The 152nd birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma, which means great soul, was celebrated on October 2, 2021. We’ve heard a lot about Gandhi leading our fight for independence against the British since we were kids. He brought the British Empire to its knees, which was once referred to as the Empire on which the sun never set. The battle was not fought with guns and blood, but with a peaceful and non-violent method known as Satyagraha.
However, little is said about how Gandhi came up with the idea of Satyagraha. Also, have you ever wondered how he managed to unite such a diverse country as one powerful force against the British? What about his proposal to combine deep-seated social issues, such as caste-based discrimination, with the fight for independence?
We’ll have to delve deeper into history to find out.
Pietermaritzburg – the Moment of Truth
Gandhi travelled to South Africa in 1893 as a 23-year-old lawyer to fight a case involving an Indian resident there. Racism was rampant, and discrimination based on skin colour was pervasive, primarily orchestrated by the British. The defining moment of his life took place On June 7, 1893, when he was removed from his first-class train compartment and thrown off the train at Pietermaritzburg station. The main reason was that coloured ‘coolies’ were not permitted to travel first class.
It was his moment of truth, shivering in the cold night, which led to a few profound questions:
How can someone throw me off a train just because I have dark skin?
In what way does it make sense for someone to commit such an act despite the fact that I have a valid ticket?
I am a well-educated barrister with a solid understanding of the law. If this can happen to me, what about the less fortunate and educated?
My own adversity is merely surface-level. It is only a symptom of the larger problem of colour prejudice. What can I do to help?
Following this defining event, he spent the next 21 years in South Africa undergoing a personal transformation that resulted in Mohandas becoming Mahatma. In 1894, he founded the Indian Congress, which led non-violent protests against white people’s oppressive treatment of Indians. That cold night in Pietermaritzburg saw the ‘mental creation’ of freedom from the British. The next step is to devise a strong strategy to counter the British.
The Idea of Satyagraha
In need of a new term to describe the Indian resistance, Gandhi chose Satyagraha. He coined the phrase by combining the words Satya (truth) and Agraha (Insistence or force). Gandhi believed that discrimination could only exist if the exploited accepted it. If one could see beyond the current situation and the truth behind it, the capacity to implement change comes automatically. In practise, it was about standing up to injustice with force and non-violence. The goal was not to have a winner and a loser in the battle, but rather for everyone to eventually see and understand the truth and agree to repeal the unjust law.
In 1906, Gandhi organized the first Satyagraha campaign, bringing together fellow Indians to protest the ruling British. By thoroughly researching and fine-tuning this non-violent approach, he gradually turned the tides by transforming it into a powerful weapon against the British. During his time in South Africa, he learned a great deal from first-hand experience and diligent reading. He developed methods and processes that enable people of all backgrounds to act non-violently in the pursuit of fairness and justice.
He was adaptable in terms of the outcomes he desired, but precise in terms of the actions to take, in order to maintain non-violent discipline. In summary, the entire Satyagraha concept and execution occurred during his time in South Africa.
The Social Scientist
Gandhi learned about India’s diversity first-hand while working closely with Indians in South Africa. Indians in South Africa spoke different languages, had different cultures, and held different opinions. This resulted in a slew of internal issues, including discrimination based on religion, caste, and gender. He also saw that we were always reliant on someone else (in this case, the British) to provide employment, resulting in a lack of self-reliance. This is where he took Satyagraha to the next level, not only by using it as a weapon to fight the British, but also by fighting our internal battles in a slow, steady, but determined manner.
Gandhi, as an inward-looking individual, was a social scientist. He gathered information and learned through trial and error on a regular basis. As time passed, his commitment to experimenting with non-violent and social transformation actions evolved. He was constantly iterating, experimenting, pivoting, and implementing what worked best for a diverse group of Indians. During his two-decade stay in South Africa, he developed his political views, ethics, and politics. Satyagraha was such a profound concept that it also applied to native Africans. Even after Gandhi left South Africa in 1915, local leaders such as Nelson Mandela continued the fight.
After nearly 80 years of struggle, coloured Africans were granted the right to vote in South Africa in 1994. Gandhi was declared a national hero, and numerous monuments were erected in his honour.
Back in India
When he returned to India in 1915, he felt like he was in South Africa again. Because he has already experimented and obtained positive results in South Africa. Fighting outside against the British and fighting social issues within the framework of Satyagraha came quite naturally to him. Gandhi was able to conduct experiments on a large scale in India conjuring the vast nature of the problem. He was flexible in his approach while remaining committed to it.
The Salt Satyagraha or Dandi March, for example, was a significant act of non-violent civil disobedience. He was able to connect with everyone because salt is a basic ingredient in Indian food, and he was able to send the message of British discrimination. Many similar initiatives eventually resulted in India’s independence in 1947.
Conclusion
In today’s world, we discuss the following:
Developing an innovative idea that solves a real-world problem for a common man.
Coming up with a solution requires an iterative process. Begin with an MVP and work your way up to what is actually required to solve the problem. When things don’t work out with customers, pivot until you find a product-market fit.
Having a growth mindset in which we are constantly learning and growing in our personal and professional lives.
Creating multiple layers of people and aligning the organization around a single vision
Creating scalable and repeatable models that can serve millions of people
Getting ahead by doing good
Gandhi, in my opinion, demonstrated all the above and much more with his Scalable Satyagraha model. Beginning as a barrister in 1893, his life journey ended in 1948, marking a long 55-years in public life by transforming from Mohandas to Mahatma. The main reason I admire Gandhi is not because of his political achievements, but because as a human being he exemplified individual transformation and made a difference in the lives of millions around him.
