi-i;s ,ole in the National Movement or Methods adopted by Mahatma Gandhi to make the 0ndian National Movement a mass movement. Gandhi-i;s role in the National Movement of 0ndia was undoubtedly the most remarkable. :ront %(%( to %(34 ).*. "e left no stone unturned in the fight for 0ndia;s freedom. *uring this period he personally led the Movement and w hen in -ail he gave the directions from inside."is chief contribution to the National Movement is this that he made the 0ndian National Movement a mass Movement. "is services rendered to the cause of 0ndia;s freedom are unforgettable which can be enumerated below. (I) Satyagrah against the Rowlatt Act: )fter 5orld 5ar 0. The British Government passed the ,owlatt ,owlatt )ct in %(%( ).*. which aimed at at suppressing the Nationalist Movement with an iron land and to arrest and imprison without trial both the "indus and Muslims came out to oppose this )ct in response to a call given by Gandhi-i.
Thousands were killed and wounded. 0t was followed by the proclamation of martial law throughout the ens and actuators throughout the
(0)he -arijan /$lift: The 0ndians did not treat their low caste brethren well particularly the "ari-ans. That is why most of these were deserting their own religion and were embracing Christianity.2uch people could no doubt prove a big hurdle to the :reedom Movement. But Gandhi-i wanted to keep them with him so he gave his attention to the cause of the "ari-an @plift with their Co!operation the fight for freedom became much effective and ultimately 0ndia became free. (1)Going to Jail on se%eral occasions: But it was no child;s play to challenge the might of the British /mpire. Gandhi had to bear lathi blows pass through gun!fire and stake his life but he was too brave to care for these dangers."e went to -ail several times but it could not break his courage. "e stood firm like a rock and added to the courage of his people by his own sacrifice and sufferings."e was always ready to make any sacrifice for his country. 2uch conditions forced the /nglish to leave 0ndia in their own interest. )t first they announced their resolve to leave 0ndia by =une. %(3& but subse?uently they left it on )ugust %8.%(34 ).*.0n this way our country became free on %8 )ugust. %(34 ).*. Mahatma Gandhi;s role in the achievement of this freedom was unparalleled and supreme.
LIFE AND WORK OF NATIONAL LEADERS BETWEEN 1885 – 1914 Dadabhai Naoo!" Dadabhai Naoroji was born at Bombay on 4 September 1825, in a priestly Parsi family. is father was Naoroji Palanji, and his mother !ane"bai, who shaped and mo#lded Dadabhai$s mind and %hara%ter from his early %hildhood. !ane"bai be%ame a widow when Dadabhai was barely fo#r years old. Despite her misfort#ne and in the fa%e of se&eral hardships, she 'a&e of her best to brin' #p and ed#%ate her son. She 'a&e him the best ed#%ation and th#s mo#lded him into the type of man Dadabhai later 'rew to be. Dadabhai has himself stated, ( She made me what ) am.* Dadabhai married early when he was only in his ele&enth year. is wife, +#labi, who was barely se&en at the time, was the da#'hter of Shorabji Shroff. e had three %hildren, one son and two da#'hters. Dadabhai had his early s%hoolin' in a primary instit#tion r#n by a !ehtaji at Bombay. n its %ompletion, !ane"bai, as #r'ed by !ehtaji, sent her son to the -lphinstone )nstit#tion, Bombay, for his se%ondary ed#%ation. his was followed by a %o#rse of st#dies at the -lphinstone /olle'e. Dadabhai$s performan%e here was o#tstandin', and in 1840 he obtained the /lare S%holarship. e be%ame a 'rad#ate in 1845. )n 11, he was awarded the onorary de'ree of 33.B. b y the Bombay ni&ersity. n 2 6#ne 1855 he left for 3ondon to join b#siness as a partner in /ama$s firm in 3ondon. 7o#r years later he started his own firm, ha&in' ret#rned to )ndia in the meantime, e tra&elled ba%" and forth on b#siness between )ndia and -n'land d#rin' 185 to 18. )n 188 he went to -n'land to %ontest for ele%tion to Parliament and in 10 to espo#se the %a#se of the freedom on )ndia from British r#le. 7orei'n tra&el left its mar" on his %hara%ter and personality. imself a prod#%t of liberal western ed#%ation, he was an admirer of the western system of ed#%ation. e sent his da#'hter abroad for medi%al ed#%ation. is son, di, was ta"en to 3ondon at the a'e of 5 and was p#t to s%hool there. Dadabhai belie&ed that )ndia had %a#se to be 'ratef#l to the British for introd#%in' the western system of ed#%ation in )ndia and he helped se&eral )ndian st#dents who went to -n'land for hi'her st#dies.
