LilyVasey

LBST2215
MidtermPaper
Gandhi

MohandasKaramchandGanhi,orsimplyknownasjustGandhi,wasavery
inspirationalandsuccessfulleaderinIndia.Gandhievenhadamoviecreatedabouthim
toshowhiscourageousjourneytogainIndianindependencefromtheBritish.Heinspired
somanypeoplethroughouttheworld,andin1931wasselectedbyTimemagazineas
ManoftheYear.GandhiwasthefirstnonAmericantoreceivethishonor.Gandhihad
strongbeliefsthathewasverypassionateabout.Itleadhimtocreatehisownphilosophy
andcontinuouslypreachabouttheminordertospreadtheword.Gandhisphilosophy
wasthathebelievedthatthewaytogainindependencecouldbegainedthrough
nonviolentresistance.Gandhithought,Nonviolenceisthegreatestforceatthedisposal
ofmankind.Itismightierthanthemightiestweaponofdestructiondevisedbythe
ingenuityofman(Gandhi).IagreewithGandhisassertionthatthisisthebestwayto
overcomeinjusticebecauseviolenceandwararenotsolutions,butareproblems.All
violencedoesiscreatepain,andwar,turmoil.Simplyput,whatisaccomplished?Death?
Obviously,deathisanawfulthingandIwouldnotwishituponanyone.Eventually
though,asidewinsdependingonhowmanypeopledieandtheendresultwouldtobe
foronesidetogiveup.Butthisdoesnotestablishrightfromwrong,andtherewill

alwaysbetension,forapersonconvincedagainsthiswill,isofthesameopinionstill
(DaleCarnegie).
Inthefilm,Gandhiinspiredmanygroups,otherwisedividedbyreligionand
politics,intheIndianpopulation.ThesegroupsrebelledagainsttheBritishbydoingeven
justlittleactslikenotworkingorpurchasinganythingfromtheBritish.Althoughtheir
effortsstartedoutsmall,thegroupsgrewlargerandGandhisphilosophyspread,creating
astrongerandamoresingularlyunifiedgroup.Gandhisgoalforindependencewas
sparkedduringatrainridetoPretoria,SouthAfrica.Onthistripawhitemanarguedthat
Gandhishouldnotbeinthefirstclassarea,eventhoughhehadaticket.Gandhirefused
tomovetothebackandsohewasthrownoffthetrain.Fromthatmomenton,Gandhi
remaineddeterminedtofightforthiscolorprejudiceandin1894,Gandhicreatedthe
NatalIndianCongresstofightsocialprejudice.Hisfirstcivildisobediencecampaign,
calledSatyagraha,createdin1906,wascreatedaftertheTransvaalgovernmentmade
newlimitationsonIndianrights.In1919GandhiwasinIndiawherethenewRowlattAct
wasenforced,whichenabledrulingBritishauthoritiestoimprisonanyperson,even
withoutbeingputontrial,thatwassuspectedofsedition.Becauseofthis,Gandhi
broughtbacktheSatyagrahacampaignbecausehebelievedthathehadnothingnewto
teachtheworld.TruthandNonviolenceareasoldasthehillsandallhehaddonewas
totryexperimentsinbothonasvastascaleashe[I]could.Unfortunately,insteadof
peacefulprotests,violencebrokeout.In1919begantheMassacreofAmritsarwhere
Britishtroopsfiredatthecrowdofunarmedprotesters,killingaround400people.After
becominganimportantmemberoftheIndianhomerulemovementandleaderofthe

