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Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, his full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who was an Indian lawyer,anti-nationalist, and political ethicist. Mahatma Gandhi was responsible for employing nonviolent resistance and led a successful campaign for India’s Independence from the British government rule which to date is considered to be the most inspiring movement for civil rights and freedom all across the world.

Mahatma Gandhi was born and raised in a Hindu family in Gujarat, India. His father’s name was Karamchand Gandhi and his mother’s name was Putili bai. From an early age, his mother made sure to teach him the importance of honesty and nonviolence. Mahatma Gandhi trained in law at the inner temple, London, and was called to practice at the age of 22 but due to some circumstances, he was unable to practice law in India which led to him moving to South Africa in n1893, to represent an Indian merchant in a lawsuit. Mahatma Gandhi went on and lived twenty-one years in South Africa where he raised a family. During his stay in South Africa, he had to face a lot of discrimination due to the fact that he was an Indian. There was an incident where he was thrown out of a train only because he refused to give up his seat for a white man. 

In the year 1915, at the age of 45, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India and organized nonviolent farmers and urban labourers to protest against the excessive land tax and the discrimination they were facing against British rule. After being appointed to be the leader of the national congress in the year 1921, Mahatma Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for expanding women’s rights, building religious and ethnic amity, and erasing or easing poverty, ending untouchability, and above all achieving swaraj or self-rule. 

Mahatma Gandhi was able to achieve the mission of independent India where the Indians are respected for who they are on August 15, 1947. He was able to enlighten people and also gave people an opportunity to make a difference in society. Throughout his career as a political leader, Gandhi has given a few speeches that led to different independence movements. Gandhi was a leader, a leader who the people of the country trusted with all of their hearts, a leader who inspired everyone to take part in a better future through his speeches. There have been many speeches of Mahatma Gandhi that led to Indian Independence. 

In this article, we are going to discuss in detail all the famous Mahatma Gandhi speeches and the impact they had on the people, and also the role they played in getting India its independence. Along with the discussion of the Gandhi speeches, we are also gonna answer the frequently asked questions on Mahatma Gandhi famous speech

Mahatma Gandhi Famous Speech

Mahatma Gandhi or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, political leader, freedom fighter, and anti-nationalist. He was one of the greatest leaders of our country. He along with other freedom fighters is majorly responsible for the Indian Independence from British rule. He has been known all around the world for his nonviolent approach to fighting against inequality and other issues which directly violate human rights. Mahatma Gandhi was a very good leader and one quality of a leader that is common all around the world is that they are able to guide the people for a better future and also help everyone to fight against discrimination. Because of his leadership quality, he was imprisoned by the British government many times. The determination of Mahatma Gandhi for Indian Independence led to a movement where every person throughout the country was united to non violently fight against the British government and this determination of Mahatma Gandhi shook the foundation of the entire British Rule. 

Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday is on October 2nd and every year it is celebrated in India as Gandhi Jayanthi, a national holiday, and worldwide his birthday is celebrated as the International Day of nonviolence. Mahatma Gandhi is considered the father of the nation all across India and is also called Bapu. He is remembered for his words of wisdom in his great deeds and struggles for the country. On the occasion of the 151st birthday of Mahatma Gandhi let us all look into a few of the greatest speeches of Mahatma Gandhi that led to the freedom of our country. These speeches are considered

to be the ashes that ignited the fire inside every Indian all across the country to fight for Indian independence. 

Best Gandhi Speeches

Banaras Hindu University Speech (February 04, 1916)

Dandi March Speech (11th of March 1930)

Round Table Conference Speech (30th of November 1931)

The Quit India Movement Speech (8th of August 1942)

Speech on Kashmir Issue, At a Prayer Meeting (4th of January 1948)

Speech on the Day Before His Last Fast (12th of January 1948)

On February 04, 1916, Mahatma Gandhi was invited by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya to speak on the occasion of the opening of the Banaras Hindu University. Among Mahatma Gandhi, the other invited guests were The royal kings and princes, Annie Besant. Everyone was in shock at the speech which Gandhi gave that day. Mahatma Gandhi mainly focused on the importance of the Indian language while he was giving the speech. 

Mahatma Gandhi was sharply criticizing the overuse of the English language and also demanded self-government or Independent India had jolted the audience for the first time. During this speech, he also showed signs of taking on the leadership of the country’s freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi also made sure to discuss the importance of cleanliness especially in public areas and in trains. He also said that if we as Indians are not able to clean the places where we worship or travel, how can we ever be able to manage the government.

Mahatma Gandhi during his speech also challenged the British government and demanded an Independent India and also made sure to give the British government a message that if India is not given independence then we will forcefully take it by ourselves via the nonviolent way. This was the very first speech that went on and grew into a wildfire culminating in India’s freedom from the British government. 

On 11th March 1930, there was a mass gathering of more than ten thousand people and there was an evening prayer held on the Sabarmati sands at Ahmedabad. It was on that evening that Mahatma Gandhi delivered the famous Dandi March speech. The speech which he gave during that evening mainly was a roadmap of the famous civil disobedience movement. He made sure to let the people know that no matter what happens after the march and if he lives or dies, the mode of operation should be nonviolence and peace. Every section of the society was invited to come forward and participate in the civil disobedience movement. The march started with the manufacturing of salt from the seawater along with the followers and also called upon every fellow Indians to defy the taxes which were imposed by the British government. He asked all the Indians to give up foreign clothes and liquor, resist taxes imposed by the government and the British courts and offices. This speech had such an impact that not only did this speech ask every Indian to join the freedom struggle and also challenged colonial rule but also decades later influenced the Civil rights movement in the United States of America. Mahatma Gandhi also requested all the women to participate in the march and said that they should come forward and stand shoulder to shoulder with the men in the struggle. The Dandi March speech is considered to be a very important event as it introduced the term ‘satyagraha’ in every Indian psyche. 

The round table conference speech was given by Mahatma Gandhi at the round table conference which was held in London on 30th November 1931. During this conference, the British tried to convince all the Indian leaders to accept the British government and all the rules and laws citing communal disharmony. The bold and courageous Mahatma Gandhi called the British bluff and showed the unity of Indians and the spirit. He said that the people of India are united and there is no disharmony between them due to religion. There were actually no conflicts between the people with different religions but as soon as the Britishers arrived and along with them the policies, there was a division among the people of India. 

Mahatma Gandhi was bold enough to demand the British to offer self-government activity to India through his speech. 

On the day of the Quit India movement, Mahatma Gandhi gave a speech to the people at the Kranti ground in Bombay. The speech of Mahatma Gandhi included many important points but mostly in his speech he focused on the idea and the importance of non-violence. He said that to get independence everyone should follow a nonviolent approach and the draft resolution of the working committee of the congress is written on the foundation of ahimsa and anyone who does not trust the nonviolence approach to attain independence can separate themselves from the operation. 

During this speech, he gave many examples and the situations of the resolutions from history which were fought with the weapons and eventually lost. He said that a person who fights for freedom with only the violent approach will have the blood of his comrades on his hands. He made sure to let the people know that we as Indians are fighting against the non-democratic British rule and its government and not the British people. He said to not hate or have a sour feeling for other English people but to treat everyone with respect. Mahatma Gandhi finally concluded the speech by saying the very famous slogan ‘’Do or die’’. The slogan was a message to every Indian across the country that made sure to say that the fight for the independence of India is the endgame and no one will stop until and unless we get what we want. The Quit India movement speech became an open challenge to the British government from Mahatma Gandhi who was speaking for the millions of Indians across the country to give our country independence. 

On the 4th of January 1948, after the evening of the prayer meeting, Mahatma Gandhi had to discuss the tension which arose between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. From the beginning, Mahatma Gandhi did not want any kind of conflicts between India and Pakistan as he was a follower of peace and nonviolence from the beginning. He was a firm believer that anything could be solved by discussing and therefore he wanted that India and Pakistan should initiate a dialogue system to find a solution to the problem. From the beginning, he did not support the idea of partitioning as he believed that if India went through partition there would be conflicts in the future based on religion. He always believed that we Indians are the strongest when we are united together irrespective of whatever religion we belong to. After the partition was done and when the conflict arose between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, Mahatma Gandhi highlighted the importance of the United Nations in initiating a settlement between the two countries. 

India had achieved independence but it was achievable through the hard work of many people and it came with a terrible price which the people of India are still paying. Mahatma Gandhi was a firm believer of nonviolence and peace among everyone but when he saw the communal riots happening in front of him, that broke him completely. The one thing which he believed and fought for was peace and a country where everyone is free but he was seeing a sight where people were fighting based on religion, he was devastated by it. Mahatma Gandhi was surrounded by sorrows and he started to fast to spread communal love, harmony, nonviolence, and respect to each other. In this speech, Mahatma Gandhi highlighted the importance of fast as a penalty and he also requested communal harmony between all the communities in India. He was very disappointed by the enmity shown by people belonging to different religions. The speech on the day before his fast was the last recorded speech of Mahatma Gandhi before he was assassinated. 

Conclusion on Mahatma Gandhi Famous Speeches

It has been more than 70 years since Indian Independence from the British government and still, the Gandhi speeches are relevant in modern times. Mahatma Gandhi’s speeches are the best example of how words could change and inspire people to do the work. When Indians were tortured and discriminated against and were not given basic human rights, Mahatma Gandhi rose to the occasion and fought for those people. He taught us the concept of nonviolence and how it could win a war without even raising a sword. Mahatma Gandhi's famous speeches have inspired people all across the world to fight for their rights in a nonviolent way. Even to this day where everything is developing within a matter of days, there has been violence and crimes all across the world. Crime based on the name of religions, discrimination of people based on their colour. Gandhi showed us the way to fight all these discriminations and it was the way of ‘Ahimsa’ or nonviolence. The path that was shown by Mahatma Gandhi is very essential to make the world the best and peaceful. 

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FAQs on Famous Speeches of Mahatma Gandhi

1. List Out all the Important Mahatma Gandhi Famous Speeches?

Throughout his fight for independent India, Mahatma Gandhi has given six speeches that are considered to be the most important and they are 

Benaras Hindu University Speech (February 04, 1916)

2. Which was the Last Gandhi Speech?

On the 12 th of January 1948, Mahatma Gandhi gave his last speech which is called the “Speech on the day before his last fast”. He was fasting to send a message to the people of India to stop killing each other in the name of religion. Gandhi was a firm believer in nonviolence and when he saw that his people were fighting and disturbing the peace and harmony of the country just because of religion, he decided to fast which he considered was a penalty for all the violence happening in the country, In his speech, he said that he did not fight for the country just to see its people fighting each other based and religion. This is considered to be his last speech before his assassination. 

3. I would like to find more about Mahatma Gandhi, where can I find it?

In the year 1869, on the second of October Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in a small city situated in the Kathiawar peninsula, called Porbandar. Mahatma Gandhi studied law at the inner temple, London, but at the age of 22 when he returned back to India for the practice, he could not find much employment. And hence went to South Africa in 1983, in order to represent the Indian merchant in a lawsuit. And after returning from there he joined the Indian freedom struggle. 

