How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
(a) The peasants venerated Gandhiji referring to him as their “Mahatma”. They believed that he had miraculous powers.
(b) Stories abounded that those who opposed him suffered dire consequences. Rumours spread off how villagers who criticised Gandhiji found their houses falling apart and their crops failing.
(c) In some places peasants believed he had been sent by the king to redress the grievances of the farmers and has the power to overrule the local officials.
(d) In other places peasants believed that Gandhi’s power was superior to that of the English monarch and that with his arrival the British rulers would flee the district.
(e) Thus the popular perception of Gandhi was that of a saviour who would rescue them from high taxes, oppressive officials and restore dignity to and autonomy to their lives.
Why are newspapers an important source for the study of the national movement?
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
