Gandhiji in Bullock Cart

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. - 09404955338, 09415777229

[e-mail]; [e-mail]

 

Gandhiji in Bullock Cart

 

A bullock cart is a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle pulled by bullocks. It is a means of transportation used since ancient times in many parts of the world. They are still used today where modern vehicles are too expensive or the infrastructure does not favor them. Used especially for carrying goods, the bullock cart is pulled by one or several bullocks. The cart is attached to a bullock team by a special chain attached to yokes, but a rope may also be used for one or two animals. The driver and any other passengers sit on the front of the cart, while load is placed in the back. Bullock cart was a popular means of transport during in period of Gandhiji. Mahatma Gandhi travelled many times in it. He described it in his letters, speeches and articles.

During the early civilization man used the animal power in his service. Like some other animals his bullocks carried his loads.  In order to draw better service from the bullocks, man invented the bullock cart. Mahatma Gandhi described, “I have come here to see an old friend of mine. Hindus and Muslims should become united; that is the desire I have expressed at every place. I hope both these communities will help me. When I started from Kathor in a small bullock-cart; I was in a hurry and as I wished, for the sake of my personal convenience, to reach here early, I did not mind when bullocks were struck with a goad. Hinduism, however, teaches us that we should not hurt cows and bullocks.”1 Mahatma Gandhi described, “I shall prefer going on foot rather than in the bullock-cart. We should not strike animals which happen to be weak. Let us remember that if any person strikes us, we abuse him. Finally, I thank you for the kindness shown to me.”2

Mahatma Gandhi described, “It is literally true that I did not stop even to wash my face. The Police Inspector [actually] said, “You may wash your face, etc., before you send your reply”, while I said to myself, “I shall do so only after sending my reply.” They arrested me when I was on my way to a village for carrying on the inquiry. They then put me in a bullock-cart and were taking me away. A senior police officer met us on the way and served the order upon me. At first he only said, “The Collector wants you.” I turned back saying nothing. I have refused to leave the District. The penalty for this crime is six months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1,000. I am awaiting further developments.”3 Mahatma Gandhi described, “We are carrying on this struggle to secure justice from the Government. Whilst coming here, I observed people using goads to urge bullocks yoked to carts or ploughs. This cruelty is unforgivable in us, especially as we claim to be protectors of cows. To save the cow we engage in big fights with Muslims, but we do not hesitate to apply goads to bullocks. It is for sins such as these that we have to suffer. I trust the use of goads will disappear from now. When, driving here in a bullock-cart from Petlad station, I saw the bullocks being pricked with a goad, I felt that refraining from wearing shoes yet driving in a cart was a far greater sin than wearing shoes.”4

Mahatma Gandhi described, “On our way, our car stopped abruptly but somehow we managed to reach Ashti. On our return trip, even the second car broke down and this time at a place where no help whatever could be had. At last we reached the outskirts of a village. It was decided to proceed thence in a bullock-cart. The journey commenced at 1 a.m. I was tired and felt sleepy too. Why should I bother to see what manner of bullocks they were and who the driver was? Even in my drowsiness I could judge that the bullocks were running at the speed of horses. At times, they would move slowly, but mostly they kept running. Who does not like to see bullocks running? I said to myself: Good. We shall reach home so much the earlier. The bullocks of this region must be good.”5

Mahatma Gandhi described, “The reception committee, therefore, made arrangements to enable me to lie down in the car or the bullock-cart. They obtained a large chadiko or chariot for me. As it had four wheels, a mattress could be spread in it and it also gave one fewer jolts. Despite this, because the road from Kotda to Kothara was terribly bad, I was taken part of the way in a palanquin. The idea of being carried in a palanquin has never appealed to me but here the alternatives before me were either to leave Kothara or to run the risk of falling ill or to ride in a palanquin; and of these alternatives even the reception committee would not permit the risk of my falling ill.”6

The body of the cart is about nine feet long and three feet broad. It is mainly a flat frame which is plain in size. It is made of bamboos. These bamboos are fixed side-wise one after another. Wooden rods may be used in place of the bamboos. On both the sides at the middle, two big wheels of wood have been fixed to this frame. At the front, two bullocks are harnessed to the cart. When the bullocks draw it, the wheels roll on and the whole structure moves. The passenger cart bears and shed over it. The goods cart bears a long basket upon itself. Mahatma Gandhi described, “I liked all this and got ready to start off for Porbandar. There was no railway in those days. It was a five days’ bullock-cart journey. I have already said that I was a coward. But at that moment my cowardice vanished before the desire to go to England, which completely possessed me. I hired a bullock-cart as far as Dhoraji, and from Dhoraji I took a camel in order to get to Porbandar a day quicker. This was my first camel-ride.”7 Mahatma Gandhi described, “So I started with my co-workers for Motihari the same day. Babu Gorakh Prasad harboured us in his home, which became a caravanserai. It could hardly contain us all. The very same day we heard that about five miles from Motihari a tenant had been illtreated. It was decided that, in company with Babu Dharanidhar Prasad, I should go and see him the next morning, and we accordingly set off for the place on elephant’s back. An elephant, by the way, is about as common in Champaran as a bullock-cart in Gujarat. We had scarcely gone half way when a messenger from the Police Superintendent overtook us and said that the latter had sent his compliments. I saw what he meant. Having left Dharanidhar Babu to proceed to the original destination, I got into the hired carriage which the messenger had brought. He then served on me a notice to leave Champaran, and drove me to my place. On his asking me to acknowledge the service of the notice, I wrote to the effect that I did not propose to comply with it and leave Champaran till my inquiry was finished. Thereupon I received a summons to take my trial the next day for disobeying the order to leave Champaran.”8