4. Where can I find the best speeches of Mahatma Gandhi?

If you are looking for the famous and the best speeches on Mahatma Gandhi, then you do not have to go anywhere else, because you have already arrived at the right place, that is to say, you can find the best speeches of Mahatma Gandhi at Vedantu. Though all the speeches that Mahatma Gandhi has given are the best and great, Vedantu has selected six speeches out of many, and Vedantu provides the same to the students, and that too in English.

5. Why choose Vedantu for the best speeches of Mahatma Gandhi?

Throughout his entire life Mahatma Gandhi had given so many speeches and in each speech of Mahatma Gandhi teaches us something, but Vedantu has selected the six speeches given on the six most important time periods of Indian history and provides these speeches to the students to read and learn life lessons. Also, Vedantu provides all the speeches in English and hence for the students of English medium, it becomes really easy to understand and comprehend the same. And hence you must choose Vedantu for the best speeches of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mahatma Gandhi Speech in English for Students

Mahatma Gandhi Speech – It is indeed rare for someone to create as great an impact on a nation as Mahatma Gandhi did with India. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who has the honorific Mahatma added to his name, was an Indian lawyer, politician, and anti-colonial nationalist. Furthermore, Gandhi came forward with the highly successful nonviolent resistance against  British rule. Moreover, this man was inspired by several civil rights and freedom movements across the world.

Mahatma Gandhi Speech

Mahatma Gandhi came into this world on October 2, 1869. This great personality was born in an Indian Gujarati family. Law training of this man took place at the Inner Temple in London. The making of his greatness took place in South Africa.  It was here that Mahatma Gandhi spent a significant part of his life.

Furthermore, in South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi raised his family. Most noteworthy, it was here that Gandhi fought for civil rights by employing nonviolent resistance.

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Life-Changing Events

When Mahatma Gandhi came to South Africa, he had to deal with racial discrimination due to his skin color. Once while traveling on a stagecoach along with Europeans, he was asked to sit near the driver on the floor. Mahatma Gandhi came forward with his refusal as clearly this was a great humiliation for him. Consequently, Gandhi had to suffer beating because of his refusal.

In another incident, Mahatma Gandhi was forcefully made to quit a train at Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. This was due to his adamant refusal to quit the first-class. Consequently, he spent the entire night shivering in the train station. Such events of pure racial discrimination were certainly instrumental in shaping the ideology of this great man. Ultimately, Mahatma Gandhi began to question the standing of his people in the British Empire.

Struggle for Independence

Mahatma Gandhi came back to India in 1915. By this time, there was a significant escalation in the reputation of this man. Furthermore, Mahatma Gandhi became famous as a leading Indian nationalist. After his return, Gandhi became part of the Indian National Congress. In 1920, this man took leadership of the Congress.

As part of the freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi launched important movements like Champaran Satyagraha, Kheda Satyagraha, Khilafat, Non-Co-operation, Salt Satyagraha, Civil Disobedience, and Quit India. This shows the immense contribution of this man towards Indian independence.

Nonviolence

Mahatma Gandhi was a huge advocate of nonviolence. In fact, we can safely say that he was the originator of the principle of nonviolence. Furthermore, he was the first person to apply this concept on such a massive political scale. This man always preached people regarding the importance of ahimsa or non-violence.

If you want to learn more about Gandhi’s ideas regarding nonviolence or ahimsa, then refer to his famous autobiography “The Story of My Experiments with Truth”.

One incidence which clearly shows Mahatma Gandhi’s staunch support for nonviolence was the Chauri-Chaura incident. In this incident, angry demonstrators attacked a police station and set fire to the police. Consequently, there was the death of twenty-two policemen. Most noteworthy, there was the halting of the ongoing successful non-co-operation movement by Gandhi due to this incident.

He took this decision to halt the non-co-operation movement because he was strictly against the violence of any kind. He was a staunch man who would never tolerate the tarnishing of his movement with any kind of violence.

Mahatma Gandhi was a man who gave his whole life to the nation. No doubt people refer to him as the father of the nation. His empathy for the poor, oppressed, and lower caste people is absolutely unparalleled. This great man continues to command respect not only in India but all over the world.

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Famous Speeches of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi does not need any sort of introduction. He was one of the great leaders of our country and a man who was majorly responsible for the Indian independence. He was the pioneer in using non-violence as a weapon to fight against much bigger and powerful enemies. He was imprisoned many times in his life fighting for the Indian freedom and faced tortures of British government. The courage and strong determination of this man shook the foundation of the British rule.

Mahatma Gandhi Speeches during Freedom Struggle of India in English

Mahatma Gandhi’s speeches are a guiding soul and an inspiration for every individuals of this world.

He delivered many speeches at various places and occasions during his freedom struggle which were of great value and importance.

We have collected and summarized some of the top speeches of Mahatma Gandhi given by Him at various events during freedom struggle.

These Mahatma Gandhi speeches will help you to understand the ideology and thoughts of this great man.

Speech at Madras Reception – 21st April 1915

“If there is anything that we have deserved, as has been stated in this beautiful address, I can only say I lay it at the feet of my Master under whose inspiration I have been working all this time under exile in South Africa”

“In the great city of Johannesburg, the Madarasis look on a Madrasis as dishonored if he has not passed through the jails once or twice during this terrible crisis that your countrymen in South Africa went through during these eight long years”

Mahatma Gandhi was welcomed in Madras in 1915. The speech he delivered in Madras was mostly a thanksgiving speech and basically a narration of the struggle in South Africa. He also emphasized the participation and sacrifices of the Indians in South Africa at the time of civil rights crisis. It was the speech given in reply to the welcomed address by Mr. G. A. Natesan on behalf of South African League.

Mahatma Gandhi Speech at Banaras Hindu University – 4 th Feb 1916

“It is a matter of deep humiliation and shame for us that I am compelled this evening under the shadow of this great college, in this sacred city, to address my countrymen in a language that is foreign to me…”

“If even our temples are not models of roominess and cleanliness, what can our self-government be?”

“If we are to receive self-government, we shall have to take it. We shall never be granted self-government”

On the occasion of the opening of the Banaras Hindu University, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya invited Mahatma Gandhi to speak on the occasion. Gandhiji mainly focused on the importance of Indian language for the basic communication and speeches and castigated the use of English language. He also discussed the importance of cleanliness especially in Temples and Trains and said that if we are not able to clean our temples and city then how will we able to manage self-government.

He also challenged the British government demanding India’s independence and said that if India is not given the self-government then we will be forced to take it by own. Gandhiji speech was considered as the act of courage and it was one of the first speeches in which Mahatma Gandhi fiercely demanded the independence from the British rule and was considered as the seed of his independence movement.

The Great Trial of 1922 – 18th March 1922

“I do not plead any extenating act. I am here, therefore, to invite and cheerfully submit to the highest penalty that can be inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberate crime, and what appears to me to be the highest duty of a citizen”

“I came reluctantly to the conclusion that the British connection had made India more helpless than she ever was before, politically and economically ”

The speech given by Mahatma Gandhi in the Great Trial of 1922 was a legal statement rather being a speech. Mahatma Gandhi was convicted for spreading dissatisfactions against the British Rule. Mahatma Gandhi had given his statement to the Judge and pleaded that he accepts all the charges, and demands for the highest penalty.

He accepted that he was sole responsible for some non-violence incidents happened during his movement. The Judge in the court was completely shaken by the determination of a man cladded in white piece of cloth as this was the first time when a convict demanded the penalty for himself. Gandhiji also criticized the British government for their oppressive and cruel policies in India.

Speech on the Eve of Dandi March – 11th March 1930

“ Let there be not a semblance of breach of peace even after all of us have been arrested. We have resolved to utilize all our resources in the pursuit of an exclusively nonviolent struggle. Let no one commit a wrong in anger. This is my hope and prayer”

“The history is full of instances of men who rose to leadership, by sheer force of self-confidence, bravery and tenacity. We too, if we sincerely aspire to Swaraj and are impatient to attain it, should have similar self-confidence”

“Let all who are co-operating with the Government in one way or another, be it by paying taxes, keeping titles, or sending children to official schools, etc. withdraw their co-operation in all or as many watts as possible. Then there are women who can stand shoulder to shoulder with men in this struggle”

On the eve of Dandi March Mahatma Gandhi addressed a mass gathering of around 10000 people. The speech he gave was mostly a roadmap of the civil disobedience movement. He pressurized that whether he lives or not after the Dandi march, the mode of operation must always be peace and non-violence. He invited every section of the society to come forward and take part in the civil disobedience movement and break the laws of the British government.

He also emphasized the women participation in the movement and said that they should come forward and stand shoulder to shoulder with men. The effect of his speech had a long term effect when the civil disobedience movement started from a pinch of salt spread on a mass scale across the nation.

Speech at the Round Table Conference – 30th November 1931

“Were Hindus and Mussalmans and Sikhs always at war with one another when there was no British rule, when there was no English face seen there? We have chapter and verse given to us by Hindu historians and by Mussalman historians to say that we were living in comparative peace even then. And Hindus and Mussalmans in the villages are not even today quarrelling”

“Let India get what she is entitled to and what she can really take, but whatever she gets, and whenever she gets it, let the Frontier Province get complete autonomy today”

“It will be one of the richest treasures that I shall carry with me. Here, too, I have found nothing but courtesy and nothing but a genuine affection from all with whom I have come in touch. I have come in touch with so many Englishmen. It has been a priceless privilege to me”

This was the speech given by Mahatma Gandhi at the round table conference in London in the presence of Indian and British political leaders. Gandhiji politely criticized the divide and rule policy of the Britishers and said the people and religions of India were residing in peace and there were no conflicts between them, it was the arrival of the Britishers and their policies which started dividing the people of India.

He also kept the demand to provide the self-government status to India through his speech. He thanked the people of England for extending the arm of friendship and for the utmost courtesy and affection given by the Englishmen.

The Quit India Movement Speech – 8th August 1942

“Ours is not a drive for power, but purely a non-violent fight for India’s independence. In a violent struggle, a successful general has been often known to effect a military coup and to set up a dictatorship. But under the Congress scheme of things, essentially non-violent as it is, there can be no room for dictatorship”

“People may laugh, nevertheless that is my claim. At a time when I may have to launch the biggest struggle of my life, I may not harbour hatred against anybody”

“I have pledged the Congress and the Congress will do or die”

On the eve of ‘Quit India’ movement Mahatma Gandhi addressed people at the August Kranti Ground, Bombay. The speech of Gandhiji included many important points but mostly it was more prominent in describing the importance of ‘Ahimsa’ or Non-Violence. He said that the draft resolution of the working committee of Congress is written on the foundation of non-violence and anyone who does not have faith in non-violence can politely separate himself from the resolution.

He also cited many examples of revolutions from the history which were fought with weapons and lost. He also affirmed that our fight is against the British rule and not the British people so the people of India should avoid the sour feeling of hatred against the Englishmen. The appeal to the United Nations to discharge their obligations in declaring free India was also an important aspect of the Quit India speech.

