Arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in India (1915)

Background

Gandhi returned to India in January 1915, at the age of 46, after two decades in South Africa. His arrival was not like that of a fiery political leader but more like that of a seasoned moral figure who had proven himself abroad. At Mumbai’s Apollo Bunder, he was welcomed by huge, cheering crowds.

But Gandhi did not plunge straight into politics. He followed the advice of his mentor, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who told him: “First, understand India before you try to lead it.”

Thus, Gandhi spent his first year (1915–16) travelling widely across India:

• He visited Shantiniketan, the school of Rabindranath Tagore,
• Attended the Kumbh Mela at Hardwar,
• And observed the lives of ordinary Indians closely.

These journeys helped him to reconnect with India—its villages, poverty, and diverse traditions.

Establishment of Ashram Life

In May 1915, Gandhi set up the Satyagraha Ashram at Kochrab, near Ahmedabad. Later, in 1917, it was shifted to the banks of the Sabarmati River and became famous as the Sabarmati Ashram.

The Ashram was not just a residence; it was a laboratory for Gandhi’s experiments in truth and non-violence. It trained people in:

• Simplicity,
• Self-reliance,
• Community service, and
• Moral discipline.

👉 These Ashramites later became Gandhi’s core group in India’s nationalist movements.

Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal (1915)

Interestingly, in June 1915, Gandhi was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal by Lord Hardinge for his humanitarian work in South Africa (ambulance corps during the Boer War).

👉 This shows that at this point, Gandhi was not seen as a rebel by the British, but as a reformer with goodwill towards the Empire.

Gandhi’s First Public Appearance in India (1916)

In February 1916, Gandhi made his first major public appearance at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) during its opening ceremony.

Here, Gandhi surprised everyone by sharply criticising the Indian elite:

• He argued that Indian nationalism was driven mainly by lawyers, doctors, and landlords, who were far removed from the struggles of the poor.
• He declared that India’s true salvation lay with the farmers and peasants, not with the privileged classes.

👉 This speech gave an early glimpse of Gandhi’s vision: he wanted to make nationalism inclusive, rooted in the masses, not limited to the educated elite.

Gandhi’s Entry into Indian Politics (1917–1918)

Gandhi formally entered Indian politics not through national-level campaigns, but through local struggles of peasants and workers. This phase (1917–18) saw three major interventions:

1. Champaran Satyagraha (1917, Bihar) – Gandhi’s first experiment with Satyagraha in India.
2. Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918, Gujarat) – Support for industrial workers demanding better conditions.
3. Kheda Satyagraha (1918, Gujarat) – Support for peasants seeking tax remission after crop failure.

Champaran Satyagraha (1917) – The First Experiment in India

To understand Champaran, we need to look back:

• After the Indigo Rebellion (1859–60) in Bengal, indigo planters shifted to Champaran district of Bihar.
• Here, they forced peasants into the Tinkathia System: cultivators had to grow indigo on 3/20th (15%) of their land and sell it at prices dictated by European planters.
• With the discovery of synthetic dyes in Germany, indigo lost its profitability. Planters now tried to squeeze peasants further—raising rents and demanding illegal dues, or offering release from indigo cultivation in exchange for heavy compensation.

The misery of the peasants was immense.

At the Lucknow Session of Congress (1916), a poor peasant, Rajkumar Shukla, pleaded with Gandhi to visit Champaran. Gandhi agreed, marking the beginning of his first great mass struggle in India.

Gandhi’s Action in Champaran

• Gandhi reached Champaran in 1917 with leaders like Rajendra Prasad, Mazhar-ul-Huq, J.B. Kripalani, Narhari Parikh, and Mahadev Desai.
• He conducted a detailed investigation into peasant grievances.
• The authorities ordered him to leave. Gandhi refused, choosing to defy the order and face punishment—a clear act of civil disobedience.

This act of peaceful defiance forced the government to set up the Champaran Agrarian Committee, with Gandhi as a member.

Outcome of the Committee

• It recommended the abolition of the Tinkathia system.
• Illegal dues and enhanced rents were reduced.
• For past illegal collections, peasants were granted a 25% refund.

👉 Though not a complete victory, the outcome destroyed the prestige of the European planters, and soon, they abandoned Champaran altogether.

Significance of Champaran

• This was Gandhi’s first direct political struggle in India, and it proved the effectiveness of Satyagraha on Indian soil.
• It brought Gandhi into the national spotlight.
• It showed that peasants, not just elites, could be mobilised for nationalist causes.

Smooth Transition

Thus, within just two years of his return, Gandhi had:

• Rooted himself among the masses,
• Proven the practicality of Satyagraha, and
• Emerged as a new type of leader—different from the constitutional moderates and extremist agitators.

He was now ready to take Indian politics in a new direction, which we will see unfold in Ahmedabad and Kheda next.

Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)

After Champaran, Gandhi turned his attention to the working class in Gujarat.

