An Then gandhi came Essay
Answers
“And Then Gandhi Came”
- Jawaharlal Nehru
Summary
“And Then Gandhi Came” is an excerpt which is taken from Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India. In the first section, Jawaharlal Nehru tells that even though World War I was ended, there was no peace in India. Instead of peace, there were “repressive legislation” and “martial law in the Punjab”. Eventually India was isolated by rest of the countries. We are still under the clutches of British. Since Indians did not know technical and physical works, India began to face poverty. No one gave solace and hope to Indians.
But Jawaharlal Nehru says that even though we were facing poverty, Indians did not step back. They worked very hard. They toiled day and night for making a prosperous country. Still there were so many areas where Indians needed guidance because during that time there were so many injustices happening in India.
With the arrival of Gandhiji, there occurred a tremendous changes in India. With his ideologies and knowledge, he changed the mind of the India. Explicitly he removed veils from the eyes of Indians. He even pointed out that Indians were exploited by British in all fields. So he declared them to strike back rather than becoming the serfs of British. These great things came as secondary. According to Jawaharlal Nehru, “The essence of his teaching was fearlessness and truth” which would help India to achieve prosperity.
But when Gandhiji came to India, Indians were scared by British. Owing to the fear, they did whatever British asked them to do. Since Indians have fear, they believe in wrong things. But with the arrival of Gandhiji, the condition begins to change. Indians begin to uphold truth which in turn helps them to evolve themselves into fearless people.
Gandhiji is a symbol of “uncompromising” truth. Truths are interrelated and absolute truth is beyond the comprehension of the people. What one person is thinking as truth will be false to another person. Hence truth varies from person to person. But Nehru firmly believed that the way Gandhiji upheld truth nobody else ever did like that.
Gandhiji influenced people in many ways. Some people were partially influenced by Gandhiji's ideologies. Others just accepted his ideologies and made changes in their lives. A few did not accept his ideologies.
Gandhiji upheld two actions. One is that fighting back against British reign and stopping social evils such as sati, untouchability, child marriage, etc. Nehru then mentions about the prime objective of Congress which is the freedom of India. Another one is the national unity which can be achieved by solving the problems of minorities, depressed classes and untouchability.
According to Nehru, the main weapons of the British are propagating fear among Indians , support from them and vested interests of certain classes. Gandhiji attacks these. He asked title-holders to give up. Since he starts to lead a simple life, many rich people start to imitate him.
In order to spread the ideologies of Gandhiji, his followers went to village. For the first time, the villagers began to know about their rights, and they began to revolt against the British.
Then Nehru starts to tell about the India which Gandhiji has been dreamed. In Gandhiji's India, people will live in harmony. There will be no untouchability, no use of drugs and alcohol and have gender equality. Though he accepts all culture, he is proud of Indian culture and his lineage. He tells that one should accept good things from other cultures. But at the same time one should abandon one's culture.
In the end, Nehru tells that no wonder why Gandhiji influenced the masses of Indians because he targeted the psychology of Indians and did psychological reformation.
MARK IT AS BRAINLIEST