He concluded his speech by giving the slogan”Do or Die” pledging to fight for the Indian independence or die fighting for it.  The speech was an open challenge to the British government from the Mahatma Gandhi towards the road of Independent India.

Speech on Kashmir Issue, At a Prayer Meeting – 4th January 1948

“Today there is talk of war everywhere. Everyone fears a war breaking out between the two countries. If that happens it will be a calamity both for India and for Pakistan”

 “I shall therefore humbly say to the responsible leaders of Pakistan that though we are now two countries – which is a thing I never wanted – we should at least try to arrive at an agreement so that we could live as peaceful neighbors ”

In a prayer meeting on 04 th January, 1948 Mahatma Gandhi discussed the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir Issue. As a follower of non-violence and peace Gandhiji never wanted any conflicts between India and Pakistan. He was always a supporter of a dialogue system and wanted that both the countries should initiate a dialogue system and find a solution of the problem. He also emphasized the importance of the United Nations in initiating a settlement between the two countries.

Speech on the Day before his Last Fast – 12th January 1948

“The fast begins from the first meal tomorrow…It will end when and if I am satisfied that there is a reunion of hearts of all the communities brought about without any outside pressure, but from an awakened sense of duty”

“Death for me would be a glorious deliverance rather than that I should be a helpless witness of the destruction of India, Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam”

Mahatma Gandhi was completely devastated by the recent communal riots. He was encircled by the sorrows of the aftermath of the riots. He started the fast to spread the communal harmony, love and respect towards each others. It was the last recorded speech of Mahatma Gandhi just few weeks before his assassination.

In the speech he emphasized on the importance of fast as a penalty and protest against the wrong doing. He requested for the communal harmony between all the communities of the country. He was so much disappointed by the enmity of the religions that he said that it was better to die than to see India killed by its own people.

It had been more than 70 years since our independence but the speeches given by Mahatma Gandhi are even relevant in the modern times. It is the call of the time to follow the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi and walk on the path shown by him. Now in the world when there is a competition of developing nuclear weapons, the non-violence teachings of Mahatma Gandhi become more important. The path shown by Gandhiji is very essential to create a peaceful and weaponless world.

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Speeches and Writings of M. K. Gandhi

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SPEECHES AND WRITINGS

M. K. GANDHI

an introduction by

MR. C. F. ANDREWS

and a biographical sketch

THIRD EDITION

G. A. NATESAN & CO., MADRAS

RUPEES THREE

religious prophets as Confucius and Lao-tse, Buddha, Zoroaster and Mohammed, and, most truly of all, the Nazarene ! Out of Asia, at long intervals of time, have arisen these inspired witnesses of God. One "by one they have appeared to teach men by precept and example the law of life, and thereivith to save the race. To-day, in this our time, there comes another of this sacred line, the Mahatma of India. In all reverence and with due regard for historic fact, I match this man with Jesus Christ: — Rev. Dr. Holmes.

PUBLISHERS' NOTE

This is an exhaustive, comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date edition of Mr. Gandhi's Speeches and Writings revised and considerably amplified, with the addition of a large number of articles from Young India' and Navajivan (rendered int English.) The-inclusion of these papers have almost doubled the size of the old edition and the present collection runs to about 1,000 pages of well-arranged matter ranging over the whole period of Mr. Gandhi's public life. It opens with a succinct biographical sketch of Mr. Gandhi bringing the account of his life down to the historic trial and sentence. The Volume begins with the Indian South African Question and covers his views on indentured labour and Indians in the Colonies, his jail experiences in South Africa, his pronouncements on the Khaira and Champaran affairs, his discourses on Rowlatt Bills and Satyagraha, and finally his Young India and Navajivan articles on the Non-Cooperation movement, including select papers on the Khilafat and Punjab wrongs, the Congress, Swadeshi, Boycott, Charka , National Education and Swaraj. The additional chapters are arranged under suitable headings and include his messages on the eve of and after the arrest, his statement before the court, the trial and judgment. ​ Then follows a symposium of appreciations from such diverse men as Tolstoy and Tagore, Prof. Gilbert Murray and Dr. Holmes of New York besides excerpts from the British and American press. The book which is bound in cloth and indexed contains portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Gandhi and three characteristic pictures of Mr. Gandhi taken at different periods of his life.

May , 1922 .

G. A. NATESAN & CO. ​

Introduction (p. 21 )

M. K. Gandhi: A Sketch (p. 27 )

South African Indian Question

Jail Experiences

Passive Resistance

The Champaran Enquiry

The Kaira Question

Earlier Indian Speeches

The Rowlatt Bills & Satyagraba

Non-Co-Operation

On the Eve of Arrest

After the Arrest

The Great Trial

Jail Life in India

Miscellaneous

Appendix II — Appreciations.

Related Books (p. 986 )

Index (p. 987 )

Related Books and Eminent Orientalists (p. 995 )

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The Quit India speech is a speech made by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942, on the eve of the Quit India movement. He called for determined, but passive resistance that signified the certitude that Gandhi foresaw for the movement, best described by his call to Do or Die. His speech was issued at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay (now Mumbai), since renamed August Kranti Maidan (August Revolution Ground). However, almost the entire Congress leadership, and not merely at the national level, was put into confinement less than twenty-four hours after Gandhi’s speech, and the greater number of the Congress leaders were to spend the rest of the war in jail. Gandhi made this speech to help India gain independence.

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speech in english mahatma gandhi

The Mahatma

Ashram Tour

On The Eve Of Historic Dandi March (11-3-1930)

Dandi March

[On the 11th of March 1930, the crowd swelled to 10,000 at the evening prayer held on the Sabarmati sands at Ahmedabad. At the end, Gandhiji delivered a memorable speech on the eve of his historic march:]

In all probability this will be my last speech to you. Even if the Government allow me to march tomorrow morning, this will be my last speech on the sacred banks of the Sabarmati. Possibly these may be the last words of my life here.

I have already told you yesterday what I had to say. Today I shall confine myself to what you should do after my companions and I are arrested. The programme of the march to Jalalpur must be fulfilled as originally settled. The enlistment of the volunteers for this purpose should be confined to Gujarat only. From what I have been and heard during the last fortnight, I am inclined to believe that the stream of civil resisters will flow unbroken.

But let there be not a semblance of breach of peace even after all of us have been arrested. We have resolved to utilize all our resources in the pursuit of an exclusively nonviolent struggle. Let no one commit a wrong in anger. This is my hope and prayer. I wish these words of mine reached every nook and corner of the land. My task shall be done if I perish and so do my comrades. It will then be for the Working Committee of the Congress to show you the way and it will be up to you to follow its lead. So long as I have reached Jalalpur, let nothing be done in contravention to the authority vested in me by the Congress. But once I am arrested, the whole responsibility shifts to the Congress. No one who believes in non-violence, as a creed, need, therefore, sit still. My compact with the Congress ends as soon as I am arrested. In that case volunteers. Wherever possible, civil disobedience of salt should be started. These laws can be violated in three ways. It is an offence to manufacture salt wherever there are facilities for doing so. The possession and sale of contraband salt, which includes natural salt or salt earth, is also an offence. The purchasers of such salt will be equally guilty. To carry away the natural salt deposits on the seashore is likewise violation of law. So is the hawking of such salt. In short, you may choose any one or all of these devices to break the salt monopoly.

We are, however, not to be content with this alone. There is no ban by the Congress and wherever the local workers have self-confidence other suitable measures may be adopted. I stress only one condition, namely, let our pledge of truth and nonviolence as the only means for the attainment of Swaraj be faithfully kept. For the rest, every one has a free hand. But, than does not give a license to all and sundry to carry on their own responsibility. Wherever there are local leaders, their orders should be obeyed by the people. Where there are no leaders and only a handful of men have faith in the programme, they may do what they can, if they have enough self-confidence. They have a right, nay it is their duty, to do so. The history of the is full of instances of men who rose to leadership, by sheer force of self-confidence, bravery and tenacity. We too, if we sincerely aspire to Swaraj and are impatient to attain it, should have similar self-confidence. Our ranks will swell and our hearts strengthen, as the number of our arrests by the Government increases.

Much can be done in many other ways besides these. The Liquor and foreign cloth shops can be picketed. We can refuse to pay taxes if we have the requisite strength. The lawyers can give up practice. The public can boycott the law courts by refraining from litigation. Government servants can resign their posts. In the midst of the despair reigning all round people quake with fear of losing employment. Such men are unfit for Swaraj. But why this despair? The number of Government servants in the country does not exceed a few hundred thousands. What about the rest? Where are they to go? Even free India will not be able to accommodate a greater number of public servants. A Collector then will not need the number of servants, he has got today. He will be his own servant. Our starving millions can by no means afford this enormous expenditure. If, therefore, we are sensible enough, let us bid good-bye to Government employment, no matter if it is the post of a judge or a peon. Let all who are co-operating with the Government in one way or another, be it by paying taxes, keeping titles, or sending children to official schools, etc. withdraw their co-operation in all or as many watts as possible. Then there are women who can stand shoulder to shoulder with men in this struggle.

You may take it as my will. It was the message that I desired to impart to you before starting on the march or for the jail. I wish that there should be no suspension or abandonment of the war that commences tomorrow morning or earlier, if I am arrested before that time. I shall eagerly await the news that ten batches are ready as soon as my batch is arrested. I believe there are men in India to complete the work our begun by me. I have faith in the righteousness of our cause and the purity of our weapons. And where the means are clean, there God is undoubtedly present with His blessings. And where these three combine, there defeat is an impossibility. A Satyagrahi, whether free or incarcerated, is ever victorious. He is vanquished only, when he forsakes truth and nonviolence and turns a deaf ear to the inner voice. If, therefore, there is such a thing as defeat for even a Satyagrahi, he alone is the cause of it. God bless you all and keep off all obstacles from the path in the struggle that begins tomorrow.

Mahatma, Vol. III (1952), pp. 28-30 Source: Selected works of Mahatma Gandhi Volume-Six

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As the Indian subcontinent moved towards freedom, it was engulfed by unprecedented violence. Gandhiji prayer speeches became the medium through which he appealed for calm and sanity. These prayer speeches were recorded by the All India Radio and relayed across the subcontinent. A collection is presented here.

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Mahatma Gandhi Speech in English for Students

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Mahatma Gandhi was one of the national leaders who fought for the Indian Independence. In fact, he was the one who led the successful campaign for India’s Independence from British rule. Gandhi was a student of law, but he gave up his profession and chose to fight for his nation. According to him, “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” He followed non-violence and believed that violence was not the answer to everything.

He said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”, and that is exactly what he did with his life. He was the change. He did what was necessary for the freedom of his fellow citizens and cared the least about his own life. He spearheaded numerous movements that led to his arrest and a lot of other life threatening situations.

Gandhi was called ‘Mahatma’ for a reason. He was a great soul in the eyes of his fellow Indians. His continuous efforts and perseverance are what brought all the leaders and people together to stand against the British. He made everyone believe that, together, they could win their country back.

There are many people we look up to as role models. Mahatma Gandhi can for sure be on that list as one of the greatest leaders in history. To be a leader like him is what one should aspire to be. To stand in front, take the first hit and live an exemplary life paving the way for future leaders to be.

