Civil Disobedience Gandhi Analysis

Gandhi tied his political and religious beliefs together and represented himself as an advocate for piece. For this reason he rejected the idea of teaming workers struggles with a campaign for British withdrawal, and thus was worried about workers and rank-and-file soldiers combining in action, as things would become very violent. Although he opposed one caste oppressing another he never in fact came out directly for the abolition of the caste system himself. Pacifists cite Gandhi as the shining example of how non-violent civil disobedience works successfully. Yet, as an advocate for non-violence he publically pledged not to embarrass the British, and that he would lend moral support for the Allies. This should have been in conflict in his beliefs, and therefore should not have supported

This was done to ensure a control over the Indian population, and prevent mass organization. Nehru, the leader of the Indian National Congress, recognized this. He wrote: “ 'Hindu and Muslim communalism ' is 'in neither case even bona fide communalism, but political and social reaction hiding behind the communal mask”. The British fanned flames between these different religious groups in order to ensure that they would not rise up against them. The main instruments of British rule in India were the army and the civil service. They controlled the means of coercion and they collected and allocated resources. The Indian army was vital for both internal and external reasons. It policed a vast area, stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to China. Without the Indian army, and the Indian revenue that sustained it, the British government would not have been able to maintain its position and the status of ‘great power’ would have been seriously undermined. The movement for Indian independence went through a succession of waves and troughs but at its peaks there was always united action by Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. One thing emerged from a very early stage, however. The social base and political goals of the Indian National Congress meant it was unable to appeal to Hindu and Muslim workers and peasants on the basis of class, even though that was the best way to build lasting communal