Gandhi and his Early Movements (Part-I)

In Gandhiji's thought, the emphasis is not on idealism but on practical idealism. Gandhiji’s thought has also been linked to Utopian socialism and Philosophical Anarchism and can be compared with strands of Marxist (though not a western philosophy) and even western liberal thought. He believed in the concept of ideal non-violent state, every citizen would have the feeling of self-governance and in this stage, there would be no need for the state to comply with the law of the land.

Truth and non-violence are twin principles of Mahatma Gandhi’s Ram Rajya. He used truth and non-violence as the base to develop a new society of his dream. Some people believe that the policy of truth of Mahatma Gandhi is inspired by Hindu religion and non-violence from Buddha, Jain, and Christian ideology.

According to Gandhi’s philosophy ‘Truth’ stands for ‘reality.’ He described Truth as existence, consciousness, and bliss. He said "Ahimsa" or "Non-violence" is the means; Truth is the end. They are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate them.

In 1894 Gandhiji founded ‘Natal Indian Congress’ in South Africa and during this long Movement in South Africa he got imprisonment several times. He founded the ‘Tolstoy Farm’ with his associates and started living there. He published a newspaper Indian Opinion in South Africa and founded Phoenix Farm in 1904 in Durban.

n 1894 Gandhiji founded ‘Natal Indian Congress’ in South Africa and during this long Movement in South Africa he got imprisonment several times. He founded the ‘Tolstoy Farm’ with his associates and started living there. He published a newspaper Indian Opinion in South Africa and founded Phoenix Farm in 1904 in Durban.

n 1894 Gandhiji founded ‘Natal Indian Congress’ in South Africa and during this long Movement in South Africa he got imprisonment several times. He founded the ‘Tolstoy Farm’ with his associates and started living there. He published a newspaper Indian Opinion in South Africa and founded Phoenix Farm in 1904 in Durban.

Gandhiji studied in Samaldas Arts College, Bhavnagar during the year of 1885.

Karamchand Gandhi was the Diwan of all above States. He was the father of Gandhiji. He is better known as Kaba Gandhi.

In January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa and people warmly welcomed him. The struggles and success in South Africa made him very popular in India. In India, he came in contact with Gopal Krishna Gokhale and accepted him as his political mentor. He linked himself to India's active politics under the influence of Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Gandhiji lived approx 21 years in South Africa. In 1893, at the age of 24, he went to South Africa to appear in a case of a Gujarati businessman, Dada Abdulla. He returned to India in January 1915.