“My life is my message”, said Mahatma Gandhi. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, was a lawyer, social activist, politician and writer. He became the head of the nationalist movement for Indian Independence. It is for his unassuming acts that he has been hailed as the Father of the Nation. It is to honour him that we celebrate Gandhi Jayanti on the 2 nd of October every year, which is also declared as a national holiday.

He played a very prominent role in India’s freedom struggle. Movements like the Dandi March, the Quit India Movement, the Non-Cooperation Movement, etc., were carried out under his leadership. Anyone who knows how life was in the pre-independent India would never fail to appreciate the kind of work Mahatma Gandhi has done for the country. Today is just another day to remind each of us how grateful we should be and the kind of life we should aspire to lead. Let us all try our best to start living our lives in a much more meaningful way, one day at a time. Let us also inspire the younger generation to work hard for the progress of our country, for the future of our country is in our hands.

What are Mahatma Gandhi’s famous lines?

Here are a few famous quotes of Gandhi. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

What is Gandhi’s most popular work?

‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’ is the most notable work of Mahatma Gandhi. This is an autobiography detailing his life and his experiences.

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5 Famous Speeches of Mahatma Gandhi

5 Famous Speeches of Mahatma Gandhi

The Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat.  His father’s name was Karamchand Gandhi and mother’s name was Putlibai. 

Mahatma Gandhi’s real name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and he was the youngest of his three brothers.  Gandhi’s simple life was inspired by his mother. He was brought up in a Vaishnavite family, and Indian Jainism had a profound influence on his life, due to which he firmly believed in truth and non-violence and followed it throughout his life.

Gandhi’s early education took place in Porbandar.  He got education from Porbandar till middle school, after which he completed his remaining education from Rajkot due to his father’s transfer.  

In the year 1887, he passed the matriculation examination from Rajkot High School and got admission in Samaldas College, Bhavnagar for further studies, but due to being away from home, he could not concentrate and returned to Porbandar after being unwell.  He left for England on 4 September 1888.  Gandhiji joined the London Vegetarian Society in London and became its executive member.  He started participating in the conferences of the London Vegetarian Society and writing articles in the magazine.  He completed his barrister studies (1888-1891) and returned to India in 1891.

On the occasion of the 152nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, let us take a look at some of his most memorable speeches: 

  • Banaras Hindu University Speech (February 04, 1916)

“If we are to receive self-government, we shall have to take it… freedom loving as it (British Empire) is, it will not be a party to give freedom to a people who will not take it themselves.”

In February 1916, Mahatma Gandhi was invited by Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya to speak at the inauguration of the Benaras Hindu University. The speech came as a shock to one and all present. The royal kings and princes, Annie Besant, and everyone else had come to expect the condescending tone adopted by Indian leaders towards the British. Gandhiji’s sharp criticism of the English language and demand for self-government jolted the audience and for the first time, the Mahatma showed signs of taking on the leadership of the country’s freedom struggle. This was the very first speech that would grow into a wildfire culminating in India’s freedom from British rule.

  • Dandi March Speech (March 11, 1930)

“We have resolved to utilize all our resources in the pursuit of an exclusively non-violent struggle. Let no one commit a wrong in anger.”

It was on the eve of this historic Salt March to Dandi that Mahatma Gandhi outlined a well-thought-out programme for non-cooperation. Setting out to manufacture salt from seawater with his followers, he called upon fellow Indians to defy the taxes imposed by the British. He asked Indians to give up foreign liquor and clothes, resist taxes, and avoid (British) courts and government offices. Not only did this speech compel Indians to join the freedom struggle and challenge the colonial rule but also influenced the Civil Rights Movement in the US decades later. It was instrumental in the introduction of the “satyagraha” into the Indian psyche.

  • Round Table Conference Speech, (November 30, 1931)

“I dare to say, it (the strife between Hindus and Muslims in India) is coeval with the British Advent, and  immediately this relationship, the unfortunate, artificial, unnatural relationship between Great Britain and India is transformed into a natural relationship, when it becomes if it does become, a voluntary partnership to be given up, to be dissolved at the will of either party, when it becomes that you will find that Hindus, Mussalmans, Sikhs, Europeans, Anglo-Indians, Christians, Untouchable, will all live together as one man.”

This is the speech that Gandhi delivered at the very first Round Table Conference. It is here that the British tried to convince Indian leaders to accept Dominion status citing communal disharmony and strife. A bold Mahatma Gandhi clearly called the British bluff and showcased India’s unity and secular spirit. Our nation’s history has been altered by British historians, he said, and once again we shall sing our song of love and brotherhood in unison.

  • The ‘Quit India’ Speech (August 08, 1942)

“I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours.”

Smithsonian refers to this address as the “speech that brought India to the brink of independence”.  Gandhiji’s address to the nation on the eve of the historic Quit India movement enshrines our ideals of Ahimsa (non-violence) and freedom. Calling upon the British to leave India voluntarily, Mahatma Gandhi inspired millions of Indians to seek out freedom from bondage and slavery. The novelty of his approach and the call to use non-violent means singled him out as one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known.

  • Speech before His Final Fast (January 12, 1948)

“I yearn for heart friendship between the Hindus, the Sikhs, and the Muslims. It subsisted between them the other day. Today it is non-existent. It is a state that no Indian patriot worthy of the name can contemplate with equanimity.”

India had gained its independence but this came with a terrible price.  A painful and violent partition had led to a complete breakdown of communal harmony – a camaraderie that had existed for hundreds of years. Pained, the Mahatma took to fasting once more – another stand, another non-violent struggle, another sacrifice for the sake of our beloved nation and the well-being of all Indians. This speech of his, delivered days before his death, should be our religion, our inspiration in building a peaceful, more tolerant India.

Gandhiji was shot dead by Nathuram Godse and his associate Gopaldas at Birla House on 30 January 1948 at 5:17 pm. The bravest soul was shot three times, at the last moment ‘Hey Ram’ came out of his mouth.  After his death, his tomb was built at Raj Ghat in New Delhi.

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The Speech That Brought India to the Brink of Independence

Although the 1942 ‘Quit India’ movement was hardly peaceful, Gandhi’s ‘Do or Die’ address inspired a nation to unify against its British colonizers

Lorraine Boissoneault

Lorraine Boissoneault

Gandhi independence

For more than 200 years, Britain had asserted its iron will over India. From the East India Company levying taxes starting in the 18th century to Britain instituting direct rule over two-thirds of the country in the mid-19th century, India had been extorted for centuries—and with the start of World War II, India was declared to be at war with Germany without any Indian political leaders actually being consulted. The nation would go on to provide 2.3 million soldiers for an army as well as food and other goods to help the Allies defeat the Axis Powers. Much as the Indian National Congress (the largely Hindu public assembly that had some governmental functions) sympathized with defeating fascism, they balked at seeing their country further pillaged for resources.

So in 1939, members of the Congress informed Viceroy Lord Linlithgow—the highest-ranking British official in India—they would only support the war effort if Indian independence lay at the end of it. To which Linlithgow issued his own threat: if the Congress didn’t support Britain, Britain would simply turn to, and empower, the Muslim League (a political group that fought to protect the rights of Muslim Indians and later called for a separate nation for Muslims). As Winston Churchill later confessed , “the Hindu-Moslem feud [was] a bulwark of British rule in India.” The Congress could do nothing but acquiesce.

But they hadn’t abandoned the fight, especially one of their most notable members: Mohandas “Mahatma” Karamchand Gandhi. The spiritual and political leader first experienced racism decades earlier, as a London-educated lawyer working in colonial South Africa. There, he was thrown off a train for trying to sit in the first class car; the 1893 incident led him to his civil rights work, for which he was repeatedly imprisoned. “I discovered that as a man and as an Indian I had no rights,” Gandhi later said of that period in South Africa. “More correctly, I discovered that I had no rights as a man because I was an Indian.”

Agitating for change through nonviolence would become Gandhi’s lifelong pursuit. On the eve of World War II, he wrote Hitler twice in hopes of persuading the dictator to avoid total war (it’s impossible to know if Hitler read the letters, as no response was ever sent). And when India was forced to assist the United Kingdom in the fight, Gandhi began a small individual civil disobedience campaign, recruiting political and community leaders for the cause. Although his 1940 effort was disrupted by arrests of the participants, popular opinion in England was largely on Gandhi’s side—U.K. citizens favored Indian independence .

By 1942, Prime Minister Churchill felt enough pressure to send Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the War Cabinet, to discuss a change to India’s political status. But upon learning that Cripps wasn’t actually offering full independence and that current Indian politicians would still have no say in military strategy , the Congress and the Muslim League rejected his proposal—leaving Gandhi open to harness the wave of anti-British sentiment for a new round of protests.

The movement, Gandhi decided, would be called “Quit India” to reflect his main demand: that the United Kingdom leave India voluntarily. In a speech at a meeting of the Congress in Bombay at the beginning of August 1942, Gandhi instructed his fellow leaders that this was the moment to seize power:

“Here is a mantra, a short one, that I give to you. You may imprint it on your hearts and let every breath of yours give expression to it. The mantra is ‘Do or Die.’ We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery. Every true Congressman or woman will join the struggle with inflexible determination not to remain alive to see the country in bondage and slavery.”

The Congress agreed that Gandhi should lead a nonviolent mass movement and passed their decision as the “Quit India Resolution” on August 8. Gandhi was prepared to give a public address on the subject the very next day, when word came that British authorities were planning on arresting him and other members of the Congress.

“They dare not arrest me. I cannot think they will be so foolish. But if they do, it will mean that their days are numbered,” Gandhi said.

But late that night, Gandhi and many other members of the Congress were indeed arrested and imprisoned under the Defense of India Rules . The press was forbidden from publishing any part of Gandhi’s speech, supporting the Congress’s call to action, or reporting on measures the British government enacted to suppress the nascent movement.  

“The resolution said, ‘On the declaration of India’s independence a provisional government will be formed and free India will become an ally of the United Nations.’ This meant unilaterally declaring India’s independence,” writes Pramod Kapoor, author of the forthcoming book Gandhi: An Illustrated Biography , by email. The thought of an unauthorized shift to independence is what so terrified the British. “The intelligence reports the government was getting were equally alarming. The British had at one point even mulled over the possibility of deporting Gandhi to Aden.”

On August 10, India’s Secretary of State Leo Amery, working with the War Cabinet and other British leaders, announced the reason for the arrests of Gandhi and the Congress to the press. Amery said the Indian leaders planned to incite “strikes, not only in industry and commerce, but in the administration and law courts, schools and colleges, the interruption of traffic and public utility services, the cutting of telegraph and telephone wires, the picketing of troops and recruiting stations… The success of the proposed campaign would paralyze not only the ordinary civil administration of India, but her whole war effort.” In short, the movement would have led to dire calamity if the British government had not detained its leaders.

