Notes

[24/06, 6:23 p.m.] monikA~: notes from Hind Swaraj:
> Hind Swaraj or The Indian Home Rule is the title of Gandhi's first definitive writing written in 1908 in Gujarati on board the ship (S.S Kildonan Castle) during his return trip from England to South Africa after an abortive mission
> he wrote it within 10 days (Nov13-22, 1908)
>he wrote hind swaraj for his dear friend Pranjivan Das Mehta (Dr Mehta was instrumental in establishing Sabarmati Ashram by providing 1.50lakh rs in the year 1921..)
[24/06, 6:32 p.m.] monikA~: >'Hind Swaraj' was published in 'Indian Opinion' in Natal and soon banned by the Govt in India (in 1910) because it contained matter declared to be seditious.
>the ban was lifted on Dec 21, 1938
> A no. of editions have been published thereafter, the most common being that published by NAVJIVAN press in India in 1938
>1924 -American edition of Hind Swaraj "Sermon on the Sea" _ introduction by Sir John Haynes Holmes , was published from Chicago.
> Hind Swaraj is basically a DISCOURSE ON CIVILIZATION
>the 3 recurrent themes in Hind Swaraj are -
1. Colonial Imperialism
2.Industrial Capitalism
3. Rationalist Materialism
> the book is a fierce critique of the so called Modern Civilization
>published in 1909 as a book in "Indian Opinion" it has 20 chapters in the form of DIALOGUE between GANDHI who is called "the Editor" and his interlocutor known as "The Reader"
[24/06, 6:37 p.m.] monikA~: >About John Ruskin's book "Unto his Last" Gandhi commented that the book has been written "In blood and tears"
>Hind Swaraj_Chapter 11 Gandhiji's reaction after reading RC DATTA'S "ECONOMIC HISTORY OF INDIA": "I wept , as I think of it again my heart sickens"
[27/06, 8:32 p.m.] monikA~: >the period referred to in Gandhi's autobiography=from 1869 to 1921
> Gandhiji's autobiography was first published in 1927 in Navjeevan
> Mahadev Desai translated Gandhi's autobiography from Gujarati to English
>Mahadev Desai was the private secretary to Gandhi
> Pyarelal became the Secretary of Gandhi after the death of Mahadev Desai
>Gandhiji was 13yrs old when he got married to kasturbai
>real name of Gandhi's disciple Mira ben was Madeline Slade
>Gandhi received his primary education from Rajkot

