‘Gandhi: Fighter without a Sword’ was authored by an American writer Jeanette Eaton
By Farooq Sargani
The book ‘Gandhi: Fighter without a Sword’, authored by Jeanette Eaton, for children, narrates the struggle, resistance, and non-violence movement against imperialism. This book is primarily a biography of the life of a preacher of non-violence who believed in the unity of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. After reading the book, one can learn many fascinating stories about Gandhi that are revealed from his childhood.
Moreover, he had been observing British Crown rule and injustices faced by the indigenous people of India from his childhood. One incident that happened early in his life is noteworthy. He was eager to gain the strength to challenge British authority and drive them out of India. That is why he ate meat to gain strength, but later he felt shame because it did not help him to end British rule.
He married Kasturbai as a teenager and then moved to London to earn a law degree. As a lawyer, he went to South Africa, worked with Muslim merchants, and remained there for 23 years until the First World War escalated. During this period, he also visited the Indian subcontinent.
Most Indian historians have not written extensively about Gandhi’s life in South Africa, but this book provides insights into his achievements as a lawyer there. In South Africa, Gandhi organized native Indians to come together on one platform. As a result, he founded the Natal Indian Congress and regularly met with people across the city.
He usually received funds from the wealthiest Indian merchants in Africa to run the Congress or organize protests. Another significant achievement of Gandhi was the publication of his famous ‘Green Pamphlet,’ which set forth the plain facts about the Indian struggle in South Africa. Within a few months, ten thousand copies sold out quickly.
Throughout his life, he fought for the rights of ignorant workers. When he returned to India, he often wandered the streets and observed that Indians were neglected, ignorant, and half-starved. Furthermore, he opened the ‘Indian Opinion’ newspaper office, in which he criticized imperialist policies. Jeanette Eaton stated, “It presented to a British audience the truth about Indian difficulties and gave Indian readers a liberal education.”
After spending many years in South Africa, Gandhi finally returned to India in 1915. He soon started working with the Congress, visiting villages and listening to the unspoken voices of indigenous people and those from lower castes. He also delivered lectures at various universities. He wanted reforms until the incident at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, which led to a change in his mindset, and he embarked on a struggle for real political power and freedom.
Later, he impacted the British economy by advising Indians to boycott British dresses and products. He initiated the movement to boycott salt, leading to the famous Salt March.
In short, he was strongly against the partition of the subcontinent. He said, “Cut me into two if you can, but do not divide the subcontinent.” He launched the Satyagraha movement, which means that a person must declare the truth they believe in and be willing to die for it without violating anyone.
If we summarize his personality in a few words, he was a secular, progressive politician who fought for marginalized people of the subcontinent. Many times, he went to jail. He often said, “You may put me into jail or kill me, but I will never compromise on political issues.”
Moreover, no one knew that a person who sought peace would be killed brutally one day.
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The reviewer is a freelance writer and student of history at the University of Karachi.
