Lesson 2 Swaraj
Swaraj means self rule. It has a metaphysical in the system
of Gandhiji. The word Swaraj is a sacred word, a Vedic word, meaning self-rule
and self-restraint, and not freedom from all restraint which ‘independence’
often means.
With the re-establishment of communal disharmony between the
two prominent religious communities, namely, Hindu and Muslim had began ugly
head in the 20th century. For centuries Muslims in India had been co-existing
with Hindus as an integral part of Society in thousands of villages spread
through out the nook and corner of the country. Muslims in India were local
converts who belonged to the lower order of the village society. The caste or
class economic division within Hindus and Muslims forced the members of these
communities to identify themselves with each other on economic division rather
than on religious beliefs.
The other two prominent problems that engaged the mind of
Gandhi were low status of Harijans and women in the villages of India. By
Swaraj Gandhiji mean the government of India by the consent of the people as
ascertained by the largest number of the adult population, male or female,
native-born or domiciled, who have contributed by manual labour to the service
of the State and who have taken the trouble of having their names registered as
voters.
Swaraj for the Poor
The Swaraj of Gandhi’s dream recognizes no race or religious
distinctions. Not is it to be the monopoly of the lettered persons or yet of
moneyed men. Swaraj is to be for all, including the former, but emphatically
including the maimed, the blind, the starving, toiling millions.
The Swaraj of Gandhi’s dream is the poor man’s Swaraj. The
necessaries of life should been joyed by you in common with those enjoyed by
the princes and the moneyed men. But that does not mean that they should have
palaces like theirs.
Real Swaraj must be felt by all-man, woman and child. To
labour for that consummation is true revolution, India has become a pattern for
all exploited races of the earth, because India’s has been an open, unarmed
effort which demands sacrifice from all without inflicting injury on the usurper.
The millions in India would not have been awakened but for the open, unarmed
struggle.
No Majority Rule
It has been said that Indian Swaraj will be the rule of the
majority community, i.e., the Hindus.
There could not be a greater mistakes than that. If it were
to be true, I for one would refuse to call it Swaraj and would fight it with
all the strength at my command, for to me Hind Swaraj is the rule of all
people, is the rule of justice. Whether, under rule, the ministers were Hindus
or Musalmans or Sikhs and whether legislatures were exclusively filled by the
Hindus or Musalmans or any other community, they would have to do even-handed
justice.
Read More:- B.A. Pol Sci Hons. 2nd Semester Notes
Achievement of Swaraj
Swaraj is the abandonment of the fear of death. A
nation which allows itself to be influenced by the fear of death cannot attain
Swaraj, and cannot retain it if some-how attained.
Swaraj can never be a free gift by one nation to another.
It is a treasure to be purchased with a nation’s best blood. It will cease to
be a gift when we have paid dearly for it. … Swaraj will be a fruit of
incessant labour, suffering beyond measure. (YI, 5-1-1922, p. 4) Surely Swaraj
will not drop from the clouds.
Swaraj is a painful climb. It requires attention to details.
It means vast organizing ability, it means penetration into the villages solely
for the service of the villagers. In other words, it means national education,
i.e., education of the masse. It means an awakening of national consciousness
among the masses.
One sometimes hears it said: ‘Let us get the government of
India in our own hands and everything will be all right. There could be no
greater superstition than this. No nation has thus gained its independence. The
splendor of the spring is reflected in every tree, the whole earth is then
filled with the freshness of youth.
Basis of Self-Sacrifice
Swaraj can be maintained only where there is amajority of
loyal and patriotic people to whom the good of the nation is paramount above
allother considerations what-ever including their personal profit.
Without a large, very large, army of self sacrificing and
determined workers, realprogress of the masses I hold to be an impossibility.
And without that progress, there is no such thing as Swaraj. Progress towards
Swaraj will be in exact proportion to the increase in the number of workers who
will dare to sacrifice their all for the cause of the poor. Through Truth and
Nonviolence If we wish to achieve Swaraj through truth and non-violence,
gradual but steady building-upfrom the bottom upwards by constructive effort is
the only way. This rules out the deliberate creation of an anarchical state for
the over throw of the established order in the hope of throwing up from within
a dictator who would rule with a rod of iron and produce order out disorder.
