Mohandas K. Gandhi & the Indian Independence Movement

A Life changing event… Born October, 2 1869 in Porbandor India Sent to study law at in London at age 18 Accepts post at law firm in South Africa in 1893 Kicked off his train en route to South Africa Uses legal background to fight Apartheid

Returning Home News of work in India fighting racial injustice reaches his homeland He is called upon to help situation in India Returns in 1915 Travels around the country to catalogue the prevalent issues Preaches abandonment of caste system Renamed “Mahatma” meaning “Great Soul”

Non-cooperation and Civil Disobedience Violence is not the answer, will continue the cycle. The only way to get the movement going is through non-violent protest Ensures that the world will hear their call for independence and not condemn the movement Rowlatt Act Heavy taxes and inability to grow crops of choice Gandhi encourages boycott of British goods Symbolism of Indian flag British reaction reflects their uncertainty about how to handle the situation

The Amritsar Massacre and Chauri Chaura

The Salt March March to the sea Salt is one of the most important goods that contributes to Indian oppression Concludes on the anniversary of the Amritsar massacre Strikes a blow at economic policy Symbolic of Gandhi’s ideals

Dharasana Salt Works Mass protest Gandhi and other leaders arrested before they could reach the site but the protest occurs nonetheless The poet’s warning Journalist on the scene records his response

Webb Miller's report Not one of the marchers even raised an arm to fend off the blows. They went down like ten-pins. From where I stood I heard the sickening whacks of the clubs on unprotected skulls. The waiting crowd of watchers groaned and sucked in their breaths in sympathetic pain at every blow. Those struck down fell sprawling, unconscious or writhing in pain with fractured skulls or broken shoulders. In two or three minutes the ground was quilted with bodies. Great patches of blood widened on their white clothes. The survivors without breaking ranks silently and doggedly marched on until struck down. When every one of the first column was knocked down stretcher bearers rushed up unmolested by the police and carried off the injured to a thatched hut which had been arranged as a temporary hospital. There were not enough stretcher-bearers to carry off the wounded; I saw eighteen injured being carried off simultaneously, while forty-two still lay bleeding on the ground awaiting stretcher-bearers. The blankets used as stretchers were sodden with blood. At times the spectacle of unresisting men being methodically bashed into a bloody pulp sickened me so much I had to turn away....I felt an indefinable sense of helpless rage and loathing, almost as much against the men who were submitting unresistingly to being beaten as against the police wielding the clubs... Bodies toppled over in threes and fours, bleeding from great gashes on their scalps. Group after group walked forward, sat down, and submitted to being beaten into insensibility without raising an arm to fend off the blows. Finally the police became enraged by the non-resistance....They commenced savagely kicking the seated men in the abdomen and testicles. The injured men writhed and squealed in agony, which seemed to inflame the fury of the police....The police then began dragging the the sitting men by the arms or feet, sometimes for a hundred yards, and throwing them into ditches

The Quit India Movement World War II erupts in 1939 Gandhi proposes that Britain should “quit India” Pledges that no support will be given until India has autonomy Response to drafting of Indian soldiers

Breaking up India Britain finally relents, due to stress imposed by WWII India is not to be one country Gandhi offers first prime minister position to Muslim leader Edward Jinnah to avoid partition, but it is not to be. Racial faction support partition but Gandhi does not Violence erupts as people cross the borders, Gandhi says he will fast until the violence ends, even if it means his death

Assasination January 30, 1948 Shot by Hindu extremist who blamed Gandhi for appeasement of Muslims despite their violence against Hindus Cremated and his ashes were spread around the country Spot of assassination and cremation turned into monuments that still stand