But Amery’s speech, meant to paint the British government in a positive light and vilify the Congress, completely backfired. As historian Paul Greenough writes , “The chief irony of 1942 in India was that the awesome power of the press to inspire united action was unleashed by the British government; the radicalizing text was the composition of Leopold Amery, not Mahatma Gandhi… [the] self-consciously rebellious underground press was never able to duplicate the impact or achieve the degree of mass coordination which Amery’s speech had provoked.” In essence, Amery had provided the blueprints for how to rebel. Civilians attacked railway stations and post offices, fought against police officers and held riots. The police and the British Army in India led a violent crackdown on the rioters, arresting over 100,000 people. Viceroy Lord Linlithgow compared the uprising to the failed Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 , when nearly one million Indians and thousands of Europeans were killed. The total civilian deaths after the Quit India protests, however, were closer to 1,000.

Still, the underground press did have success in one thing: getting Gandhi’s mantra out to the masses . “Do or die” became the unifying rallying cry for a civil disobedience campaign that spread across the subcontinent and lasted from August 1942 to September 1944. Protests erupted from Bombay to Delhi to Bengal; a steel plant closed for 13 days ; a strike at a textile factory lasted 3.5 months. Even though Muslim participation in “Quit India” wasn’t as high as other groups, supporters of the Muslim League still offered shelter to activists. And, crucially, Indians employed by the British government as police officers and administrative officials turned on their employer.

“They gave shelter, provided information and helped monetarily. In fact, the erosion of loyalty to the British Government of its own officers was one of the most striking aspects of the Quit India struggle,” writes Bipan Chandra in India’s Struggle for Independence .

Although Gandhi deeply regretted that the movement had turned so violent after his arrest, he and his wife, Kasturba, were both incarcerated in Agha Khan Palace and could do nothing but struggle to survive, writes Kapoor. In February 1943, Gandhi staged a 21-day hunger strike that nearly killed him, but remained imprisoned. His wife developed bronchitis and suffered several heart attacks behind bars; she would ultimately die there just a month before Gandhi was released in May 1944. The day of Gandhi’s release marked his last ever in an Indian prison, where had spent a combined total of 2,089 days over the course of his life—nearly six years (and not factoring in the 249 days he was in South African prisons).

While the “Quit India” movement ended in late 1944, the momentum it provided in securing the country’s independence proved unstoppable. Three years later, India was independent. And through a successful lobbying effort by the Muslim League, the independent Islamic state of Pakistan was also established along the new sovereign nation’s northwestern border. Although some scholars have argued the rebellion was only a small part of Britain’s decision to relinquish the “Crown Jewel” of the colonies—citing the need to rebuild after World War II as a more pressing concern—others, including Kapoor, see the movement as a major turning point.

“It was an opportune time in the life of a long freedom struggle,” Kapoor says. “With or without the war, the time was ripe for some sort of intensive movement.” And that movement happened to be “Quit India.”

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Lorraine Boissoneault

Lorraine Boissoneault | | READ MORE

Lorraine Boissoneault is a contributing writer to SmithsonianMag.com covering history and archaeology. She has previously written for The Atlantic, Salon, Nautilus and others. She is also the author of The Last Voyageurs: Retracing La Salle's Journey Across America. Website: http://www.lboissoneault.com/

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Speech on Mahatma Gandhi for Students

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Mahatma Gandhi is an extremely important figure for all the Indians and therefore none can forget his contribution towards winning back India’s independence. This is the reason why Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated in India and he is remembered for all his great deeds and words of wisdom. So it is quite likely that you may be asked to deliver a speech on Mahatma Gandhi on various occasions, such as Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti itself, on Independence Day, Republic Day or may be as a student it could be a part of your studies. And, if you are unprepared, we are here for you.

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Long and Short Speech on Mahatma Gandhi in English

Our both short speeches on Mahatma Gandhi and long speeches on Mahatma Gandhi are comprehensive and easy to understand that can prove to be of great help in your assignment. So browse through our pages and get the required help.

Mahatma Gandhi Speech 1

Good morning Principal Sir, teachers and my dear friends. Today, I will speak on Mahatma Gandhi. He was the greatest freedom fighter. We also call him “ Bapu ” and father of the nation.

He believed in simple living and high thinking. His policy of non violence had won many hearts. He knew India and its people well.

People from all the religions loved and respected him. He always wore a simple dhoti made from khadi. We celebrate his birthday on 2 nd October as a national holiday.

Bapu was a great freedom fighter of all times. We truly admire his efforts.

Thank you everyone! Have a nice day!

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Mahatma Gandhi Speech 2

Good morning teachers and friends. I am ________ from class _______ section _______. Today I will give a short speech on Mahatma Gandhi.

He is also called “Father of the Nation” or “Rashtrapita”. We also fondly call him “Bapu”. He was used to wear only a simple dhoti in all weathers. He was the greatest leader India ever had. He was also the greatest champion of freedom.

Bapu was also very famous in Africa for his social works. There also people loved and respected him. In India, Bapu fought against British rule. His fight was peaceful yet effective. He united the people of whole India.

He was a simple man with great works. His favorite song was “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram”. His favorite pass time was spinning yarn on Charkha. Bapu was a great soul and a great freedom fighter. We should always remember him and his works.

Mahatma Gandhi Speech 3

Good Morning teachers and my dear friends. I am _________ from class _________. Today, I feel honored to have the opportunity of giving a short speech on Mahatma Gandhi.

We all are familiar with the name and also some of the noble deeds of this great man. I am going to reiterate the same in my own words and feelings. I will hence refer to him as “Bapu” as the whole country fondly calls him with this name.

Bapu was undoubtedly the greatest freedom fighter of India’s freedom struggle. Of course there were many political leaders, freedom fighters at that time, but Bapu was a different. His simplicity and pious thinking made him instantly connect with the masses. On top of that his policy of non-violence was an instant hit. People throughout the country, whether from the Hindi speaking northern belt or the conservative southern India, instantly recognized him as their true leader.

His policy of non-violence and non-cooperation proved to be the effective weapons against British oppressions. Bapu was so greatly engrossed in the service to the nation that throughout the freedom struggle he roamed from north to south, east to west, protesting against British policies and inspiring people.

Let’s always remember the great man and his efforts. Thank you all! Have a nice day!

Mahatma Gandhi Speech 4

Good Morning ladies and gentlemen. Let me begin with introducing myself. I am _________ from ______. Today, I am given an opportunity to give a short speech on father of the nation – Mahatma Gandhi.

Born on 2 nd October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, in a Hindu family, he was the fourth and last child of Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi and Putlibai. Since his childhood he was hugely influenced by his mother’s ascetic nature. It is from her that he developed an ability to fast.

But, what made him Mahatma, or the Bapu, as we know him today. Incidents of his life where he faced suppression of British, sometimes personally or sometimes on fellow Indians played a great role in setting off the revolutionary in him.

His indomitable spirit for speaking against injustice had made him a hero in far South Africa, where he fought for the rights of black Africans. He is still being admired in South Africa where his Jayanti is celebrated at some places on 2 nd October.

India remembers him as the most notable freedom fighter and the greatest leader ever born. His simplicity and piousness were his greatest possessions. The poor and farmers instantly recognized him as one of their own.

He also knew very well that any violent protest will lead to more violence, ultimately resulting in both sides losing heavily. Hence, he introduced unique methodologies of protest – non-violence and non-cooperation. This was something the world hadn’t seen before and it was instant hit, all over the world.

What happened next is all in history. The man, his resilience and non-violent policies, finally got India’s Independence. Let’s not forget the great man and his services to the nation and humanity as a whole.

Thank you all and have a nice day!

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Mahatma Gandhi Speech 5

Respected Principal, Vice Principal, Teachers and My Dear Friends – Warm Greetings to all of you! As you all know that we have gathered today to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi and celebrate his jayanti. So I, Shreyansh from standard-IX (A), consider this opportunity a great honor to address this momentous day.

Who doesn’t know the complete name of Mahatma Gandhi, i.e. Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi being popularly known as Bapu, who was born on 2nd October in the year 1869. His father’s name was Karam Chand Gandhi who held the position of Diwan in the state of Rajkot. His mother’s name was Putlibai, who was a pious and devout lady. If I were to mention about his early childhood days, I would say that he was like any other average student who started going to school at the age of seven. But he was a regular student and punctual in his class.

The name of his spouse is Kasturba whom he got married to at the age of 13. Post his matriculation and studies in college, he went to England in order to enroll himself in law studies. There he got qualified as a barrister and came back to his native land. He began his practice in Mumbai and thereafter he left for Rajkot but he couldn’t become a successful lawyer. He once visited South Africa regarding his one case. There he remained for about two decades and during that time he happened to observe the despicable condition of the Indians.

He put up a brave front against the injustice of White men towards the Indians in many ways. One of the disagreeable attributes given to them was that of ‘coolie’. There he began running an ashram known as Tolstoy Farm. There he also laid the foundation for Natal Indian Congress. It is owing to his endeavors that Indian Relief Act was conceded in the year 1914. This of course helped him improve the conditions of many Indians. In the year 1915, he returned to India and allied with Congress.

He also launched the great historic movement called the Satyagrah movement against Britishers. It was under his leadership that congress began such movement as non-cooperation and non-violence to oppose the unfair laws of the British government. Then there was the momentous Dandi March that happened under his aegis which did not comply with the Salt Law and led to its rupture.

In the year 1942, he began yet another movement called the “Quit India” movement and forced Britishers to quit our country. At last, under his successful leadership India won back its independence on 15th August 1947.

The man dressed in loin-cloth with a frail body weaned magical influence upon others. He believed in living a simple life with no ostentations. A poor village called Sevagram was a place he belonged to and lived his life. It was from there that he took the onus to free India from the bondage of slavery. Besides fighting for the nation’s independence, he also addressed other issues which were broiling in our country, such as discrimination on the basis of caste, class and gender.

He also worked for the betterment of Harijans. Eventually, when India won back its independence, Gandhiji undertook a trip to Noakhali which was broiling with the Hindu-Muslim fight. He also observed fast to bring home the point that it is necessary to live in peaceful co-existence and like brothers. But unfortunately, bapu couldn’t live with us for a long time.

It was on January 30, 1948 in the evening that Nathu Ram Godse gunned him down with three shots at Birla Bhawan venue while he was present there to convene a prayer meeting as always. His death ritual was performed on the river bank of Yamuna. In the present times, Rajghat – a place of his Samadhi, has become a place of pilgrimage for people from across the world. This way he left behind his footprints for the world, who was the servant of humanity in the true sense of the term. That’s all I have to say.

Mahatma Gandhi Speech 6

Hon’ble Principal, Vice Principal, Dear Colleagues and Our Lovely Students – Warm Greetings to all of you!

I, Krishna Murti, teacher of higher secondary school warmly welcome everyone to our half yearly cultural meet. I am sure all our students and staff must be excited to be a part of this wonderful celebration which breaks the daily monotony and brings a lot of excitement in the air. However, before we proceed with our celebration and electrifying performances, let’s take out a few minutes to commemorate one of our great freedom fighters, i.e. Mahatma Gandhi who majorly contributed in winning back our country’ freedom.