We have all-rulers and ruled-been living so long in a stifling,
unnatural atmosphere that we might well feel, in the beginning, that we have
lost the lungs for breathing the invigorating ozone of freedom. If the reality
comes in an orderly, that is, a non-violent manner, because the parties feel
that it is right, it will be a revealing lesson for the world.
Genius of Our Civilization
Gandhiji’s Swaraj is to keep intact the genius of our
civilization which should be written as many new thing but they must be all
written on the Indian slate. If Swaraj was not meant to civilize us, and to
purify and stabilize our civilization, it would be nothing worth.
Gandhi’s Ramrajya is regarded as the part of Swaraj.
Ramrajya is regarded as the kingdom of dharma. Gandhi said swaraj is all
embracing. It does not include complete independence along with many other
things. Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad and Ram Manohar Lohia gave a moral boost to Gandhiji to attain Swaraj for
the country.
Gandhiji did not want any economic classification of social
classes or casteism under his concept of Swaraj. Gandhi fought for Indian
independence from foreign domination. In order to define swaraj, Gandhi also
talked about Village Swaraj. The Village Swaraj according to him, is a complete
village republic, independent, of its neighbours for its vital needs. The first
concern of every village would be to run it affairs on cooperative basis. The
government of the village would be conducted by the Panchayat of five persons,
annually elected by the adult villagers, male and female.
Gandhiji changed the character of the national movement,
gave it a new ideology, a new method of action, a unique moral code and a mass
based leadership in the post-first world war era. Gandhi evolved a programme of
struggle which mobilized the divergent groups and classes and various sections
of people-industrialist, workers, peasants, traders, students, lawyers, lower
classes and women-and made it a multi-class and mass based national movement.
He called upon the peasants not to pay taxes to the government, exhorted the
students to boycott the educational institutions, called upon the lawyers to
desert the courts and asked women to picket the liquor shops.
Satyagraha and ahimsa (non-violence) formed the basis of his
philosophy. According to him search for truth was the goal of life and since no
one could be sure of having attained the ultimate truth, use of violence to
enforce one’s own truth was sinful. For him, the real enemy was not the British
political domination alone but the whole modern industrial civilization of
which British Raj was the symbol. Hence for him, attainment of political swaraj
would only mean ‘English rule without Englishmen’.
Such an ‘ordered anarchy’ would consist of three elements:
non-violent state through village republics, Swaraj and Ramrajya. To quote Hind
Swaraj again, ‘the state should be composed of self-governing and
self-sufficient village communities with expanding circles upward, i.e. from
village to talukas, from talukas to district, from district to province to the
centre, each tier enjoying considerable autonomy.
Ramrajya: By Ramarajya Gandhiji do not mean Hindu
Raj. Imean by Ramarajya Divine Raj, the Kingdom of God. For him Rama and Rahim
are one and the same deity. He acknowledge no other God but the one God of
truth and righteousness. Whether Rama of my imagination ever lived ornot on
this earth, the ancient ideal of Ramarajya is undoubtedly one of true democracy
in whichthe meanest citizen could be sure of swift justice without an elaborate
and costly procedure. Even the dog is described by the poet to have received
justice under Ramarajya.
Read More:- B.A. Pol Sci Hons. 2nd Semester Notes
Definition of Independence
By political independence he do not mean an imitation to the
British House of commons, or the soviet rule of Russia or the Fascist rule of
Italy or the Nazi rule of Germany. They have systems suited to their genius.
Gandhi said, we must have ours suited to ours. What that can be is morethan I
can tell. Gandhi have described it as Ramarajya i.e., sovereignty of the people
based on pure moral authority.
He do not know it will be like in Heaven and have no desire
to know the distant scene. If the present is attractive enough, the future
cannot be very unlike.
No Coercion: Gandhiji’s conception of Ramarajya
excludes there placement of the British army by a national army of occupation.
A country that is governed by even its national army can never be morallyfree
and, therefore, its so-called weakest member can never rise to his fullest
moral height.