Boo"s and friends added their %ontrib#tion to the flowerin' of his personality. 9Shahnama$ of 7irda#si, 9)mpro&ement of !ind$ by :att, the wor"s of /arlyle, !ill and erbert Spen%er, to name a few, made a deep impression on him, is %onstant %ompanion was 9he D#ties of the ;oroastrians$, whi%h stressed p#re tho#'hts, p#re spee%h and p#re deed. is friends amon' forei'ners were inn#merable. hey started with Professor rlebar of the -lphinstone /olle'e who hailed Dadabhai as (the promise of )ndia*, and Sir -rs"ine Perry, the /hief 6#sti%e of the Bombay S#preme /o#rt, who was so str#%" by Dadabahai$s a%ademi% distin%tion that he s#''ested that he sho#ld be sent to -n'land. e was willin' to pay half the e. /ama, the rientalist, Naoroji 7#rdonji, 6amesdji ata, and some )ndian Prin%es. mon' his yo#n'er friends were >.+. Bhandar"ar, the rientalist, N.+. /handa&ar"ar, the nationalist reformer, Phero?eshah !ehta, +.=. +o"hale, Dinshaw :a%ha and !.=. +andhi. Soon after 'rad#ation in 1845, he was appointed as the Nati&e ead ssistant at the -lphinstone )nstit#te, Bombay. )n 1850 he be%ame an ssistant Professor of !athemati%s and Nat#ral Philosophy at the -lphinstone /olle'e, Bombay. e was the first )ndian to be appointed Professor at this /olle'e. e ta#'ht in the spe%ial %lasses held for the spread of women$s ed#%ation. )n !ar%h 185, he was nominated as Professor of +#jarati in the ni&ersity /olle'e, 3ondon, a post he %ontin#ed to hold till 185@. D#rin' this period Dadabhai too" a "een interest in and labo#red hard for the spread of ed#%ation. )n 1855@5, he be%ame a b#siness partner and too" %har'e of the 3ondon Bran%h of /ama and /o., and also be%ame a member of the !an%hester /otton s#pply sso%iation, 7#rther, he too" an a%ti&e part in the deliberation of the /o#n%il of 3i&erpool, the thenae#m and the National )ndian sso%iation. )n 185 he fo#nded, alon' with :./. Bonnerjee, the 3ondon )ndia So%iety and be%ame its President. e %ontin#ed as President till 10, when he ret#rned to )ndia. hereafter, till his death he remained as its onorary President$. )n 181 he established the 3ondon ;oroastrian sso%iation. )n 182 he separated from /ama and /o., and started his own b#siness in the name of Dadabhai Naoroji A /o. n 1De%ember 18 he fo#nded the -ast )ndia sso%iation, 3ondon, whose s%ope for a%ti&ity was wider, and be%ame its Se%retary. )n 14 he was appointed the Dewan of Baroda and a year later, on a%%o#nt of differen%es with the !aharaja and the >esident, he resi'ned the Dewanship. )n 6#ly 185 he was ele%ted a !ember of the !#ni%ipal /orporation, Bombay, and in September of the same year, he was ele%ted to the own /o#n%il of the /orporation. )n 18 he resi'ned and left for 3ondon. e was appointed as 6#sti%e of the Pea%e in 188 and was ele%ted to the Bombay !#ni%ipal /orporation for the se%ond time. )n #'#st 1885 he joined the Bombay 3e'islati&e /o#n%il at the in&itation of the +o&ernor, 3ord >ea y. n 1 6an#ary 1885, when the Bombay Presiden%y sso%iation %ame into bein', he was ele%ted as one of its Ci%e@ Presidents. t the end of the same year, he too" a leadin' part in the fo#ndin' of the )ndian National /on'ress and be%ame its President thri%e, in 188, 18 and 10. D#rin' this period, he was en'a'ed in other important a%ti&ities. )n 18 he 'a&e e&iden%e before the Parliamentary /ommittee on )ndian 7inan%e, the 7aw%ett /ommittee, whi%h was appointed thro#'h his efforts. ere he so#'ht to pro&e that the in%iden%e of tas. 20@. )n 188 he had started a newspaper %alled the Coi%e of )ndia. )n 188 he 'a&e e&iden%e before the P#bli% Ser&i%e /ommission. )n
