Question map
Which of the following political methods was/were incorporated by Mahatma Gandhi? 1. Petitioning to the British 2. Village reconstruction 3. Gheraos 4. Fasts Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
Mahatma Gandhi's political repertoire was diverse, blending traditional and innovative methods. He utilized petitioning as a primary tool during his early 'Moderate' phase in South Africa and India to negotiate with the British for constitutional reforms. Village reconstruction was a cornerstone of his 'Constructive Programme,' aimed at achieving 'true freedom' through grassroots social and economic national reconstruction. Fasts (hunger strikes) were a signature method of Satyagraha, first employed by Gandhi in India during the 1918 Ahmedabad Mill Strike to exert moral pressure [1]. However, 'Gheraos' (forcible encirclement) is a post-independence labor tactic that involves physical obstruction and coercion, which contradicts Gandhi's fundamental principles of non-violence (Ahimsa) and voluntary suffering [2]. Gandhi's Satyagraha focused on non-cooperation, boycotts, and civil disobedience rather than coercive physical intimidation. Therefore, methods 1, 2, and 4 were incorporated by him.
Sources
- [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Congress View > p. 327
- [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Phase of Passive Resistance or Satyagraha (1906-1914) > p. 313