Respect for Others: Hinduism according to Gandhiji
teaches to respect all religions.In this lies the secret of Ramarajya. If you
want to see God in the form of Ramarajya,the first requisite is
self-introspection. You haveto magnify your own faults a thousand fold andshut
your eyes to the faults of your neighbours.That is the only way to real
progress.
Gandhi was primarily a man of action and not a philosopher
or political theorist. At practical level, he initiated a movement which was
national in the real sense and the philosophy which could assimilate the
fundamental tenets of various political groups inside the country, thereby
making it considerable section of people. For the success of such movement, it
was necessary that it should be so designed as to satisfy diverse groups with
conflicting ideas and even clashing interests.
Movements Led by Gandhiji to Free India From the
Britishers Include
Rowlatt Act: The Sedition committee appointed under
the Chairmanship of Justice Rowlatt to study the revolutionary activities
suggested certain measures of arbitrary arrests without trial and restrictions
on the movement of persons suspected of anti-government activities. The
Government moved two bills in the central legislature in February 1919 to give
effect to the recommendations of the Rowlatt Committee (The bills came to be
known as Rowlatt Bills or Black Bills).
Inspite of opposition unanimous Indian opposition, the Bills
were passed as Anarchial and Revolutionary Act, 1919. The Bills provoked a wave
of resentment throughout the country among the Moderates, Extremists, the
younger generation and members of the Home Rule Leagues. Though opposition was
unanimous, it was left to Gandhi to lead an all-India protest against it.
Gandhi started a countrywide campaign against the Act and decided to oppose it
through Satyagraha.
Khilafat Movement: As the agitation against Rowlatt
Act came to an end, Gandhi was being drawn into the Khilafat question which
soon gave him an opportunity to forge Hindu-Muslim unity and launch a
non-cooperation movement against the British rule. The Lucknow Pact did not
form a adequate basis for unity and Khilafat agitation was ‘an opportunity of
uniting Hindus and Muslims as would not rise in a hundred years.
Therefore they demanded (i) maintenance of the religious
prestige and temporal power of the Caliph’s duties in the preservation of holy
places such as Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Arabia. This could be done by giving
complete self[1]government under
Caliph’s control over the holy places; (ii) Guaranteeing sovereignty of the
Muslim states, forbidding the imposition of the members of Britain and France
over the State of Arab states. The Arabs were incited by the British, revolted
against their Sovereign Caliph. The Greeks were incited to grab even the
homeland of the Turks, the Arab Provinces of Turkey. Mustafa Kamal Pasha by his
force by his heroic efforts saved by Turkey but lost control of the Arab lands
including the Holy places of Islam.
The Khilafat movement had two strands-Moderates and
Radicals. Moderates focused around the All India Khilafat Committee wanted to
limit the agitations to meetings, deputations and memorials to London and
Paris. The radical strand consisted of lower class journalists and Ulama with
considerable influence over small towns and villages and was led by Ali
Brothers. Gandhi played as mediating role for both the groups. In February
1920, he suggested to Kilafat Committee to adopt a programme of non-violent
non- cooperation to protest against the Government behaviour.
Non- Cooperation Movement: The Indian nation
leadership had contributed a great deal towards the British effort to win the
first world war with the hope that India would be rewarded with some major
reforms, if not complete self-government, after the war. However, their hopes
were shattered and they were forced to fight back. During the war, since
imports from Britain and other foreign countries had stopped, the needs were
met through increased production in India.
Though the Khilafat Committee had passed a resolution had
passed a resolution non-cooperation, for its success support of the Congress
was essential. The non-cooperation movement was launched formally on 1 August
1920 on the twin issues of Khilafat question and Punjab wrongs, after the
expiry of notice that Gandhi had given to the viceroy in which he asserted the
right recognized from time immemorial of the subjects to refuse to assist a
ruler who misrules.
Non-cooperation movement had two objectives: negative
and positive. The negative objectives included boycott of law courts by
lawyers, boycott of schools and colleges owned or aided or recognized by
government, boycott of elections to legislative assemblies and provincial
councils, surrender of honours and titles, boycott of official functions,
boycott of british goods and prohibition of drinking liquor.