102 he was ele%ted as a !ember of the 3iberal Party in the o#se of /ommons, representin' /entral 7insb#ry. e was a firm belie&er in parliamentary demo%ra%y and he tho#'ht that he sho#ld espo#se the %a#se of )ndian freedom on the floor of the /ommons. )n 18 he was appointed a !ember of the >oyal /ommission on )ndian -ast +oftar Fr#th ellerG, a +#jarati wee"ly whi%h was "nown for its ad&an%ed and pro'ressi&e &iews, and edited it for two years. )n 188 he started the Coi%e of )ndia in Bombay and later in%orporated it into the )ndian Spe%tator. e %ontrib#ted arti%les to newspapers and ma'a?ines in -n'land li"e the /ommer%e, the ) ndia, the /ontemporary >e&iews,the Daily News, the !an%hester +#ardian, the :ee"ly News and /hroni%le and the Pearson$s !a'a?ine. he +#jarati paper Sa ma%har Darpan p#blished a series of arti%les by him entitled (Dialo'#es of So%rates and Dio'enese*. )n 188 he p#blished a pamphlet, 9Po&erty of )ndia$, later re&ised and enlar'ed in the form of a boo" p#blished in 101 from 3ondon, #nder the title 9Po&erty and #n@British >#le in )ndia. e is "nown in the history of )ndian e%onomi% tho#'ht for his pioneerin' wor" in assessin' )ndia$s national in%ome, nder the title 9Dadabhai Naoroji$s Spee%hes and :ritin's$, +.. Natesan A /o., !adras, P#blished &ario#s learned papers whi%h he wrote and read before different so%ieties. nder the title 9he >i'ht of 3abo#r$ Dadabhai had form#lated and p#blished a s%heme for the establishment of )nd#strial /ommissioners$ %o#rse and for the re%o'nition of labo#r$s ri'ht to prote%tion. )f passed into law, it wo#ld ha&e ens#red j#sti%e to all wa'e earners and ind#strial pea%e. e fo#nded the 7ramji )nstit#te after he left )ndia for 3ondon to join b#siness, the )rani 7#nd, the Parsi +ymnasi#m, the :idow >emarria'e so%iation and the Ci%toria and lbert !#se#m, 1851. e fo#nded se&eral important or'ani?ations and belon'ed to many leadin' so%ieties and instit#tions, both in )ndia and the .=. Some of the important or'anisations whi%h he helped to fo#nd are the )ndian National /on'ress, the -ast )ndian sso%iation 3ondon, the >oyal siati% So%iety of Bombay and so on. )n personal life Dadabhai was simple, di'nified and of a helpf#l disposition. is letters, whi%h he wrote in his own hand, are re&ealin' and brin' o#t the tr#th@lo&in' and warm@hearted %hara%ter that he was. e was a lo&er of boo"s and he presented his &ast library to the Bombay Presiden%y sso%iation. e was a leadin' so%ial reformer of the se%ond half of the nineteenth %ent#ry. e did not belie&e in %aste restri%tions and was a pioneer of women$s ed#%ation and an #pholder of eE#al laws for men and women. a&in' been a tea%her himself of 'irls, he reali?ed the importan%e of 'irl$s ed#%ation. e stressed the importan%e of primary ed#%ation. "een ;oroastrian, b#t %atholi% in o#tloo", with friends amon' non@Parsis, li"e #me, :edderb#rn, Badr#din@yabji, Dr. Bha# Daji, =..elan', +.=.+o"hale, he e<#ded the need for p#rity in tho#'ht, spee%h and a%tion in his boo" 9he D#ties of the ;oroastrians$. e was a prominent nationalist of pro'ressi&e &iews. e prefa%ed his /al%#tta /on'ress F10G spee%h by E#otin' Sir enry /ampbell BannermanH (+ood 'o&ernment %o#ld ne&er be a s#bstit#te for 'o&ernment by the people themsel&es.