The bullock-cart is quite slow in its speed. It has to depend upon the patient and healthy bullocks. If the bullocks get tired or sick, the cart cannot work. If the bullocks get unruly on the way, the cart and the cart-man surely run into danger. The bullock-cart has a lot of advantages over other types of conveyance. The train needs the railway lines. The motor cars and the horse-coaches need plain roads. But the bullock-cart can move both on the roads and on the out of the way places. The bullock-carts can go to such places to which other sorts of wheeled traffic cannot move. Hence, the transport of goods depends very much on the bullock-carts. The making income-group can possess bullock-carts for themselves. Mahatma Gandhi described, “That you all have my blessings goes without saying. But any special feelings I may have had about my birthday, etc., have been extinguished. I have received many telegrams, some of them very beautiful. I do not know why it is but they have made no impression on me. I do not feel either that my birthday is an important day in my life. Of course one thing happened which I mentally noted. I liked the coincidence that it was also a Monday, the day of silence and the writing work went off fast and at a stretch and I felt no strain. From that time till October 2 I had to work much more than I wished or had expected. On Octobers 2 I had actually to be up by 1 a.m. to catch the train for Jaunpur and the whole of yesterday was spent in travelling and addressing meetings. The car having broken down, I had to travel by a small bullock-cart. I liked all that because it suited my way of life. Today I have taken some rest.”9 Mahatma Gandhi described, “We may not build a pucca building when a thatched cottage would do. We may not use a motor-car when a bullock-cart would serve the purpose and we must avoid the bullock-cart when the journey can be made on foot. Similarly the rigidest economy should be exercised in regulating the expenses of feeding the workers. The best course would be for all Congress organizations to get their account books inspected by some experienced person who knows how to economize public expenditure and to invite criticisms and suggestions from him for future guidance.”10

Mahatma Gandhi described, “With the Chairman of the local Harijan Seva Sangh and a sister I went the other day to a village. We were in a bullock-cart. On the way the Chairman and the sister were engaged in conversation exchanging jokes. The sister seemed to be fatigued and lay in the Chairman’s lap.”11 Mahatma Gandhi described, “No new car has arrived here at Jamnalalji’s place; he has only a horse-carriage and a bullock-cart.”12 Mahatma Gandhi described, “I too was worried by Manilal’s1 wire. In the end, I replied to him as per copy enclosed. Don’t mind having detained Mahadev there. My ways are becoming more and more rural every day. With a thick wheeled bullock-cart and several inches deep layers of dust on the roads, where is the need for hurry? But I hope now that you will come here on Tuesday.”13

Mahatma Gandhi described, “There is a new point, but I shall deal with it if there is any time left. I shall speak about the next session. Let the next session be held at a place which is not so far away from a railway station that one cannot reach there either on foot or by a bullock-cart. As for me it does not matter if the place is even fifty miles away. But then the condition should be that everyone should walk to the place. The luggage too should be taken in a bullock-cart, not a motor-car.”14 So we can see that Gandhiji wrote his experiences of bullock cart. He knew it very well that it is very useful in rural arias. The bullock-cart is very useful for us. So, it has been thriving through ages together. Age after age has passed; but the bullock-cart has maintained the same position all throughout.

 

 

 

References:

 

1. SPEECH AT MOTA VARACHHA; January 4, 1916
2. Gujarat Mitra ane Gujarat Darpan, 9-1-1916
3. LETTER TO MAGANLAL GANDHI; April 16, 1917
4. SPEECH AT DANTALI; April 17, 1918
5. VOL. 22 : 23 NOVEMBER, 1920 - 5 APRIL, 1921, Page- 500
6. VOL. 33 : 25 SEPTEMBER, 1925 - 10 FEBRUARY, 1926, Page-  183
7. VOL. 44 : 16 JANUARY, 1929 - 3 FEBRUARY, 1929, Page-  119
8. VOL. 44 : 16 JANUARY, 1929 - 3 FEBRUARY, 1929, Page-  396
9. A LETTER; October 3, 1929
10. VOL. 52 : 29 APRIL, 1931 - 1 JULY, 1931, Page-  115
11. VOL. 62 : 8 OCTOBER, 1933 - 17 JANUARY, 1934, Page- 123
12. LETTER TO PREMABEHN KANTAK; March 14, 1935
13. LETTER TO VALLABHBHAI PATEL; September 15, 1935
14. VOL. 68 : 23 SEPTEMBER, 1935 - 15 MAY, 1936, Page-  281