Background

• In 1917, during a plague outbreak in Ahmedabad, mill owners offered a “Plague Bonus” (75% of wages) to retain workers.
• When the epidemic ended, they tried to withdraw this bonus.
• Workers objected, since prices had skyrocketed due to wartime inflation.

A dispute arose:

• Mill owners were ready to give only a 20% increase in wages.
• Workers demanded a 50% increase.
• They went on strike.

At this point, Gandhi was asked by the Collector of Ahmedabad to intervene.

Gandhi’s Role

• Gandhi met Ambalal Sarabhai, a leading mill owner (and president of the Ahmedabad Mill Owners’ Association), who had earlier helped Gandhi’s ashram financially.
• He also worked with Anasuya Sarabhai, Ambalal’s sister, a social worker who supported the workers.

Gandhi studied the financial condition of the mills and suggested a middle path: instead of 50%, the workers should demand 35%.

He insisted that the strike must remain non-violent. To maintain morale, he organised daily mass meetings, issued leaflets, and kept the workers united.

The Turning Point: Gandhi’s Fast

When negotiations broke down and mill owners threatened dismissal, Gandhi took the drastic step of a fast unto death (15 March 1918).

• This was Gandhi’s first hunger strike in India.
• It was not meant to punish the opponent, but to appeal to their conscience.
• After four days, the mill owners relented and agreed to submit the matter to arbitration.

The tribunal awarded a 35% wage increase to the workers—Gandhi’s solution had triumphed.

👉 This strike demonstrated how Satyagraha could work in industrial disputes without violence, and how moral authority could be stronger than brute power.

Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association

The Ahmedabad strike laid the foundation for institutionalised labour organisation:

• On 25 February 1920, Anasuya Behn formally founded the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association (Majoor Mahajan Sangh).
• Gandhi inaugurated the Throstle Workers’ Union under the neem tree at her residence in Mirzapur, Ahmedabad.
• This later evolved into a federal structure of 12 occupational unions with Anasuya Behn as President, Gandhi and Shankarlal Banker as advisers.

👉 The Association became one of the first successful trade unions in India, built on Gandhian principles of conciliation and non-violence.

Kheda Satyagraha (1918)

While Gandhi was helping workers in Ahmedabad, peasants in Kheda district of Gujarat were facing their own crisis.

Background

• The revenue code allowed remission of land revenue if crops were less than 25% of normal yield.
• In 1918, harvests failed, and prices rose sharply.
• Peasants demanded tax remission, but the colonial government refused.

Local leaders like Mohanlal Pandya and Shankarlal Parikh began a no-revenue campaign in late 1917. The government retaliated by seizing property of peasants.

Through the Gujarat Sabha (a political organisation of Gujarati lawyers, established in 1884), peasants approached Gandhi.

Gandhi’s Leadership

• Gandhi argued that tax remission was the legal right of cultivators, not a concession.
• On 22 March 1918, he addressed 5,000 peasants at Nadiad, urging them to stand firm and refuse payment.
• Gandhi toured villages, giving courage to peasants, urging unity, and insisting on non-violent resistance.

When he realised peasants were reaching exhaustion, Gandhi called off the agitation after the government allowed revenue collection only from those who could pay, with no pressure on the genuinely poor.

Role of Associates

• Leaders like Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yajnik played key roles.
• Women also participated actively: Kasturba Gandhi, Anasuya Behn, Miraben, Anandibai, and Maniben Patel. They addressed women, organised bhajan mandalis, and spread awareness.

Gujarat Sabha and Gandhi

• The Gujarat Sabha was instrumental in organising the movement.
• Gandhi served as its President (1918–19), marking his formal entry into organised Indian politics.

Significance of Champaran, Ahmedabad, and Kheda

Together, these three struggles marked Gandhi’s first experiments with Satyagraha in India. Their significance was immense:

1. Sympathy for the Poor – Gandhi positioned himself as a leader of peasants and workers, not just elites.
2. Mass Contact – These struggles brought him close to the common people of India.
3. Testing Gandhian Methods – For the first time in India, Gandhi deployed:
   • Civil Disobedience at Champaran (1917),
   • Hunger Strike at Ahmedabad (1918),
   • Non-Cooperation at Kheda (1918).
4. Emergence as an All-India Leader – These local victories gave Gandhi national visibility and credibility.
5. Training Future Leaders – Movements brought Gandhi into contact with young leaders like Rajendra Prasad, J.B. Kripalani (Bihar), Vallabhbhai Patel, and Indulal Yajnik (Gujarat), who later became pillars of the freedom struggle.

A Close Look

• These struggles did not originate with Gandhi. They began with local leaders and grievances. Gandhi was invited later, and his intervention transformed them into legitimate, effective, non-violent mass movements.
• His methods gave Indian nationalism a new moral and political dimension—a politics rooted in truth, non-violence, and mass participation, rather than petitions or violent resistance.

👉 With these early victories, Gandhi had arrived. By 1918, he was no longer an outsider or an experimental leader. He was now recognised as a national leader with a tested philosophy, ready to guide India’s struggle at an all-India level.