* )n the same spee%h he de%laredH (:e do not as" any labo#r, we want only j#sti%e. he whole matter %an be %ompressed in one word, ISelf@+o&ernmentI or 9Swaraj$ li"e that of the nited =in'dom or the /olonies.* e belon'ed to the s%hool of moderates, and was a 'reat belie&er in %onstit#tional methods. e as well@informed abo#t international politi%s. e %ontrasted in detail the %ondition of )reland with that of )ndia in their finan%ial relations with Britain. e was %on%erned abo#t the So#th fri%an iss#e.
e was a stron' %riti% of British finan%ial administration of )ndia. e %omplained abo#t the la%" of proper distrib#tion of eeform !o&ement. e was indefati'able in his efforts to lift )ndian women from their ba%"wardness and %hannelise the ener'ies of yo#n' men who had re%ei&ed the benefits of western ed#%ation in wholesome dire%tions. Dadabhai was #ni&ersally a%"nowled'ed to be honest, impartial and fair. :hen a disp#te arose between the Parsi priests of dwada and Na&sari, he was sele%ted to be the sole arbitrator of the disp#te. is forte, howe&er, was 7inan%e. he appointment of the parliamentary %ommittee in 18 to inE#ire into )ndian 7inan%e was d#e to his #ntirin' efforts. e was a patriot and a nationalist of a hi'h order. )ndia was %onstantly in his tho#'hts. s Dinshaw :a%ha saidH (By #ni&ersal %onsent, he has been a%%laimed as the 7ather of )ndian Politi%s and -%onomi%s*. hro#'h the inn#merable so%ieties and or'anisations with whi%h he was asso%iated and his %ontrib#tions to or'ans of p#bli% opinion, he &oi%ed the 'rie&an%es of the )ndian people and pro%laimed their aims, ideals and aspirations to the world at lar'e. e won with effortless ease hi'h distin%tion on many fronts and will always be remembered in the history of the national mo&ement.
LALA LA#$AT RAI %18&5'19(8) 3ala 3ajpat >ai, pop#larly "nown as IP#njab =esariI, was born on 28 6an#ary 185 at &illa'e Dh#ndhi"e in 6a'raon tehsil of the 3#dhiana distri%t, P#njab, in a ind# ''arwal FBaniaG family. is mother, +#lab De&i, %ame from a Si"h family. 3ajpat >aiIs family was far from affl#entK his 'randfather, 3ala >ala >am, was a shop"eeper, and his father, 3ala >adha =ishan, an rd# tea%her in a +o&ernment s%hool. 3ajpat >ai had three brothers, Dhanpat >ai, >anpat >ai and Dalpat >ai. e was married to >adha De&i F18G who %ame from an ''arwal family of issar. e had two sons, mrit >ai, Pyare 3al, and one da#'hter, Par&ati. 3ajpat >ai st#died first at the &illa'e s%hool and then at the !ission i'h S%hools at 3#dhiana and mbala. e passed the !atri%#lation eaiIs interest in Politi%s was aro#sed by his father who in his early life was a 'reat admirer of Sir Syed hmed =han b#t whom he %ondemned later for his anti@/on'ress tirade in an open letter whi%h appeared in the =oh@i@Noor, an rd# jo#rnal F1888G. 3ajpat >ai too had shared his fatherIs admiration for Sir Syed hmed =han b#t from 1888 be'an to %riti%ise in his writin's the anti@/on'ress a%ti&ities of Sir Syed. 3ajpat >aiIs father was well@&ersed in rd# and Persian lan'#a'es, had 'reat respe%t for )slam, fasted and prayed li"e a !#slim, b#t did not embra%e )slam lar'ely d#t to his wifeIs atta%hment to the ind# and Si"h faiths.
