Conversations
Gandhi and the French Students
- Student 1: Welcome, Gandhiji. We see you as a light for the West.
- Gandhiji: Thank you, my friends. I also see you as fellow students.
- Student 2: You have learnt about our traditions, haven’t you?
- Gandhiji: Yes. Since my student days in France, I admired Rousseau and Victor Hugo.
- Student 1: What message would you like to give us?
- Gandhiji: The message of non-violence. It is not weakness, but true strength.
- Student 2: So, bravery is not killing the enemy?
- Gandhiji: No. Greater bravery is to suffer blows and not retaliate.
Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin
- Chaplin: Gandhiji, why are you against machinery?
- Gandhiji: I am not against all machines. But our peasants face six months of unemployment.
- Chaplin: I see. You mean they lose their work when machines replace them?
- Gandhiji: Exactly. The spinning wheel gives them livelihood and dignity.
- Chaplin: So you want India to be self-reliant?
- Gandhiji: Yes. Every nation should be self-contained in food and cloth.
- Chaplin: That is a powerful idea. I respect your simplicity.
- Gandhiji: And I respect your gift of bringing joy to millions.
Gandhi and the Women’s India Council
- Member 1: Gandhiji, many believe Indian women are not active in public life.
- Gandhiji: That is not true. Women have played a heroic role in our struggle.
- Member 2: Could you give us an example?
- Gandhiji: Yes. When leaders were jailed, women filled the prisons with courage.
- Member 1: Were they educated women like Sarojini Naidu?
- Gandhiji: Not only her. Hundreds of unlettered women bore lathi blows without fear.
- Member 2: That is inspiring. They truly showed great bravery.
- Gandhiji: Indeed. Their sacrifice gives strength to our movement.
Gandhi and an English Supporter
- Supporter: Gandhiji, are you here to beg for India’s freedom?
- Gandhiji: No, never. Independence is not a gift. It is our birthright.
- Supporter: But Britain may not be ready to leave.
- Gandhiji: Then we shall continue our self-sacrifice until no Britisher wishes to rule us.
- Supporter: Your method is non-violent, but will it succeed?
- Gandhiji: Yes. Non-violence has greater power than the sword.
- Supporter: I admire your determination, Gandhiji.
- Gandhiji: Thank you. Truth and sacrifice will bring us victory.
Gandhi at the Round Table Conference
- Delegate: Gandhiji, why do you want freedom for India?
- Gandhiji: I want freedom so that no Indian is exploited.
- Delegate: And will India then rule over weaker nations?
- Gandhiji: Never. Freedom is not meant to exploit others.
- Delegate: But power often tempts countries.
- Gandhiji: True power lies in justice, not in domination.
- Delegate: Do you believe this dream will be fulfilled?
- Gandhiji: Yes, with non-violence and faith, India will achieve her rightful independence.
Gandhiji and His Secretary
- Secretary: Bapu, there is a request. Mr. Charlie Chaplin wishes to meet you.
- Gandhiji: Charlie Chaplin? Who is he? I have not heard of him.
- Secretary: He is a very famous actor from England. People everywhere know him.
- Gandhiji: An actor? Why does he want to meet me?
- Secretary: Bapu, he is loved by millions. He makes common people laugh through his films. He comes from the people and lives for the people.
- Gandhiji: Oh, I see. He serves the people in his own way.
- Secretary: Yes, Bapu. He has also heard about your spinning wheel and wants to ask you about it.
- Gandhiji: In that case, I would be happy to meet him.
Letters
1. Letter 1: Imagine Chaplin writes a letter to a friend referring to the way he was inspired by Gandhiji to serve society. Draft the likely letter.
London
20th October, 1931
My dear Friend,
I must share with you an extraordinary experience I recently had. I was fortunate enough to meet Mahatma Gandhi during his visit here. At first, I was simply curious about this man who had stirred millions in India. But our conversation left me deeply moved and inspired.
I asked him why he opposed modern machinery, since to me machines were a sign of progress. With great patience, he explained how the peasants of India remained unemployed for nearly half the year. The spinning wheel, he said, was not merely a tool but a means of restoring dignity, work, and self-reliance to his people. His words struck me deeply.
I realised that service to humanity is not only through art or laughter, but also by helping people to stand on their own feet. Gandhiji’s simplicity, his faith in non-violence, and his belief in truth made me see society in a new light. I left with the thought that whatever talent I possess must also serve the common man.
It was truly one of the most inspiring meetings of my life.
Yours sincerely,
Charlie.
Letter 2. French Student to Parents
Paris
15th October, 1931
Dear Mother and Father,
I attended a wonderful meeting today where Mahatma Gandhi spoke. We, the students of France, had gathered to welcome him as the “spiritual ambassador of India.” I was surprised by the simplicity of his words and the warmth in his manner.
