For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Power of Satyagraha and Mahatma Gandhi

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon; Maharashtra; India

Contact No. – 09404955338

E-mail- dr.yadav.yogendra@gandhifoundation.net

Power of Satyagraha and Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was discovered a new weapon for fighting. That weapon was Satyagraha. It is a power of soul. It is power of truth and non-violence. He discovered in South Africa. He fought by it in South Africa and India both. He knew its power. So he prepared to people of South Africa and India for it. There were many incident when he described it’s power with examples. Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “We have no hesitation in saying that the argument is entirely fallacious. Those who advance it do not understand the deep significance and the marvelous power of Satyagraha. It is a counsel of despair to say that Indians will be forced to leave South Africa in the end. We visualize no such possibility. If the Indian community can practice Satyagraha even in a small measure, there is no reason why it should have to leave this country.”1 Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “The Indians who were present at the function must have seen that such a gathering would have been impossible three years ago. Whites who would formerly have been ashamed to sit with us now come together to honour us and dine with us. We do not want to say that this is something extraordinary; we only want to draw attention to our previous degradation. It is the power of Satyagraha which has changed all this. If people exert still greater strength, we can rise much higher. We wish the Indian community takes from this gathering the lesson that there is no help like self-help. We shall grow strong in proportion to the suffering we go through.”2

Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “Mr. Kallenbach has rendered a valuable service by offering the use of his farm, but more so by deciding to live among our people. He has also agreed to look after the womenfolk in the absence of Mr. Gandhi. That any white should be moved by such a spirit must be attributed to the power of satyagraha.”3 Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “Every Indian should go through the debate on the second reading of this Bill. One will find it very instructive. Irrespective of whether or not the new Bill is suitably amended, what was said about it and the emphasis that was laid on its bearing only on the Asiatic problem are worth noting. Everyone can see that this is entirely the result of the power of Satyagraha. Lord Crewe revised the view which he had expressed in 1909 and requested General Botha to grant the Indians’ demands. As Satyagraha became protracted, the views of the Imperial Government and the Local Government underwent changes. The Act 2 of 1907 would never be repealed [it was said], and they agreed subsequently to repeal it. They accepted voluntary registration, which they earlier said they would never do. They were not prepared to permit the admission of educated Indians, but agreed to do solater under a separate law. They declared then that further than this they would never go, that it would be immoral to grant the Asiatics’ demands; the bogey of immorality has vanished now and the demands of the Asiatics have been conceded. It may be asked: what does it profit us if such a demand has been accepted? We shall consider an answer after the Bill has gone through in a form that satisfies us.”4

Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “It made me very unhappy to know that, during the recent strike, provoked no doubt by excessive cruelty or some other cause; you raised your hand in retaliation. Had I been with you, I would have had my head broken rather than allowed you to do what you did. For the future, however, I wish to put before you one important suggestion. If it should ever happen that the Government is harsh with you or that your employers ill-treat you, you should fearlessly strike work; sit yourselves down at one place, go hungry if they do not give you food, suffer yourselves to be abused and kicked and finally, if such be your lot, submit even to hanging or being shot dead, but do not waver in your faith in God. If you act thus, even the stoniest heart will melt. Such is the power of Satyagraha. Have trust in it. This alone is pure Satyagraha. It is a weapon which surpasses all weapons, all your clubs and other weapons. Cling to it therefore; it will never fail you in times of need. Good-bye to you.”5

Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “I liked very much what you did. It did not take the Commissioner1 more than a moment to come out in his true colours. I am not being censorious but I say it for your future guidance that, when the Commissioner refused to see all the members of the deputation, the secretaries would have done well, out of self-respect, to withdraw ...Mr. Pratt’s error will make things easier for the people. If he wants to ignore the Gujarat Sabha, let him. If you are strong enough, stand by the people fearlessly and advise them not to pay the assessment. If you are arrested in consequence, you will have done your duty ....Don’t worry about the results. This is what Satyagraha means. You may be sure this is the only way to win the fullest respect for ourselves. Quite likely, we may not succeed in the immediate present. It is our supreme duty to take every occasion to show in action the wonderful power of Satyagraha.”6 Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “By demonstrating to the party of violence the infallible power of Satyagraha and by giving them ample scope for inexhaustible energy, we hope to wean that party from the suicidal method of violence. What can be more potent than an absolute statement accompanied by corresponding action presented in the clearest terms possible that violence is never necessary for the purpose of securing reforms. Sir William says that the movement has great potentialities of evil. The Hon. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya is said to have retorted, “and also of good”. I would venture to improve upon the retort by saying “only of good”. It constitutes an attempt to revolutionize politics and to restore moral force to its original station. After all, the Government does not believe in an entire avoidance of violence, i.e., physical force. The message of the West which the Government of India, I presume, represent, is succinctly put by President Wilson in his speech delivered to the Peace Conference at the time of introducing the League of Nations Covenant.”7

Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “I have confidence in the power of satyagraha, that, once it has started moving in the right direction, it will take no time to spread throughout India. I am confident that we shall be able to commit civil disobedience on July 1. There is nothing in the circumstances to shake this confidence of mine. On the contrary, everything I see leads me to believe that India has come to understand the meaning of Satyagraha. I do not want to persuade you that India is ready to practice it. But I certainly want to assert that, when satyagrahis start civil disobedience, India will maintain peace and have patience. I also hope, at the same time, that, during the one month and a quarter that remain between now and July, we shall be able to so impress the Government that there may even be no need to resume satyagraha for securing the repeal of the Rowlett Act.”8

Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “Let it not be thought that the petition will serve no purpose. A petition, by itself, is a kind of education. It can help to focus the attention of the people on its subject. A petition not backed by strength or action, which itself comes to be looked upon as strength or action comes to nothing, but a petition backed by strength and action serves a most useful purpose. This Rowlett petition is of the latter type. Behind it is the incomparable power of Satyagraha; those who have taken the lead in this matter do not intend to go to sleep after having taken the signatures on it. We hope, therefore, that thousands will work to obtain signatures on it, realizing how valuable it is.”9 Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “It is hardly likely that before the 1st August there will be on the part of His Majesty’s ministers promise of a revision of the Peace Terms and the consequent suspension of the inauguration of non-cooperation. The first of August next will be as important an event in the history of India as was the 6th of April last year. The sixth of April marked the beginning of the end of the Rowlett Act. No one can consider, the Rowlett Act can possibly live in the face of the agitation that has only been suspended—never given up. It must be clear to anyone that the power that wrests justice from an unwilling Government in the matter of the Punjab and the khilafat will be the power that will secure repeal of the Rowlett Act. And that power is the power of Satyagraha whether it is known by the name of civil disobedience or non-co-operation.”10

Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “It is the beauty of Satyagraha that it can be offered even by a lone individual. I can well understand that because of my opinion against the holding of the conference the public may feel confused. But anyone who is convinced that my view is right can remove this confusion by employing the tremendous power of Satyagraha. A satyagrahi need not be discouraged even by opposition from me. I may be vain enough to believe that I alone know the science of Satyagraha, but I certainly have no monopoly in under-standing it. A friend has published a book on this subject, in which he has tried to prove that my Satyagraha is relatively imperfect, while his is of the most perfect kind. I hope to acquaint the reader with this book some time or other. New discoveries will continue to be made about the uses of Satyagraha and the methods of organizing it. Anyone who has confidence in himself ought to take the plunge and proceed with his plan. There is only one rule that cannot be violated, for it is part of the very definition of Satyagraha. It is that a satyagrahi demonstrates his faith in what he regards as truth not by making others suffer, but by suffering himself.”11 Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “Let me offer you a few concrete suggestion in this connection. If you accept the approach that I have indicated, I would like all the seven of you, whom the Sardar has nominated, to go to Durbar Virawala and tell him that you have decided to relieve me of all responsibility in connection with Rajkot, that you would also like to relieve the Paramount Power too of its responsibility in this behalf and rely instead entirely on your capacity to induce him to implement the Notification of December 26. Ask him to tell you as to what you should do to win his heart. Hold yourself in readiness to drain to the last the bitter cup of personal indignities and humiliations. It was only when I had learnt to reduce myself to a zero that I was able to evolve the power of Satyagraha in South Africa.”12

Mahatma Gandhi described the the power of Satyagraha; “I do not want to stand in the way of those who want to fight at once. But if they have any sense of honour, I should advise them to do so after getting out of the Congress. Let me assure them that, if they put up a non-violent fight and carry it through, I shall follow their lead. Of course it is open to them to remain in the Congress and to defy it, but it will not be Satyagraha. Those who are impatient today do not know the power of satyagraha.”13 Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “If the Nazis come to India, the Congress will give them the same fight that it has given Great Britain. I do not underrate the power of Satyagraha as the questioner does. But that is pure speculation. Imperialism has kept its grip on India for more than 150 years. If it is overthrown by a worse type of rule, the Congress can have the negative satisfaction of knowing that no other ‘ism’ can possibly last beyond a few years even if it establishes a foothold in India.”14

Mahatma Gandhi described the power of Satyagraha; “We are passing through a crisis in our history. Danger besets us on all sides. But we shall convert it into our opportunity, if we realize the power of Satyagraha than which there is nothing more potent on earth.”15 On this way we can say that Mahatma Gandhi and public of India had gotten freedom by the power of Satyagraha. We can use it for finding the solution of problems.

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