he rya Samaj mo&ement, a &ital for%e in the P#njab in the late nineteenth and early twentieth %ent#ry, had a tremendo#s appeal for 3ajpat >ai Fhe had met Swami Dayanand at fo#rteenG, who %ame #nder its infl#en%e from his st#dent days. )t was 3ajpat >aiIs atta%hment to the rya Samaj whi%h led his father also to &eer ro#nd to ind#ism. he rya Samaj wor" bro#'ht 3ajpat >ai into %lose to#%h with 3ala /h#ra !ani and Pandit 3a"hpat >ai at issar, and 3ala Sain Dass, !ahatma ans >aj and Pandit +#r# Datt at 3ahore. 3ajpat >aiIs politi%al a%ti&ity be'an from 1888 when he joined the /on'ress session at llahabad. )n the early part of his politi%al %areer, his interest was %onfined to so%ial and ed#%ational reforms, b#t his &iews on politi%s %han'ed radi%ally as a res#lt of the hasty and ill@%on%ei&ed meas#res tr#st on the %o#ntry by the habit of dri&in' his reformin' plo#'h onward a little too ro#'hly. e %riti%ised /#r?onIs system of 'o&ernment as despoti%, and also disli"ed the moderate poli%y of the /on'ress in the fa%e of +o&ernment hi'hhandedness. e re'arded the pra%ti%e of passin' lon'@winded pio#s resol#tions and ma"in' petitions as Imendi%an%yI and totally obsolete, and shared B.+. ila"Is &iews abo#t fi'htin' the British thro#'h mass a'itation, #se of Swadeshi and Boy%ott of forei'n %loth. e de%lared, I) a m a Swadeshi.I e or'anised bi' meetin's in the P#njab, tra&elled widely, raised f#nds for the national %a#se and eai and +opal =rishna went to -n'land as dele'ates of the /on'ress to ed#%ate British p#bli% opinion on the )ndian sit#ation and won the s#pport of 3abo#r, Demo%rati% and so%ialist parties. t the Benares /on'ress in De%ember 105, 3ajpat >ai se%onded a resol#tion on the boy%ott of -n'lish %loth in a for%ef#l spee%h. )n 10 he or'anised and led a massi&e a'rarian mo&ement in P#njab, for whi%h he was deported, alon' with jit Sin'h, to B#rma #nder >e'#lation ))) of 1818. is %onfinement in B#rma 'a&e him time for solitary ta#'ht and he absorbed himself in the st#dy of the freedom mo&ements in )ndia and other %o#ntries Fhe st#died some of the primary wor"s on the 185 >ebellion in )ndia at this timeG, and prepared %opio#s notes whi%h he #sed later for E#otations in his spee%hes and writin's. e 'a&e in his writin's elaborate fi'#res ill#stratin' life@eai withdrew &ol#ntarily and bent his ener'ies to sa&e the split in the /on'ress. 3ajpat >ai went to -n'land in 108 for the se%ond time, deli&ered le%t#res to )ndian st#dents and ret#rned to )ndia in 10. )n 11 he &isited 6apan, -n'land and the nited States on a le%t#re to#r, and ret#rned to )ndia in 120. e had left )ndia in dis'#st. e des%ribes his state of mind in the followin' wordsH Lhen ) be'an to s#spe%t that ) was bein' spied on by my own ser&ant who li&ed with me in the same %ompo#nd. 3ife be%ame intolerable and ) lost my sleep and appetite, so ) de%ided to lea&e )ndia.L D#rin' his stay abroad he is belie&ed to ha&e s#pported the +hadar PartyIs pro'ramme. e was &ery %lose to 3ala ardyal. e also established the )ndian ome >#le 3ea'#e in the nited States on 15 %tober 11.
