Gandhi restrained mass movement, yet heretained his popularity among the masses

Gandhi was primarily a man of action and his own experiences in life helped him more than his readings in involving and shaping his ideology.

He was able to arouse and unite all sections of the Indian people in a militant mass national movement. The struggle in South Africa created a new image of Gandhi that he was the leader of Indian people and not of any region or religious community. This worked as a decisive factor in Gandhi’s entry into Indian politics.

Through technique of Satyagraha, Gandhi succeeded in controlling the mass movements. The abrupt withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement by Gandhi after the Chauri Chaura incident had demoralizing effect on many congress leaders and had to a sharp decline in the national movement.

Before launching the Civil Disobedience, Gandhi was still not sure of his plan of action. He once again tried for compromise with the Government. The Government response to Gandhi’s proposal was negative. Still Gandhi was hesitant. After all, the dominant section in the peasantry and the business groups found the Gandhian non-violent model convenient because they feared to lose if political struggle turned into uninhibited and violent Social revolution.

Gandhi brought different sections and classes by society together against the British rule. With his entry into Indian politics, there started a new era of mass mobilisation.

It was by taking up regional issues that he emerged as a national leader. It is necessary to mention that there have always been strong differences of opinion on the relevance of Gandhi’s ideology. But the fact remains that his ideas deeply influenced the course of our struggle against the British rule and determined its major thrust and direction.