The reason why I decided to deliver a speech on such a great man is because I am personally very much impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s fundamental philosophy and his policy of non-violence. Today we stand united and independent as a nation because of the sacrifice and concerted efforts of such great personalities who didn’t bow down to the adverse circumstances posed by the British Raj and emerged victorious at all odds.

Such a distinguished personality he was that he dedicated his entire life in the pursuit of truth or what we call Satya and even gave his movement the name called Satyagraha, which implies “insistence on, appeal to or reliance on the truth”.

It was in the year 1920 that the movement Satyagraha came into existence as a political maneuver, which was tabled by Mahatma Gandhi as a “Resolution on Non-cooperation” in the month of September before the commencement of the Indian Congress Session. It was the formulation of Satyagraha that profoundly resonated with the socio-cultural beliefs of the people, deeply entrenched into the consciousness of the people thereby transforming this great spiritual leader into becoming the Bapu for its people.

He stated that it’s very significant for a man to constantly fight against his own demons, insecurities and fears. Gandhiji first summed up his beliefs in the phrase called “God is Truth”. He later went on to change his statement by saying that “Truth is God”. Thus, satya or truth in the words of Gandhiji is nothing but God himself. He supported his beliefs through the citations from Richards by stating that “God is not distinct from truth, but as the Being (Atman, Brahman) of the Advaita Vedanta tradition”.

It’s the universal power that flows in all living things, in everything that has life. In the words of Nicholas Gier, that every living being carries one soul and so deserves equality. If I were to put it in other words, it would be that ‘atman exists and is not distinct from this universe. Non-violence (ahimsa) is the very governing principle of this atman.

So students what do we learn out of this is that we should refrain from doing violence and live in peaceful co-existence as the children of one God and should make our mother Earth a better place to live in. Only then would we be able to pay homage to this great man in the truest sense.

Now, I would like to bring an end to my speech and request my co-host to join me on stage and take the ceremony further.

Mahatma Gandhi Speech 7

Warm Greetings Everyone – I heartily welcome you all to the speech ceremony of today! I, Ashwin Chawla – your host for today evening, am going to deliver a short speech on Mahatma Gandhi. As you all know that Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti is approaching, our team decided to host a small ceremony to commemorate the memory of one of our great freedom fighters, i.e. Mahatma Gandhi.

I am personally very fond of Mahatma Gandhi and his fundamental policy of non-violence or the marg of ahimsa that he adopted while fighting for the nation’s independence from the Britishers. His aura was so impeccable that he drew hundreds and millions of people and gathered a huge force in order to compel Britishers for leaving India. Needless to mention, he was the quintessential leader of India’s struggle for freedom and also the architect of non-violent civil disobedience movement which in fact influenced the whole world.

He never lived his life for himself but for the underprivileged and weaker section of society who couldn’t fight for their own rights. Through his persistent efforts, he helped in raising the consciousness of people and helped in eradicating gender, caste and class consciousness. I am sure we all know that fateful day when he was born, i.e. on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar, the coastal town of Gujarat and went on to study law in abroad. He was a pioneer in fighting for the civil rights of the Indian citizens.

He was truly a ‘Mahatma’, which means a “great soul” as he believed in the Almighty Vishnu God and followed Jainism. Over and above all this, he espoused the policy of non-violence, including meditation, fasting and vegetarianism. He not only worked in his own country, but travelled other countries as well and tried to ameliorate the world for good.

He could not see evil forces prevail in any part of the world and worked in his utmost capacity to move the world to his opinions. He lived for a brief period in South Africa and went on to learn world religions. He once wrote there, “The religious spirit within me became a living force”. He also dedicated himself to the study of revered spiritual texts of the Hindus and believed in living a life of austerity, simplicity, celibacy and fasting which did not seek any materialistic existence.

In the year 1915, Gandhi ji laid the foundation of an ashram in the city of Ahmadabad, which was open for all the castes. He lived his whole life with no ostentations and by just donning a simple loincloth as well as shawl devoting himself to prayer, mediation and fasting.

Unfortunately, even such a great man as Mahatma Gandhi had to bear the brunt of the turbulent times as he was put behind the bars in the year 1932. The reason behind his imprisonment was that he went on six days fast in order to raise objection against the British code of conduct of separating the untouchables from even the lowest rung our country’s caste system by giving them electorates separately. The public outcry compelled the Britishers to reconsider the proposal.

He never lived his life peacefully but always remained proactive in removing the social evils from our society. So let’s devote a few hours in the memory of this great man and recall all his good deeds as well as learning which he left behind for the world to follow.

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Mahatma Gandhi Speech 8

Dear Friends – How are you all doing?

Welcome to the speech ceremony of today. Firstly, let me extend a note of thank you to all of you for making to today’s event and making it happen. I also would like to especially thank my seniors and team members for working day and night in order to make this event a success and reaching out to more and more people so that people in large numbers could connect with each other and raise the consciousness for national unity or what we can also call Rashtriya Ekta.

When we talk about national unity, I cannot help but mention the name of one great leader who played a pro-active role in bringing the entire nation together and rooting out discrimination on various grounds, such as caste, class and gender.

He was the father of nation. He was a part of many successful movements and acted as a catalyst in the freedom struggle of India. He inspired lakhs of people to come together, to prove an indomitable force against the British rule and frustrate their efforts in exploiting our resources and force them to grant us the freedom, which is our birth right, as well as civil rights.

Here is a brief of some of the notable movements undertaken by him:

  • Quit India Movement: In order to dismount British ruling, Mahatma Gandhi launched an historic movement on 8 August 1942, called the Quit India Movement, which actually proved to be the most powerful campaign. In this movement too, he adopted the path of non-violence, i.e. ahimsa and truth as his principal yardsticks.
  • Dandi March: Dandi March or popularly known as Salt Satyagrah was a movement launched against the unfair policy of the Britishers, which was the policy of ‘tax collection over salt in our country”. It was on March 12 until April 6, 1930 that Gandhi launched the movement. He undertook march for about 388 kilometers with his thousands of supporters from Ahmadabad to Dandi which is in Gujarat and processed salt on his own.
  • Fight for the Untouchables: It was on 8th May, 1933 that Gandhi went on 21 days fast for self-purification and launched a campaign for one year in order to lend his support to the untouchables to whom he attributed the sobriquet called “Harijan”. Even though he was born in a well-to-do family and of higher caste, he came forward to support the Dalit cause. He fought for the rights of the harijans all his life.
  • Non-Cooperation Movement: Who doesn’t know the famous non-cooperation movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi? It was a nationwide campaign and Gandhi ji became the illustrious leader of national significance by then when the ill-fated Jallianwala Bagh massacre took away the lives of hundreds of peaceful civilians because of the firing at them by the British militant in Amritsar.
  • Khilafat Movement: Gandhi also lent his support to the Muslims in their worldwide protest against the falling status of the Caliph (their religious leader) in the year 1919 by calling it as Khilafat Movement. This way he became quite popular amongst the Muslims too and went on to become the most famous spokesman of our country having a vast multicultural base.

Thus, Mahatma Gandhi became a great force to reckon with and the whole world moved to his opinions and fundamental philosophies of life.

This is all I have to say. Thank You!

Mahatma Gandhi Speech 9

Hon’ble Principal, Vice Principal, Teachers and Dear Students- Warm Greetings Everyone!

On the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi today being the 2 nd October, I take immense pleasure to deliver a speech before you on Mahatma Gandhi as role model. I want to thank everyone for giving me this opportunity to speak about a most noble man of our country.

You all might be wondering why Gandhi Ji is considered as a role model by thousands of fellow Indians like us? Many people across the world consider him as symbol of peace and non-violence. It’s always said that even in war ridden situations think and do what Gandhi did. Every day we hear stories of students like us moving abroad and then in turn forgetting the Indian Culture altogether. Gandhi Ji was the only person who in spite of several journeys’ abroad never forgot his country and after completing his studies he came back and fought for the Indian Society to gain Independence.

Gandhi Ji was very clear regarding his thoughts to free India from the Britishers. He wanted that fellow Indians should understand that we don’t require anybody to rule ourselves; we are self-sufficient in any manner. This was the most important reason why Gandhi persuaded the Indians to give up foreign clothing and adopt khadi made by Indian Mills themselves and to make salt out of our own seas. The day Dandi March took place clearly revealed how big an influencer was Gandhi Ji as people from every social strata of society participated in the March so that the Britishers would abolish the Salt Tax.

We all admire Gandhi Ji for various reasons, be it imprisonment many times, supporting women to any extent possible and that’s the only reason why women in today’s times hold great political and social roles. It’s not only us who support Gandhi Ji but also great individuals like Martin Luther king too adopted his strategy of ahimsa to establish the Apartheid regime. We should be giving a grand salute to him as he sacrificed his entire life to develop India and service to mankind. People were only attracted to him due to his simplistic lifestyle and personality. He spent his entire life working towards removing Britishers from India.

We all are greatly influenced by Gandhi Ji’s idea of tolerance and sometimes we all apply it in our lives when situation goes out of hand. The discipline of Peace that we now study in India was a step to take Gandhi Ji’s ideas further which would influence the future generation too. He used passive resistance not only at individual level but to fight social evils like untouchability, caste system etc. too. His worship to God was seen in his service to mankind and even when he was assassinated his last breath too enchanted the name of God.

These practices and belief structures clearly revealed to the entire world that how humble Mahatma Gandhi was and there could be no better role model than him. I hope I have inspired everybody present here to seek Gandhi Ji’s ideas and practices.

FAQs on Speech on Mahatma Gandhi

What was the best speech of gandhi.

The best speech of Gandhi is subjective and can vary depending on individual opinions. However, his most famous and impactful speech is often considered to be the Quit India speech delivered on August 8, 1942.

How to start speech on gandhi ji?

To start a speech on Gandhiji, you can begin with a captivating quote or a brief introduction of Mahatma Gandhi, highlighting his role in India's freedom struggle and his principles of non-violence and civil disobedience.

Where was Gandhi first speech?

Gandhi's first speech of significance was at the Indian National Congress session in 1901, which took place in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India.

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  • The Selected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (Vol. V)
  • The Voice of Truth (Complete Book Online)
  • Part I - Famous Speeches
  • Speech at the Round Table Conference

I do not think that anything that I can say this evening can possibly influence the decision of the Cabinet. Probably the decision has been already taken. Matters of liberty of practically a whole Continent can hardly be decided by mere argumentation, or even negotiations. Negotiation has its purpose and has its play, but only under certain conditions. Without those conditions, negotiations are a fruitless task. But I do not want to go into all these matters. I want as far as possible to confine myself within the four corners of the conditions that you, Prime Minister, read to this Conference at its opening meeting. I would, therefore, first of all say a few words in connection with the Reports that have been submitted to this Conference. You will find in these Reports that generally it has been stated that such and such is the opinion of a large majority, some, however, have expressed an opinion to the contrary, and so on. Parties who have dissented have not been stated. I had heard when I was in India, and I was told when I came here, that no decision or decisions will be taken by the ordinary rule of majority, and I do not want to mention this fact here by way of complaint that the reports have been so framed as if the proceedings were governed by the test of majority.