BAL GANGADHAR TILAK Bal Gangadhar Tilak widely a%%laimed as 9the father of )ndian nrest$, was born on 2 6#ly 185 at >atna'iri, in an
orthodo< /hitpa&an Brahmin family. is forefathers were =hots or petty landlords. is 'reat@'randfather, =esha&arao, was an eam%handrapanth, was a talented man and died in Benares as a Sannyasi. ila"$s father, +an'adhar Shastri, was a 'ood Sans"rit s%holar and a friend of >ama"rishna Bhandar"ar. ila"$s mother$s name was Para&ti Bai +an'adhar. ila"$s father, +an'adharpanth, started his %areer as a s%hool tea%her at >atna'iri. )n 188 he was transferred to Poona as an ssistant Dep#ty -d#%ation )nspe%tor for Primary S%hools. )n spite of the an%ient aristo%rati% herita'e, the family belon'ed to the lower@middle %lass when Bal +an'adhar ila" was born. )n 181 ila" married apibai. fter marria'e her name was %han'ed to Satyabhamabai. She belon'ed to the Ballal Cal /hitpa&an family of 3ad'har &illa'e near Dapoli in >atna'iri distri%t. ila" re%ei&ed most of his ed#%ation at Poona. brilliant st#dent, ila" was "nown e&en in his %hildhood for his fier%e self@respe%t, re'ard for tr#th and his intense rea%tion to inj#sti%e. e passed his B.. in the first %lass with !athemati%s and Sans"rit F18G and %ompleted his ed#%ation with a 3aw de'ree in 18. :hile he was a st#dent at the De%%an /olle'e, Poona, he was m#%h infl#en%ed by the tea%hin' of Professor :ordsworth and Professor Shoot. he former ta#'ht him -n'lish 3iterat#re and the latter ta#'ht him istory and Politi%al -%onomy whi%h helped him to appre%iate -n'lish ideas. ila", in spite of his ind# %onser&atism, was m#%h infl#en%ed by :estern tho#'ht on Politi%s and !etaphysi%s. e was parti%#larly fond of e'el, =ant, Spen%er, !ill, Bentham, Coltaire and >o#ssea#. s he himself eahasya$ H (o a %ertain e
n the national plane also, ila"$s impa%t was eE#ally for%ef#l and re&ol#tionary. e %ame on the national s%ene as a symbol of radi%al yo#th. D#rin' the 18@ pla'#e in !aharashtra, ila" bitterly %riti%ised the +o&ernment for the pla'#e meas#res ta"en and for the harassment to the p#bli%. he dissatisfa%tion amon' the !aharastrians led to the m#rder of !r. >and on 22 6#ne 18 at Poona. ila" was a%%#sed of sedition and tried. n 14 September 18 he was senten%ed to ei'hteen months$ imprisonment. B#t for a lon' time he was nowhere near the 9inner %ir%le$ whi%h e&ol&ed the poli%ies of the /on'ress. is %on%ept of a politi%al party was radi%ally different from that of the other leaders. e wanted the )ndian National /on'ress to be a rallyin' point for all %lasses and %omm#nities in )ndia. e primarily stro&e to %reate a so%ial san%tion for the politi%al ideals of the 'eneration whi%h was oppressed by an alien r#le.