He said he knew our traditions through Rousseau and Victor Hugo. That touched me, because it showed his respect for our country. But the most inspiring part was his message of non-violence. He told us that real strength is not in muscle, but in heart. To endure suffering without striking back, he said, is the greatest form of bravery.
I had never thought of courage in this way. For us, bravery often means fighting. But Gandhiji opened my eyes to another kind of heroism. I came away with the feeling that he is not only a leader of India, but a teacher for the whole world.
With love,
Your Fred.
Letter 3: English Supporter to a Friend
London
22nd October, 1931
My dear George,
Yesterday, I heard Mahatma Gandhi speak about India’s struggle for independence. I expected him to demand freedom as a favour, but his words were very different. He said he had not come to beg for independence, for independence is never a gift from one nation to another. Instead, he called it India’s birthright.
He also spoke of self-sacrifice, saying his people would continue suffering and resisting until no Britisher wished to rule them any longer. His calm voice, filled with conviction, made a deep impression on me.
I must admit, I felt both humbled and uneasy. For years we have considered India a colony, but Gandhiji’s words made me realise that our rule is unjust. He did not use anger or hatred, yet his truth struck harder than any weapon.
I left the meeting believing that independence for India is inevitable, and perhaps even necessary for Britain’s honour.
Yours sincerely,
Edward
Letter 4: Indian Woman to Her Sister
Bombay
10th November, 1931
Dearest Sister,
I had the privilege to attend Gandhiji’s address at the Women’s India Council in London. He spoke with such pride about the role of Indian women in the freedom struggle. It filled my heart with courage.
He reminded the audience that when our organisations were banned and men imprisoned, women stepped forward. They marched in processions, faced lathi blows, and went to jail with unflinching bravery. What touched me most was when he said it was not just educated women, but hundreds of unlettered sisters who stood bleeding, yet told their companions not to move.
Hearing this, I felt both proud and responsible. Our struggle is not only for men; it is for all of us. Gandhiji’s words reminded me that every act of courage, no matter how small, brings India closer to freedom.
Stay strong, dear sister. The day of our country’s independence will surely come.
Yours affectionately,
Savitri
Letter 5: Gandhiji to an English Friend after the Conference
London
5th December, 1931
My dear Friend,
The Round Table Conference has ended, and though the journey is difficult, my hope remains firm. I felt it important to write to you, for you have been a friend since my student days.
In the meetings, I made it clear that freedom for India is not sought for the purpose of ruling others. I told the delegates that if I desire independence, it is so that every Indian may live with dignity. True freedom is not for exploitation, but for service.
I know that many in Britain fear India’s freedom will weaken your country. I believe it will, in fact, strengthen the bond between our nations, for friendship cannot exist between ruler and ruled. It exists only between equals.
I carry with me the goodwill of many English friends, and I trust that truth and non-violence will, in the end, prevail.
Yours sincerely,
M. K. Gandhi.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs in the Passage
-
enter upon
Meaning: to begin or start doing something important.
Example from text: “on my entering upon my mission…” -
stand the blows
Meaning: to endure, bear, or tolerate pain/difficulty without giving up.
Example: “to stand the blows of your adversaries…” -
bring out
Meaning: to reveal or explain clearly.
Example: “he brought out the relation between education and non-violence.” -
consist in
Meaning: to have as the most important part.
Example: “Real education consists not in packing the brain…” -
turn up
Meaning: to appear or arrive, often unexpectedly.
Example: “Old friends… turned up to see him.” -
make a point of
Meaning: to be sure to do something, giving it importance.
Example: “all the English friends… made a point of renewing the friendship.” -
live for
Meaning: to dedicate one’s life to a purpose or cause.
Example: “he came from the people and lived for the people.” -
agree to
Meaning: to accept or say yes to something.
Example: “he agreed to meet him.” -
come out (of)
Meaning: to leave a place; to emerge into public life.
Example: “they came out of their homes in one mass…” -
bear out
Meaning: to support or prove something true by action.
Example (implied): women bore out Gandhiji’s claim by their sacrifices. -
raise a finger / little finger (negative form “without raising…”)
Meaning: to make even a small effort.
Example: “without raising a little finger.” -
make clear
Meaning: to explain something so that it is understood.
Example: “Gandhiji made his point of view clear…” -
give (independence) to
Meaning: to provide or grant something.
Example: “persuaded the British rulers to give India her legitimate independence.” -
carry on / continue (process) (expressed as “continue the process”)
Meaning: to persist in an activity.