this is part 5 before this Io notes link pls check

Continued from My Experiments with Truth: Part 5
> Jan 1915 Gandhi returned to India and the people from Phoenix Settlement were first put in Gurukul, Kangri with Swami Shraddhanandji and then they were put in SHANTINIKETAN Ashram ( Rabindranath Tagore).
>In Bombay Gandhi met the Governor- Lord Willingdon.
> Gandhi wanted to have an ashram where he could settle down with his Phoenix family.
>As Gandhi was going from Poona to Rajkot he passed through Wadhwan where the tailor MOTILAL, a noted public worker of the place met him at the station and told him about the VIRAMGAM CUSTOMS and the hardships railway passenger had to face because of it.
> Wherever Gandhi went in Kathiawad he heard complaints about the VIRAMGAM Customs hardships.
> Gandhi opened correspondence with the Bombay govt (Lord Willingdon) and also communicated with the Govt. of India in this regard .He met Lord Chelmsford. Within a few days Viramgam customs cordon had been removed.
> Gandhi regarded this event as the ADVENT OF SATYAGRAHA in India.
> Gokhale had taken a promise from Gandhi that for one year he were to do nothing and he should travel India for gaining experience and express no opinion on public questions until he had finished the period of probation.
>1915_ Gandhi attended the Kumbha fair at Hardvar and met MAHATMA MUNSHIRAMJI at his Gurukul.The Hardvar experience helped Gandhi to decide where he was to live and what he was to do.
>Gandhi decided to found the Ashram at Ahmedabad as it was an ancient centre of handloom weaving, it was likely to be the most favourable field for the revival of the cottage industry of hand spinning.
> The Satyagraha Ashram was founded on 25th May, 1915 .JIVANLAL DESAI, a barrister in Ahmedabad was the principal man to help in accommodation as he offered to let his KOCHRAB (a small village near Ahmedabad) bungalow.
>The name "SATYAGRAHA ASHRAM" was selected as coveying both their goal and method of service.
>A draft was prepared for the 'code of rules' and 'observances' for the conduct of the Ashram. Sri GURUDAS BANERJI suggested that humility should be added as one of the observances.
> When the Ashram was started there were 13 Tamilians among them and in all they were twenty-five men and women.
>Gandhi received a letter from Amritlal Thakkar about an untouchable family desirous of joining the Ashram. The family consisted of Dudabhai(a teacher in Bombay), his wife Danibehn and their daughter Lakshmi.They all agreed to abide by the rules and were accepted. Their admission created a flutter among those who had been helping the Ashram. All monetary help to the Ashram was stopped.
> During this time a Sheth gave Gandhi Rs 13,000.
> Abolition of Indentured Emigration:
•Indentured labourers were those who had emigrated from India to labour under an indenture for five years or less.
•Under the SMUTS-Gandhi Settlement of 1914,the £3 pounds tax in respect of indentured emigrants to Natal had been abolised, but the general Emigration from India still needed treatment.
• March 1916, Pt.Madan Mohan Malaviya moved a resolution in the Imperial Legislative Council for the aboltion of the indenture system. Lord Hardinge accepted the motion and announced that it will be eventually abolished in due course of the system as per the promise of His Majesty's Govt.It was a very vague assurance and Gandhi believed that people could successfully agigate for immediate redress.
> Feb 1917, Pt.Madan Mohan Malaviya asked for leave to introduce a bill for the immediate Abolition of the system.Lord Chelmsford (the Viceroy) refused permission.So Gandhi decided to tour the country for an all-India agitation.
>Gandhi began his tour from Bombay where Mr.Jehangir Petit undertook to convene the meeting under the auspices of the Imperial Citizenship Association.It was agreed to adopt July 31st as the latest date by which the abolition should be announced, a resolution to that effect was passed at the public meeting.
>Before the 31st July the Govt. announced that indentured emigrantion from India was stopped.
>1917- The Champaran tenant was bound by law to plant THREE out of every TWENTY PARTS of his land with Indigo for his landlord. This system was known as the "TINKATHIA SYSTEM"
as three 'kathas' out of twenty (which make one acre) had to be planted with indigo.
> RAJKUMAR SHUKLA was one of the agriculturists who had been under this harrow and he was filled with a passion to wash away the stain of indigo for the thousands who were suffering as he had suffered. He first met Gandhi in 1916 in Lucknow where Gandhi had gone for the Congress session and urged him to go to Champaran.He asked him to meet 'Vakil babu'( BRAJKISHORE PRASAD) who was the soul of public work in Bihar.
> in early 1917 Gandhi left for Champaran .This was his first visit to PATNA. Rajkumar Shukla took him to Rajendra Babu's place. Gandhi decided first to go to Muzaffarpur where Principal Kripalani was staying with Prof.Malkani who hosted Gandhi too. Later Gandhi went to stay with Gaya Babu.
> Gandhi wanted to know the Planters' side of the case and see the Commissioner of the division before starting the inquiry.The Commissioner bullied him and advised him to leave Tirhut.Champaran -a district of the TIRHUT division with headquarters at MOTIHARI. So he went to Motihari with his co-workers where they stayed at Babu Gorakh Prasad's place.Gandhi was served with a notice to leave Champaran.
> Gandhi offered civil resistance to the Govt. officials' orders.
•The case against Gandhi was withdrawn.
•The country had its first direct object-lesson in Civil Disobedience.
•Statements from peasants were recorde to know the ryots' grievances
•Primary schools were opened in six villages for proper village education. Much work was done for sanitation.
•Avantikabai Gokhale , Anandibai Vaishampayan became the teachers.
• Dr Dev of the Servants of India Society came to lend medical services.
•Sir EDWARD GAIT, the Lieutenant Governor asked Gandhi to see him and expressed his willingness to appoint an inquiry and invited him to be a member of the Committee. Sir FRANK SLY was appointed Chairman of the Committee.
•The Committee found in favor of the ryots and recommended that the planters should refund a portion of the exactiona made by them which the Committee had found to be unlawful and that the 'tinkathia' system should be abolished by law.
•Sir Edward Gait had a large share in getting the Committee to make a unanimous resport and in getting the agrarian bill passed in accordance with the Committee's recommendations. The planters' raj came to an end.
>1918-Gandhi received a letter from MOHANLAL PANDYA and Shankarlal Parikh telling him of the failure of crops in Kheda district.
°At the same time he received a letter from Smt.ANYAUYABAI about the condition of labour in Ahmedabad. He went to Ahmedabad. Anusuyabai had to battle against her own brother AMBALAL SARABHAI who led the fray on behalf of the mill-owners.
°Gandhi first requested the mill-owners to refer the dispute to arbitration but they refused therefore he had to advise the labourers to go on strike.He explained to them the conditions of a successful strike:
1.never to resort to violence.
2. never to molest blacklegs (strike-breakers)
3.never to depend upon alms.
4. to remain firm, no matter how long the strike continued and to earn bread during the strike by any other honest labour.
•The labourers pledged themselves at a general meeting not to resume work until either their terms were accepted or the mill-owners agreed to refer the dispute to arbitration.
•it was during this strike that Gandhi came to know intimately Vallabhbhai Patel and SHANKERLAL BANKER.The workers daily paraded the streets of the city in peaceful procession carrying their banner bearing the inscription 'EK TEK'(KEEP THE PLEDGE).
°the strike went on for TWENTY ONE DAYS.
>During this time the Ashram was at KOCHRAB and plague broke out in this village.So they decided to quit Kochrab.
°PUNJABHAI HIRACHAND (a merchant from Ahmedabad) used to serve the Ashram in number of matters in a pure and selfless spirit. He volunteered to procure suitable land for the Ashram. He hiy upon the site on the banks of Sabarmati river. The ground was infested with snakes but the general rule was not to kill the snakes. (The rule of not killing venomous reptiles had been practiced at Phoenix,Tolstoy Farm and Sabarmati)
• During the strike of the mill-hands in Ahmedabad the foundation of the Ashram weaving shed was being laid. (The PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY OF THE ASHRAM was then WEAVING, spinning had not so far been possible).
>The strike seemed to weaken and the attendance at their daily meetings began to dwindle, the strikers had begun to totter. Deeply troubled by this Gandhi declared "Unless the strikers rally and continue the strike till a settlement is reached or till they leave the mills altogether, I will not touch any food" (Gandhi's first fast for SATYAGRAHA)
>Vallabhbhai was trying to find some employment for the strikers under the Municipality. Maganalal Gandhi suggested that they could be employed for sand-filling for the foundation of weaving school at Sabarmati Ahsram.
• Sarladevi; Sheth Ambalal's wife was attched to Gandhi with the affection of a sister. Ambalal was the principal man at the back of the mill-owner's unbending attitude towards the strike. The net result of the fast was that an atmosphere of goodwill was created all round.
> ANANDSHANKAR DHRUVA intervened and was appointed the ARBITRATOR and the strike was called off after Gandhi had FASTED FOR THREE DAYS. Thus a settlement was reached after 21 days' strike.