ila" essentially aimed at b#ildin' #p a militant mass mo&ement is s#pport of the politi%al obje%ti&es whi%h he had in mind. hese ee&ol#tionary Partyin Ben'al led by #robindo +hose.ila" wrote two arti%les in the =esari. (he /o#ntry$s !isfort#ne* and (hese >emedies re Not 3astin'*. e pleaded with the +o&ernment to try to appre%iate the %han'ed psy%holo'y of the people. n 22 6#ly 108 ila" was %har'ed for brin'in' into people hatred and %ontempt and e<%itin' disloyalty and feelin's of enmity towards is !ajesty and the +o&ernment established by 3aw in British )ndia and was senten%ed to transportation. ila" spent si< years in the !andalay 6ail, B#rma, and was released on 1 6#ne 114. fter his released from 6ail, ila" soon ret#rned to the arena of battle. lon' with nnie Besant, he la#n%hed the ome >#le a'itation for obtainin' a#tonomy within the -mpire in 11. )n the whirlwind %ampai'n F11G, ila" %arried the messa'e of ome >#le to the farthest %orners of the %o#ntry. )t was be%a#se of the #ntirin' efforts of ila" and his band of dedi%ated %ollea'#es that the ome >#le !o&ement spread li"e wildfire and for%ed the +o&ernment to %ome o#t with the de%laration that the 'oal of British Poli%y was the realisation of responsible 'o&ernment in )ndia. his was not eno#'h to meet the aspirations of ila". B#t while he de%lared the )ndian >eforms %t of 11 as inadeE#ate, #nsatisfa%tory and disappointin', he was too m#%h of a pra'matist to let 'o whate&er little 'ains it represented. e wanted
to #se the %t to 'ather more stren'th to demand more. e wanted to #se the %t so as to or'anise the people to fi'ht ele%tions and to demonstrate effe%ti&ely the intensity of the pop#lar s#pport for the freedom mo&ement. e was %onfident of rea%hin' in his lifetime. )n pril 120 he started the /on'ress Demo%rati% Party to %arry on an a'itation for Swarajya. Death, #nfort#nately, o&ertoo" him and he died in Bombay on 1 #'#st 120. ila" filed a law s#it a'ainst Sit Calentine /hirol in 118 for defamin' him in his boo" 9)ndian nrest$. ila" left Bombay on 1 September 118 and rea%hed 3ondon on 0 %tober 118. e lost the /hirol 3ibel /ase. B#t he started the a%ti&ities of the ome >#le 3ea'#e in -n'land. e ret#rned to Bombay on 2 No&ember 11. D#rin' his stay in -n'land ila" established 'ood relations with +eor'e 3ansb#ry, the So%ialist leader, -d'ar :alla%e, the well "nown jo#rnalist and a#thor, and >amsay !a%donald of the 3abo#r Party. ila" established s#%h a friendly relationship with the 3abo#r Party that from then on )ndia be%ame one of the major plan"s in the 3abo#r Party$s Pro'ramme. ila" had a remar"able personality . e was dar" of %ompleahasya$, while #nder'oin' a prison senten%e at !andalay, is another inde< of ila"$s %easelessly wor"in' mind. s was only to be eadi%al in politi%al o#tloo" and demands, ila" was a %onser&ati&e so far as so%ial and reli'io#s reforms were %on%erned. e had his own &iews abo#t so%ial %han'e. e has said HLa tr#e nationalist desires to b#ild on old fo#ndationsJb#t witho#t detriment to pro'ress and reform needed for o#r national %onfli%t.L 7or him, there was no E#estion that was not dependent on Swaraj. s +andhiji had said, ila" "new no other reli'ion b#t lo&e of the %o#ntry. :ith his fearlessness and b#rnin' lo&e for the %o#ntry, he %hallen'ed both the westernised so%ial reformer as well as the spirit of orthodo
e e&ol&ed pro'rammes, s#%h as Shi&aji 6ayanti and +anesh Pooja with the sole moti&e of brin'in' people to'ether to ens#re their awa"enin' and in&ol&ement in the freedom str#''le. e has been aptly des%ribed as the 97ather of )ndian nrest$, be%a#se it was he who made people the moral %o#ra'e to e