But it was necessary for me to mention this fact, because to most of these Reports you will find that there is a dissenting opinion, and in most of the cases that dissent unfortunately happens to belong to me. It was not a matter of joy to have to dissent from fellow delegates. But I felt that I could not truly represent the Congress unless I notified that dissent.

There is another thing which I want to bring to the notice of this Conference namely, what is the meaning of the dissent of the Congress? I said at one of the preliminary meetings of the Federal Structure committee that the Congress claimed to represent over 85 percent of the population of India, that is to say the dumb, toiling, semi-starved millions. But I went further: that the Congress claimed also, by right of service, to represent even the Princes, if they would pardon my putting forth that claim, and the landed gentry, and the educated class. I wish to repeat that claim and I wish this evening to emphasize that claim.

All the other Parties at this meeting represent sectional interests. Congress alone claims to represent the whole of India and all interests. It is no communal organization; it is a determined enemy of communalism in any shape or form. Congress knows no distinction of race, color or creed; its platform is universal. It may not always have lived up to the creed. I do not know a single human organization that lives up to its creed. Congress has failed very often to my knowledge. It may have failed more often to the knowledge of its critics. But the worst critic will have to recognize, as it has been recognized, that the Indian National Congress is a daily growing organization, that its message penetrates the remotest village of India, that on given occasions the Congress has been able to demonstrate its influence over and among these masses who inhabit its 700,000 villages.

And yet, here I see that the Congress is treated as one of the Parties. I do not mind it; I do not regard it a calamity for the Congress; but I do regard it as a calamity for the purpose of doing the work for which we have gathered together here. I wish I could convince all the British public men, the British Ministers, that the Congress is capable of delivering the goods. The Congress is the only all-India wide national organization, bereft of any communal bias: that it does represent all minorities which have lodged their claim-I hold unjustifiably-to represent 46 percent of the population of India. The Congress, I say, claims to represent all these minorities.

What a great difference it would be today if this claim on behalf of the congress was recognized. I feel that I have to state this claim with some degree of emphasis on behalf of peace, for the sake of achieving the purpose which is common to all of us, to you Englishmen who sit at this Table and to us the Indian men and women who also sit at this Table. I say so for this reason: Congress is a powerful organization: Congress is an organization which has been accused of running or desiring to run a parallel Government; and in a way I have endorsed the charge. If you could understand the working of the Congress you would welcome an organization which could run a parallel Government and show that it is possible for an organization, voluntary, without any force at its command, to run the machinery of Government even under adverse circumstances.

But no. Although you have invited the Congress, you distrust the Congress. Although you have invited the Congress, you reject its claim to represent the whole of India. Of course it is possible at this end of the world to dispute that claim, and it is not possible for me to prove this claim; but, all the same, if you find me asserting that claim, I do so because a tremendous responsibility rests upon my shoulders.

The Congress represents the spirit of rebellion. I know that the word 'rebellion' must not be whispered at a Conference which has been summoned in order to arrive at agreed solutions of India's troubles through negotiation. Speaker after speaker has got up and said that India should achieve her liberty through negotiation, by argument, and that it will be the greatest glory of Great Britain if Great Britain yields to India's demands by argument. But the Congress does not hold quite that view. The Congress has an alternative which is unpleasant to you.

I heard several speakers-I have tried to follow every speaker with the utmost attention and with all the respect that I could possibly give to these speakers-saying what a dire calamity it would be if India was fired with the spirit of lawlessness, rebellion, terrorism and so on. I do not pretend to have read history, but as a schoolboy I had to pass a paper in history also, and I read that the page of history is soiled red with the blood of those who have fought for freedom. I do not know an instance in which nations have attained their own without having to go through an incredible measure of travail. The dagger of the assassin, the poison bowl, the bullet of the rifleman, the spear and all these weapons and methods of destruction have been up to now used by, what I consider, blind lovers of liberty and freedom. And the historian has not condemned them. I hold no brief for the terrorists. Mr. Ghuznavi brought in the terrorists and he brought in the Calcutta Corporation. I felt hurt when he mentioned an incident that took place at the Calcutta Corporation. He forgot to mention that the Mayor of that Corporation made handsome reparation for the error into which he himself was betrayed, and the error into which the Calcutta corporation was betrayed, through the instrumentality of those members of the Corporation who were Congressmen.

I hold no brief for Congressmen who directly or indirectly would encourage terrorism. As soon as this incident was brought to the notice of the Congress the Congress set about putting it in order. It immediately called upon the Mayor of the Calcutta Corporation to give an account of what was done and the Mayor, the gentleman that he is, immediately admitted his mistake and made all the reparation that it was then legally possible to make. I must not detain this Assembly over this incident for any length of time. He mentioned also a verse which the children of the forty schools conducted by the Calcutta Corporation are supposed to have recited. There were many other miss-statements in that speech which I could dwell upon, but I have no desire to do so. It is only out of regard for the great Calcutta Corporation, and out of regard for truth, and on behalf of those who are not here tonight to put in their defence, that I mention these two glaring instances. I do not for one moment believe that this was taught in the Calcutta Corporation schools with the knowledge of the Calcutta Corporation. I do know that in those terrible days of last year several things were done for which we have regret, for which we have made reparation.

If our boys in Calcutta were taught those verses which Mr. Ghuznavi has recited, I am here to tender an apology on their behalf, But I should want it proved that the boys were taught by the schoolmasters of these schools with the knowledge and encouragement of the Corporation. Charges of this nature have been brought against Congress times without number, and times without number these charges have also been refuted, but if I have mentioned these things at this juncture, it is again to show that for the sake of liberty people have fought, people have lost their lives, people have killed and have sought death at the hands of those whom they have sought to oust.

The Congress then comes upon the scene and devises a new method not known to history, namely, that of civil disobedience, and the Congress has been following up that method. But again, I am up against a stone wall and I am told that that is a method that no government in the world will tolerate. Well, of course, the Government may not tolerate, no Government has tolerated open rebellion. No Government may tolerate civil disobedience, but Governments have to succumb even to these forces, as the British Government has done before now, even as the great Dutch Government after eight years of trial had to yield to the logic of facts. General Smuts, a brave general a great statesman, and a very hard taskmaster also, but he himself recoiled with horror from even the contemplation of doing to death innocent men and women who were merely fighting for the preservation of their self-respect. Things which he had vowed he would never yield in the year 1908, reinforced as he was by General Botha, he had to do in the year 1914, after having tried these civil resisters through and through. And in India, Lord Chelmsford had to do the same thing: the Governor of Bombay had to do the same thing in Borsad and Bardoli. I suggest to you, Prime Minister, it is too late today to resist this, and it is this thing which weighs me down, this choice that lies before them, the parting of the ways probably. I shall hope against hope, I shall strain every nerve to achieve an honourable settlement for my country, if I can do so without having to put the millions of my countrymen and countrywomen, and even children, through this ordeal of fire. It can be matter of no joy and comfort to me to lead them again to a fight of that character, but if a further ordeal of fire has to be our lot, I shall approach that with the greatest joy and with the greatest consolation that I was doing what I felt to be right, the country was doing what it felt to be right, and the country will have the additional satisfaction of knowing that it was not at least taking lives, it was giving lives: It was not making the British people directly suffer, it was suffering. Professor Gilbert Murray told me-I shall never forget that, I am paraphrasing his inimitable language-"Do you not consider for one moment that we Englishmen do not suffer when thousands of your countrymen suffer, that we are so heartless?" I do not think so. I do know that you will suffer but I want you to suffer because I want to touch your hearts; and when your hearts have been touched then will come the psychological moment for negotiation. Negotiation there always will be; and if this time I have travelled all these miles in order to enter upon negotiation, I thought that your countrymen, Lord Irwin, had sufficiently tried us through his ordinances, that he had sufficient evidence that thousands of men and women of India and thousands of children had suffered; and that, ordinance or no ordinance, or no , nothing would avail to stem the tide that was onrushing and to stem the passions that were rising in the breasts of the men and women of India who were thirsting for liberty.

Whilst there is yet a little sand left in the glass, I want you to understand what this Congress stands for. My life is at your disposal. The lives of all the members of the Working Committee, the All-India Congress Committee, are at your disposal. But remember that you have at your disposal the lives of all these dump millions. I do not want to sacrifice those lives if I can possibly help it. Therefore, please remember, that I will count no sacrifice too great if, by chance, I can pull through an honourable settlement. You will find me always having the greatest spirit of compromise If I can but fire you with the spirit that is working in the Congress, namely, that India must have real liberty. Call it by any name you like; a rose will smell as sweet by any other name, but it must be the rose of liberty that I want and not the artificial product. If your mind and the Congress mind, the mind of this Conference and the mind of the British people, means the same thing by the same word, then you will find the amplest room for compromise, and you will find the Congress itself always in a compromising spirit. But so long as there is not that one mind, that one definition, not one implication for the same word that you and I and we may be using. It is impossible, Prime Minister, I want to suggest to you in all humility, that it is utterly impossible then to find a meeting ground, to find a ground where you can apply the spirit to compromise. And I am very grieved to have to say up to now I have not been able to discover a common definition for the terms that we have been exchanging during all these weary weeks.

I was shown last week the Statute of West minister by a sceptic, and he said, "Have you seen the definition of Dominion?" I read the definition of "Dominion" and naturally I was not at all perplexed or shocked to see that the word "Dominion" was exhaustively defined and it had not a general definition but a particular definition. It simply said: the word 'Dominion' shall include Australia, South Africa, Canada and so on ending with the Irish Free State. I do not think I noticed Egypt there. Then he said, "Do you see what your Dominion means?" It did not make any impression upon me. I do not mind what my Dominion means or what complete independence means. In a way I was relieved.

I said, I am now relieved from having to quarrel about the word 'Dominion', because I am out of it. But I want complete independence, and even so, so many Englishmen have said, "Yes, you can have complete independence, but what is the meaning of complete independence?", and again we come to different definitions.

One of your great statesmen was debating with me, and said: "Honestly I did not know that you meant this by complete independence." He ought to have known but he did not know, and I shall tell you what he did not know. When I said to him: "I cannot be a partner in an Empire", he said: "Of course, that is logical." I replied: "But I want to become that. It is not as if I shall be if I am compelled to, but I want to become a partner with Great Britain. I want to become a partner with the English people; but I want to enjoy precisely the same liberty that your people enjoy, and I want to seek this partnership not merely for the benefit of India, and not merely for mutual benefit; I want to seek partnership in order that the great weight that is crushing the world to atoms may be lifted from its shoulders."

This took place ten or twelve days ago. Strange as it may appear, I got a note from another Englishman, whom also you know, and whom also you respect. Among many things, he writes: "I believe profoundly that the peace and happiness of mankind depend on our friendship"; and, as If I would not understand that, he says: "Your people and mine." I must read to you what he also says: "And of all Indians you are the one that the real Englishman likes and understands."

