Gandhi had the persuasion and influence over the people of India like none else, however, it was not strong enough to meet the exacting standards he set out. Gandhi demanded much more than civility of the people before he would agree to join their agitations. The methods of protests were non-cooperation and civil disobedience. He reasoned, in 1919 when there were hundred thousand Brits in India, there was no way the Empire could rule over three hundred fifteen million if the latter refused to cooperate. Civil disobedience had to be lawful and yet it would create more pressure on the British rulers. His non-violent methods still required one in hundred to be ready to go to gallows – Gandhi and his true followers could not afford to be timid .
In his article, Anil Nauriya describes Gandhi’s methods of agitation and how the Navnirman and JP’s agitations would fail to meet the standards Gandhi had set. The barbarism of agitators today is the result of failure to understand the difference or respect the difference between Gandhi’s methods and the muscular methods of the Hindutva brigade.
3-Oct-22 National Herald – Anil Nauriya