IndianNationalCongress,hecreatedhisnonviolencepolicy.Gandhi,aftertwoyears,
wasreleasedfromprisonin1924tofindthatviolencebetweentheHinduandMuslim
groupshadworsenedonceagain.
Throughoutthefilm,Gandhiwascontinuouslyimprisonedfortheprotestshe
made,butnotoncedidherefusehisarrest.Mosttimes,Gandhiwouldfastwhilehewas
inprisonuntiltheBritishwouldreleasehimbecausetheIndianpeoplewouldgrow
angry.TheBritishdidntwanttolethimdieinprisonbecausethatcouldresultinan
uprisingbytheIndians.TheIndiansintimidatedtheBritishsincethereweresomanyof
them,butintheearlierstagestherewasnotasmanyfollowersofGandhi,sotheydid
notposeasmuchofathreat.Astimepassedthough,Gandhisfollowerscontinuously
grew.GandhisfamousSaltMarchtookplacein1930.Thisprotestwascreatedbecause
theBritishputtaxonsaltandsoGandhiandhisfollowerswalked240milestotheseain
Dandiinordertomakehisownsalt.Over80,000ofIndianswerejailedbecauseofthis
protest.AfteragreeingtoendtheSaltSatyagraha,Gandhiandthousandsofprisoners
werereleased.GandhicreatedQuitIndiain1942inordertoremovetheBritishfrom
thecountry,butonceagainGandhiwasarrestedalongwithhiswifeandotherIndian
leaders.Gandhiwasreleasedfromjailafterabout19monthsbuthiswifehaddiedbefore
that.Afterhisrelease,moreviolencewasrisingbetweentheMuslimsandHindus.
Becauseofthis,Gandhifasted,hopingthatthiswouldendtheriots.Gandhiwas
reassuredthattheriotshadendedinJanuary1948althoughsomeHinduswerestillupset
becausetheythoughtGandhiwastoonicetotheMuslims.AsGandhilefttheNew

DelhiHouse,ledbyhistwograndnieces,hewasshotbyaHinduextremist;Nathuram
Godse.
Theendresultofnonviolenceresistanceissomuchbetterthanresultingin
violence.Gandhioncesaid,Aneyeforaneyeonlyendsupmakingthewholeworld
blind.Thisquoteexplainshowwhenpeoplejustgobackandforthwithviolencelike
hurtingorbombingeachother,allyouredoingismakingeveryoneblind.Theworld
failstorealizethatwhatwillfixtheissueisforgiveness,nonviolentmediationand
agreement,tomoveforward.Unfortunatelyblindpeoplecannotmoveforwardandsoits
aconstantbackandforthbetweensomeone.IreallyenjoyedwatchingGandhi.Thiswas
myfirsttimeseeingthefilmandIthoughtitwasextremelyeducational,alongwithit
alsobeinginspiring.Althoughitwaslengthy,andsometimeshardtokeepupwithallthe
differentcharacters,Iwouldratethemoviea4/5.Honestly,Iwasneverthetypeof
persontobeinterestedinanykindofhistory.ThemovieinterestedmebutIwouldhave
neverbecameasintolearningandunderstandingthemovieifIdidnthavethis
assignment.UsuallywheneverIwatchanykindofhistoricalfilminclass,itwouldbe
hardtokeepmyfocus.Ihavealwayshadtroublerememberingimportantfigures
throughouthistory.IhadlittleknowledgeofwhoGandhiwasbeforewatchingthefilm,I
knewhisname,butdidnotknowanythingabouthim,nordidIknowabouthis
philosophy.Havingthisassignmentgavemetheencouragementtolookupandread
moreaboutGandhi.Gandhidefinitelyhadanimpactontheworldaroundhim,evenafter
hisdeath.Asanexample,MartinLutherKingJr.wasinspiredbyGandhisphilosophy,
andusedalotofhisthoughts,toprojecthisowninAmerica.OnceIlearnedabout

Gandhi,Ihadalsopickeduponthehistoryofhistime,alongwithotherhistorical
figures.IthinktypicallystudentswouldnotratethemovieashighasIdidbutbecause
wehadtowriteapaperonhim,IwantedtobeabletocompletelyunderstandwhatIhad
watched.ThismoviedefinitelyintriguedmetolearnmoreaboutGandhiandthattimein
history.