In August 1921, the Moplahs, a fanatical muslim community in
Kerala had rebelled and established Khilafat kingdom and in the process
massacred Hindus and such Europeans as they could lay hand upon. By November
1921, the government was forced to take repressive measures. After the arrests
of Ali brothers, Khilafat leaders were demanding complete independence.
Civil Disobedience Movement: The government declared
Khilafat organizations as well as the Congress as unlawful. Public assemblies
and processions were banned. C.R. Das decided to accept the challenge and
disobeyed the orders. Thousands of volunteers swelled jails. This was followed
by mass arrests. During the next three months, more than 30 thousands of nationalists
were in the prisons.
However, before the movement could start in Bardoli,
outburst of violence took place on 5February 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the
United Province. A crowd composed of peasants attacked and set fire to a police
station leading to the death of twenty two policeman. On hearing about the
incident Gandhi decided to withdraw the agitation. The Congress Working
Committee was hastily summoned and at Gandhi’s insistence, it ratified the
decision of Gandhi, dropped civil disobedience.
Home Rule Movement by Anie Beasant
Home Rule Movement by Anie Beasant in1916 to speeding the
process of freedom struggle in India. There were two home rule leagues
launched. Tilak launched the Indian Home Rule League in April 1916 at Belgaum.
Annie Besant launched the Home Rule League in September 1916 at Madras. They
had the common objective of achieving self-government in India.
Tilak’s league had its headquarters in Delhi. It had 6
branches. Besant’s league had 200branches and was a looser organisation compared
to Tilak’s. The two leagues worked closely with one another. However, they did
not merge to avoid friction between both the leaders.
Objectives
· To
achieve self-government in India.
· To
promote political education and discussion to set up agitation for
self-government.
· To
build confidence among Indians to speak against the government’s suppression.
· To
demand a larger political representation for Indians from the British
government.
· To
revive political activity in India while maintaining the principles of the
Congress Party.
Activities
· The
leagues organised demonstrations and agitations.
·
There were public meetings in which the leaders gave fiery speeches.
· They
were able to create a stir within the country and alarm the British to such an
extent that Annie Besant was arrested in June 1917.
· This
move by the British created a nation-wide protest and now even moderate leader
joined the league. Besant was released in September 1917.
Significance
· The
Home Rule League functioned throughout the year as opposed to the Congress
Party whose activities were confined to once a year.
· The
movement was able to garner huge support from a lot of educated Indians. In
1917, the two leagues combined had around 40,000 members. Many members of the
Congress and the Muslim League joined the league. Many prominent leaders like
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Joseph Baptista, G S Kharpade and Sir S Subramanya Iyer
were among its members.
· The
moderates, extremists and the Muslim League were briefly united through this
movement.
· The
movement was able to spread political consciousness to more regions in the country.
This movement led to the Montague Declaration of 1917 in which it was declared
that there would be more Indians in the government leading to the development
of self governing institutions ultimately realising responsible governments in
India.
Failure and Decline
· The
movement was not a mass movement. It was restricted to educated people and
college students.
· The
leagues did not find a lot of support among Muslims, Anglo-Indians and non-Brahmins
from Southern India as they thought home rule would mean a rule of the upper
caste Hindu majority.
· Many
of the moderates were satisfied with the government’s assurance of reforms (as
preluded in the Montague Declaration). They did not take the movement further.
·
Annie Besant kept oscillating between being satisfied with the government talk
of reformsand pushing the home rule movement forward. She was not able to
provide firm leadership to her followers.
· In
September 1918, Tilak went to England to pursue a libel case against Sir
Ignatius Valentine Chirol, British journalist and author of the book ‘Indian
Unrest’. The book contained deprecatory comments and had called Tilak the
‘Father of Indian Unrest.’
· In
September 1918, Tilak went to England to pursue a libel case against Sir
Ignatius Valentine Chirol, British journalist and author of the book ‘Indian
Unrest’. The book contained deprecatory comments and had called Tilak the
‘Father of Indian Unrest.’
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