What were the National Movements taken by Gandhiji during India's Freedom Struggle ?
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The ‘Father of the Nation’, Mahatma Gandhi, born on 2nd October 1869, was an eminent leader of the pre-independence period. He is a much revered leader and is considered as the international symbol of non-violence and peace. He drew such immense admiration for his contributions worldwide that his date of birth is observed as the ‘International Day of Non-Violence’.
A known figure of the Indian Nationalist Movement, Gandhi was the leading figure in almost all the freedom movements whether in India or in South Africa. He followed an ideology of non-violence on which all his campaigns were based. Through his freedom movements like the non-cooperation movement, civil disobedience, or the Champaran movement, Gandhi always stood for the human rights. He gave his sweat and blood for the attainment of Indian independence from the clutches of the colonial rule. With the support of millions of Indian masses, he finally took India’s freedom movement to the paths of victory.
Gandhi has been a true inspiration for the past generations and also for the generations to come with his views on non-violence, tolerance, truth, and social welfare. On the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary, let’s take a walk down the lane and have a look at some of the major nationalist movements led by him during his lifetime.
1. Champaran Movement (1917)
The Champaran rebellion in Bihar was the first active involvement of Gandhi in the Indian freedom struggle. When Gandhi returned to India in 1915, the country was reeling under the tyrannous colonial rule. The British forced the farmers to grow indigo and other cash crops on their fertile land, and then sell these crops to them at a much cheaper price. The situation became more gruesome for the farmers due to harsh weather conditions and levy of heavy taxes pushing them towards abject poverty.
Having heard of the situation of farmers at Champaran, Gandhi immediately paid a visit to this district in April 1917. He adopted the approach of civil disobedience movement and launched demonstrations and strikes against the landlords bringing them down on their very knees. As a result, they signed an agreement in which they granted control and compensations to the farmers, and canceled the hikes in revenue and collection. The success of this movement earned Gandhi the status of Mahatma.
