Conclusion on the topic of Mahatma Gandhi struggle against colonialism a success
Answers
Answer:
When Gandhi entered the Indian political scene he was well
established as a leader of the Indian community in South hca. There he
succeeded in welding the different sections of Indians into one and united
community. There also he had to deal with the British government. Still in
1915 he was impressed by the British sense of justice and believed that
the British would listen to Indian demands which were 'just'. At that time
he was ready to cooperate with the British government.
It was in 1915 that Gandhi entered the Indian political scene. It was
during this period that Gokhale predicted, "this man is going to play a
great part in the future history of India.. . ..There is something in him
which at once enchains the attention of the poor man and he establishes,
with a rapidity which is his own, his affinity, with the lowly and the
,,l distressed. . . . . .
It was the Indian National Congress which led the Inlan National
Movement. But it was only a middle-class organization without a mass
base at that time. It remained more as a forum for debate than as an
instrument of action. It was characterized by the ideology of Moderates
Explanation:
ftunder the leadership of Gopala Krishna Gokhale and the ideology of
Extremists under the leadership of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. They bequeathed
to Gandhi their views on the nature and method of protest in the colonial
state. Gandhi made a critical borrowing fiom them and continuously
improvised upon them to make the protest against the colonial regime
more effective.
The early Indian Nationalists had much faith in the British rule.
This made them follow the path of constitutionalism. Gandhi by the late
1920s lost all such faith and so he abandoned the path of
constitutionalism. He had much faith in the masses and he believed that
masses are the ultimate source of power. The constitutional method
adopted by the Congress during these years did not make the leaders of
the Congress feel the necessity of the mass support. The westernized elite
which controlled the Congress were not for mobilizations of the masses
yet. British repression made the Extremists methods ineffective. Colonial
power tried to seek the support of the Moderates with small concessions
and reforms. Masses remained largely inert with no part to play in the
m~vement.~ But Gandhian technique of non cooperation needed mass
participation for its success. His methods were not in tune with the
prevalent methods of the Congress. In stark contrast to the politics of the
early Congress which were accessible only to the highly educated and the
English speaking Gandhi's campaign incorporated all sections of the
population. He brought about qualitative changes in Indian politics by
changing the national movement from a middle class movement to a mass
movement. His style of politics bewildered some of the Congress leaders
of the time as well as the British government.
Gandhi constantly tried to broaden the mass base of the Indian
National Movement. He became successful in drawing the masses to the
political forefi-ont. This aspect of movement did not get much attention
from the historians.
The political strategy that Gandhi evolved was conditioned by and
suited to a semi-hegemonic state like colonial India. The British who took
India by force consolidated their in India by adopting some measures to
collaborate the native people. But the introduction of rule of law, western
education and representative institutions etc. they established their
legitimacy in India. Gandhi's effort was to erode this legitimacy by
withdrawing the consent of the masses to the colonial authority.