He does not waste any words on flattery, and I do not think he has intended this last expression to flatter me. It will not flatter me in the slightest degree. There are many things in this note which, if I could share them with you, would perhaps make you understand better the significance of this expression, but let me tell you that when he writes this last sentence he does not mean me personally. I personally signify nothing, and I know I would mean nothing to any single Englishman; but I mean something to some Englishmen because I represent a cause, because I seek to represent a nation, a great organization which has made itself felt. That is the reason why he says this.

But then, if I could possible find that working basis, Prime Minister, there is ample room for compromise. It is for friendship I crave. My business is not to throw overboard the slave-holder and tyrant. My philosophy forbids me to do so, and today the Congress has accepted that philosophy, not as a creed, as it is to me, but as a policy, because the Congress believes that is the right and the best thing for India, a nation of 350 millions to do.

A nation of 350 million people does not need the dagger of the assassin, it does not need the poison bowl, it does not need the sword, the spear or the bullet. It needs simply a will of its own, an ability to say 'no' and that nation is today learning to say 'no'.

But what is it that that nation does? To summarily, or at all, dismiss Englishmen? No. Its mission is today to convert Englishmen. I do not want to break the bond between England and India, but I do want to transform that bond. I want to transform that slavery into complete freedom for my country. Call it complete independence or whatever you like, I will not quarrel about that word, and even though my countrymen may dispute with me for having taken some other word, I shall able to bear down that opposition so long as the content of the word that you may suggest to me bears the same meaning. Hence, I have times without number to urge upon your attention that the safeguards that have been suggested are completely unsatisfactory. They are not in the interests of India.

Three experts from Federation of Commerce and Industry have, in their own way, each in his different manner, told out of their expert experiences how utterly impossible it is for any body of responsible Ministers to tackle the problem of administration when 30 percent of her resources are mortgaged irretrievably. Better than I could have shown to you, they have shown out of the amplitude of their knowledge what these financial safeguards mean for India. These mean the complete cramping of India. They have discussed at this Table financial safeguards but that includes necessarily the question of Defence and the question of the Army. Yet while I say that the safeguards are unsatisfactory as they have been presented, I have not hesitated to say, and I do not hesitate to repeat that the Congress is pledged to giving safeguards, endorsing safeguards which may be demonstrated to be in the interest of India.

At one of the sittings of the Federal Structure Committee I had no hesitation in amplifying the admission and saying that those safeguards must be also of benefit to Great Britain. I do not want safeguards which are merely beneficial to India and prejudicial to the real interests of Great Britain. The fancied interests of India will have to be sacrificed. The fancied interests of Great Britain will have to be sacrificed. The illegitimate interests of India will have to be sacrificed. The illegitimate interests of Great Britain will also have to be sacrificed. Therefore, again I repeat, if we have the same meaning for the same word, I will agree with Mr. Jayakar, with Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and other distinguished speakers who have spoken at this Conference.

I will agree with them all that we have, after all these labours, reached a substantial measure of agreement, but my despair, my grief, is that I do not read the same words in the same light. The implications of the safeguards of Mr. Jayakar, I very much fear, are different from my implications, and the implications of Mr. Jayakar and myself are perhaps only different from the implications that Sir Samuel Hoare, for instance, has in mind; I do not know. We have never really come to grips. We have never got down to brass tacks, as you put it, and I am anxious-I have been pining-to come to real grips and to get down to brass tacks all these days and all these nights, and I have felt: why are not we not coming nearer and nearer together, and why are we wasting our time in eloquence, in oratory, in debating, and in scoring points? Heaven knows, I have no desire to hear my own voice. Heaven knows, I have no desire to take part in any debating. I know that liberty is made of sterner stuff, and I know that the freedom of India is made of much sterner stuff. We have problems that would baffle any statesman. We have problems that other nations have not to tackle. But they do not baffle me; they cannot baffle those who have been brought up in the Indian climate. Those problems are there with us. Just as we have to tackle bubonic plague, we have to tackle the problem of malaria. We have to tackle, as you have not, the problem of snakes and scorpions, monkeys, tigers and lions. We have to tackle these problems because we have been brought up under them.

They do not baffle us. Somehow or other we have survived the ravages of these venomous reptiles and various creatures. So also shall we survive our problems and find a way out of those problems. But today you and we have come together at a Round Table and we want to find a common formula which will work. Please believe me that whilst I abate not a little of the claim that I have registered on behalf of the Congress, which I do not propose to repeat here, While I withdraw not one word of the speeches that I had to make at the Federal Structure Committee, I am here to compromise; I am here to consider every formula that British ingenuity can prepare, every formula that the ingenuity of such constitutionalists as Mr. Sastri, Dr. Tej Bahadur Sapru, Mr. Jayakar, Mr. Jinnah, Sir Muhammad Shafi and a host of others can weave into being.

I will not be baffled. I shall be here as long as I am required because I do not want to revive civil disobedience. I wan to turn the truce that was arrived at in Delhi in to a permanent settlement. But for heaven's sake give me, a frail man 62 years gone, a little bit of a chance. Find a little corner for him and the organization that he represents. You distrust that organization though you may seemingly trust me. Not for one moment differentiate me from the organization of which I am but a drop in the ocean. I am no greater than the organization to which I belong. I am infinitely smaller than that organization; and if you find me a place, if you trust me, I invite you to trust the Congress also. Your trust in me otherwise is a broken reed. I have no authority save what I derive from the Congress. If you will work the Congress for all it is worth, then you will say good-bye to terrorism; then you will not need terrorism. Today you have to fight the school of terrorists which is there with your disciplined and organized terrorism, because you will be blind to the facts or the writing on the wall. Will you not see the writing that these terrorists are writing with their blood? Will you not see that we do not want bread of wheat, but we want the bread of liberty; and without that liberty there are thousands today who are sworn not to give themselves peace or to give the country peace.

I urge you then to read that writing on the wall. I ask you not to try the patience of a people known to be proverbially patient. We speak of the mild Hindu, and the Musalman also by contact good or evil with the Hindu has himself become mild. And the mention of the Musalman brings me to the baffling problem of minorities. Believe me, that problem exists here, and I repeat what I used to say in India-I have not forgotten those words-that without the problem of minorities being solved there is no Swaraj for India, there is no freedom for India. I know and I realize it; and yet I came here in the hope 'perchance' that I might be able to pull through a solution here. But I do not despair of some day or other finding a real and living solution in connection with the minorities problem. I repeat what I have said elsewhere that so long as the wedge in the shape of foreign rules divides community from community and class from class, there will be no real living solution, there will be no real living friendship between these communities.

It will be after all and at best a paper solution. But immediately you withdraw that wedge, the domestic ties, the domestic affection, the knowledge of common birth-do you suppose that all these will count for nothing?

Were Hindus and Musalmans and Sikhs always at war with one another when there was no British rule, when there was no English face seen there? We have chapter and verse given to us by Hindu historians and by Musalman historians to say that we were living in comparative peace even then. And Hindus and Musalmans in the villages are not even today quarrelling. In those days they were not known to quarrel at all. The late Maulana Muhammad Ali often used to tell me, and he was himself a bit of an historian. He said: 'If God-'Allah' as he called out-'give me life, I propose to write the history of Musalman rule in India; and then I will show, through documents that British people have preserved, that Aurangzeb was not so vile as he has been painted by the British historian; that the Mogul rule was not so bad as it has been shown to us in British History; and so on. And so have Hindu historians written. This quarrel is not old; this quarrel is coeval with this acute shame. I dare to say, it is coeval with the British advent, and immediately this relationship, the unfortunate, artificial, unnatural relationship between Great Britain and India is transformed into a natural relationship, when it becomes, if it does become, a voluntary partnership to be given up, to be dissolved at the will of either party, when it becomes that you will find that Hindus and Musalmans, Sikhs, Europeans, Anglo-Indians, Christians, Untouchables, will all live together as one man.

I do not intend to say much tonight about the Princes, but I should be wronging them and should be wronging the congress if I did not register my claim, not with the Round Table conference but with the Princes. It is open to the Princes to give their terms on which they will join the federation. I have appealed to them to make the path easy for those who inhabit the other part of India, and therefore, I can only make these suggestions for their favourable consideration, for their earnest consideration. I think that if they accepted, no matter what they are, but some fundamental rights as the common property of all India, and if they accepted that position and allowed those rights to be tested by the Court, which will be again of their own creation, and if they introduced elements-only elements-of representation on behalf of their subjects, I think that they would have gone a long way to conciliate their subjects. They would have gone a long way to show to the world and to show to the whole of India that they are also fired with a democratic spirit, that they do not want to remain undiluted autocrats, but that they want to become constitutional monarchs even as King George of Great Britain is.

Let India get what she is entitled to and what she can really take, but whatever she gets, and whenever she gets, and whenever she gets it, let the Frontier Province get complete autonomy today. That Frontier will then be a standing demonstration to the whole of India, and therefore, the whole vote of the Congress will be given in favour of the Frontier Province getting Provincial Autonomy tomorrow. Prime Minister, if you can possibly get your Cabinet to endorse the proposition that from tomorrow the Frontier Province becomes a full-fledged autonomous province, I shall then have a proper footing amongst the Frontier tribes and convene them to my assistance when those over the border cast an evil eye on India.

Last of all, my last is a pleasant task for me. This is perhaps the last time that I shall be sitting with you at negotiations. It is not that I want that. I want to sit the same table with you in your closets and to negotiate and to plead with you and to go down on bended knees before I take the final lead and final plunge.

But whether I have the good fortune to continue to tender my co-operation or not does not depend upon me. It largely depends upon you. But it may not even depend upon you. It depends upon so many circumstances over which neither you nor we may have any control whatsoever. Then, let me perform this pleasant task of giving my thanks to all from their Majesties down to the poorest men in the East End where I have taken up my habitation.

In that settlement, which represents the poor people of the East End of London, I have become one of them. They have accepted me as a member, and as a favoured member of their family. It will be one of the richest treasures that I shall carry with me. Here, too, I have found nothing but courtesy and nothing but a genuine affection from all with whom I have come in touch. I have come in touch with so many Englishmen. It has been a priceless privilege to me. They have listened to what must have often appeared to them to be unpleasant, although it was true. Although I have often been obliged to say these things to them they have never shown the slightest impatience or irritation. It is impossible for me to forget these things. No matter what befalls me, no matter what the fortunes may be of this Round Table Conference, one thing I shall certainly carry with me, that is, that from high to low I have found nothing but the utmost courtesy and the utmost affection. I consider that it was well worth my paying this visit to England in order to find this human affection.

It has enhanced, it has deepened my irrepressible faith in human in nature that although Englishmen and Englishwomen have been fed upon lies that I see so often disfiguring your Press, that although in Lancashire, the Lancashire people had perhaps some reason for becoming irritated against me, I found no irritation and no resentment even in the operatives. The operatives, men and women, hugged me. They treated me as one of their own. I shall never forget that.

I am carrying with me thousands upon thousands of English friendships. I do not know them but I read that affection in their eyes as early in the morning I walk through your streets. All this hospitality, all this kindness will never be effaced from my memory, no matter what befalls my unhappy land. I thank you for your forbearance.

The Nation's Voice (1958), p. 74-78

Staff

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