Example: “we shall continue the process of self-sacrifice…”
Author
Mahadev Haribhai Desai, born on 1 January 1892, was an Indian independence activist, scholar and writer, best remembered as Mahatma Gandhi’s personal secretary. He has variously been described as ‘Gandhi’s Boswell’, ‘a Plato to Gandhi’s Socrates’, or ‘an Ānanda to Gandhi’s Buddha’.
Mahadev Desai was an outstanding writer at ease with Gujarati, Bengali and English. He is highly regarded as a translator and writer in Gujarati. He wrote several biographies such as Antyaj Sadhu Nand (1925), Sant Francis (1936), Vir Vallabhbhai (1928) and Be Khudai Khidmatgar (1936) which was a biography of Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan and his brother. He was also a regular contributor to Gandhi’s publications Young India, Navjivan and The Harijanbandhu. He died on 15 August 1942 and was posthumously awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955.
Textual Analysis
During his visit to England, Gandhiji attended many meetings that were organised to honour him. The students of France organised a reception for the ‘spiritual ambassador of India’. They welcomed him as one bringing light to the exploitation-blinded West and acting as a healing balm to the war-weary Europe. In his reply, Gandhiji addressed them as friends and fellow students.
“Since I visited France as a student to see the Exhibition at Paris in 1890, I have learnt something of the traditions of your country, and of the teachings of Rousseau and Victor Hugo. Now, on my entering upon my mission my very difficult mission in India it heartens me to find a welcome from you.”
He expounded the message of non-violence to the youth. He explained that non-violence was no weapon of the weak but of the strongest, that strength was not mere strength of muscle. To a non-violent man, strength of muscle is not necessary, but a strong heart is an absolute necessity. To kill and to be killed in fighting an enemy are acts of bravery, but to stand the blows of your adversaries and not to retaliate is a greater form of bravery. That is precisely what India has been training herself for.
In one of his speeches, he brought out the relation between education and non-violence. He said, “Real education consists not in packing the brain with facts and figures, not in passing examinations by reading numerous books, but in developing character… I can say that if you explore the possibilities of non-violence, you will find that without character it will prove a profitless study… In a movement such as we are conducting in India, we need the intellectual sympathy of the whole world….”
Scores of letters came to Gandhiji daily from all parts of Britain and the Continent, welcoming him and expressing sympathy for his mission. Old friends who knew him years ago as a young student turned up to see him and all the English friends, including civil servants, made a point of renewing the friendship.
Even celebrities who had heard about him were eager to meet him in person. Perhaps, few would believe that when Gandhiji was told that Mr Charlie Chaplin would like to see him, he innocently asked who that distinguished person was. But as soon as he was told that Mr Chaplin came from the people and lived for the people, and that he had made millions laugh, he agreed to meet him.
Chaplin had evidently heard of Gandhiji’s spinning wheel and the very first question he asked was why Gandhiji was against machinery. The question delighted Gandhiji who explained to him in detail why the six months’ unemployment of the whole peasant population of India made it important for him to restore them. Gandhiji said, “In cloth and food every nation should be self-contained. We were self-contained and want to be so again.”
There were requests from various women’s organisations for an address by Gandhiji, and he addressed the Women’s India Council in Morley College Hall. At this meeting, Gandhiji took the opportunity of correcting various notions about the women of India. He presented a vivid picture of the heroic part they played during the freedom struggle. “No hindrances have been placed in the way of their entering public life… For several years, when our organisations were declared illegal and those in charge of them put into prison, it was the women who came to the forefront… and filled the jails…”
He then went on to describe how they came out of their homes in one mass and showed an awakening which was miraculous. They took part in processions, defied the law, and bore the lathi blows, without raising a little finger. It was not learned women like Sarojini Naidu but hundreds of unlettered women who had borne lathi blows to the head, bleeding profusely whilst standing unflinchingly, ordering their companions not to move.
About Indian independence, Gandhiji made his point of view clear at many a meeting. “I am not here to beg for independence, but I have come as a result of last year’s suffering … There is no such thing as a gift of independence from one nation to another…I am here to testify that we shall continue the process of self-sacrifice until at last no Britisher will want to remain in India as a ruler.”
At the Federal Structure Committee of the Round Table Conference, Gandhiji spoke about his dream of independent India. “If I want freedom for my country…. I do not want that freedom in order that I may exploit any other race upon earth, or any single individual.”
Thus Gandhiji, along with all the other freedom fighters, persuaded the British rulers to give India her legitimate independence, which, in his words, was her birthright. The dream of independence was accomplished by his inimitable method of unwavering non-violence and non-cooperation.
[Excerpts from ‘The Nation’s Voice’, a collection of Gandhiji’s speeches and Mahadev Desai’s account of Mahatma Gandhi’s journey to England.]
