MAHATMA GANDHI - 2 - ANSWERS

1. A. Raghupati Raghava Rajaram

On 12 March 1930, Gandhi and 80 satyagrahis set out on foot for the coastal village of Dandi, Gujarat, over 390 kilometers (240 mi) to make salt as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly from their starting point at Sabarmati Ashram. They walked ten miles a day for 24 days with more and more people joining the march everyday and the procession of marchers became at least two miles long after a week or so. To keep up their spirits, the marchers used to sing the bhajan "Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram" while walking. When Gandhi reached the sea at Dandi and broke the salt laws at 6:30 am on 6 April 1930, it sparked large scale acts of civil disobedience against the British Raj salt laws by millions of Indians.  

"Raghupati Raghava" is a bhajan from "Nama Ramayana" written by Sri Lakshmanacharya. Gandhi edited the bhajana to promote secularism by inserting "Allah, Rahim" and popularized his version.

The most popular tune of the song (still being used) was composed by the revered Hindustani Classical musicologist Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar.

2. B. 1901

In 1901, Gandhi reached India to attend the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress and had the satisfaction of seeing his resolution (INC’s support for the struggle against racial discrimination and exploitation in South Africa) pass with acclamation. At the Calcutta session in 1901 Gandhi had an opportunity to meet Congress Leaders like Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, Lokmanya B. G. Tilak, G. K. Gokhale and others.

But he was not impressed with the way the Congress was functioning. He noticed a lack of unity among the delegates. Moreover, while they spoke English and affected the style of westerners in their dress and talk, they did not seem to bother about essential things like good sanitary facilities in the camp. Gandhi wanted to teach them a lesson. On his own he quietly started cleaning the bathroom and latrine. No one volunteered to join him.

It was his first contact with the Congress which he was to lead so gloriously in the future.

3. D. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

On the fateful day of January 30, 1948, Gandhiji was about 10 mins late for his evening prayer in the Birla House due to an extended meeting with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Gandhi had a busy day; earlier on the day at 2 pm, Margaret Bourke White, famous photographer of the Life magazine interviewed Gandhiji. A hasty Gandhi made his way to the Prayer Hall with Manu was on his right and Abha on his left. At about 5.17 P.M., the assassin (Nathuram Godse) emerged from the gathered crowd with a revolver hidden in his pocket and fired three bullets into Gandhi's abdomen and chest from point blank.

“The light had gone out!!”

4. D. Belgaum

Belgaum (Now also called Belagavi) entered the history books in December, 1924 by playing host to the historic 39^th Session of the Indian National Congress. It was the only Congress Session chaired by Mahatma Gandhi and also the only Congress Session held in Karnataka in the pre-independence days.

The venue where the session was held was named Vijayanagara and the entrance gate was designed like the Gopura of the Virupaksha temple at Hampi. A flag station was especially arranged by MSM Railway (Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway) for the session. Legendary Hindustani music maestro Gangubai Hangal, then 11, sang the welcome song in the session.

Though there was consensus in Congress to make Gandhi its President in the 1924 session, the participation of Gandhi was under cloud (Sarojini Naidu was the standby choice) as he was in prison (Yerawada Jail, Pune) until 5^th February, 1924  and was released on the ground of his ill health (appendicitis, which was operated).

By 1924, the Hindu-Muslim cooperation for which Gandhi had striven so zealously had nearly vanished. With the abolition of Khilafat in Turkey, no encouragement was left for preponderance of the Indian Muslims to collaborate & work together with the Hindus. Gandhiji presided over the Belgaum session with the objective of restoring unity between Hindus and Muslims, removal of untouchability. Spread of Chakra and Khadi were the other objectives.

5. B. Naseeruddin Shah

“Hey Ram” (2000), directed by Kamal Haasan, centers on India's Partition (in the Bengal Province) and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse. The film is about Saket Ram’s (Kamal Haasan) journey from religious hatred to love with the theme of the partition of Bengal in the background. Naseeruddin Shah played the role of Gandhi in the film.

Other notable films depicting Gandhi include the epic historical drama “Gandhi” (1982), produced and directed by Richard Attenborough and “The Making of the Mahatma” (1996), an Indo - South African joint production, directed by Shyam Benegal. In Gandhi (1982), Ben Kingsley (born as Krishna Pandit Bhanji) played Gandhiji for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, while Rajit Kapur won the National Film Award as Best Actor for portraying Gandhi in his formative 21 years in South Africa.