In his letter, Gandhiji addresses Lord Irwin as ‘Dear
friend’. This is an assertion of
equality – which - given the context is nothing short of sedition –and he
extends a hand in friendship hoping to bridge the divide between the two camps.
Gandhiji separates an oppressive regime from the decent, ordinary individuals
who serve it. Lord Irwin made very few concessions but one of the outcomes of
the Salt Satyagraha was a conference in London which Gandhiji attended – in his
dhoti- as the sole representative of the Congress. Churchill’s reaction is a
measure of Gandhiji’s stature and achievements: “It is alarming and also
nauseating to see Mr. Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer, now posing as a
fakir of a type well known in the East, striding half naked up the steps of the
vice regal palace while he is still organizing and conducting a defiant
campaign of civil disobedience, to parley on equal terms with the
King-Emperor’
Pic is re shared
courtesy: hi.bharatdiscovery.org
No comments:
Post a Comment