Book -Review

The Story of My Experiments with Truth

UGC- HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

KURUKSHETRA UNIVERSITY, KURUKSHETRA

77th Orientation Programme

(18 June to 15 July, 2015)

Submitted By

Parveen Kumar
Assistant Professor
Department of History
Dyal Singh College
Karnal
 The Story of My Experiments with Truth is the autobiography of M. K. Gandhi,
covering his life from childhood through to 1921. It was written in weekly installments and
published in his journal Navjivan from 1925 to 1929. In 1999, the book was designated as one of
the "100 Best Spiritual Books of the 20th Century" by a committee of global spiritual and
religious authorities. M. K. Gandhi is one of the most inspiring figures of our time. In his classic
autobiography he recounts the story of his life and how he developed his concept of active
nonviolent resistance, which propelled the Indian freedom.

The first part narrates incidents of M. K. Gandhi's childhood, his experiments with eating
meat, and smoking, drinking, stealing, subsequent atonement and his study. The initial story of
Gandhi’s travails in South Africa and of his systematic struggle against oppression is well
known. Gandhi repeatedly experienced the sting of humiliation during his long African sojourn.
The incident at Maritzburg, where Gandhi was thrown off the train has become justly famous.
When Gandhi, as a matter of principle, refused to leave the first class compartment, he was
thrown off the train.

Although Gandhi's legal work soon start to keep him busy, he found time to read some of
Tolstoy's work, which greatly influenced his understanding of peace and justice and eventually
inspired him to write to Tolstoy, setting the beginning of a prolific correspondence. Gandhi's
personal quest to define his own philosophy with respect to religion did not rely solely on sacred
texts.

Though, at first, Gandhi intended to remain in S. Africa for a month or a year at most, he
ended up working in South Africa for about twenty years. During his struggle against inequality
and racial discrimination in South Africa, Gandhi became known among Indians all around the
world as "Mahatma," or "Great Soul."In 1896, Gandhi made a brief return to India and returned
with his wife and children. In India, he published another pamphlet, known as the Green
Pamphlet, on the plight of Indians in South Africa. Gandhi had become very well known in
South Africa as well, to the point where a crowd of rioters awaited him at Port Natal, determined
that he should not be allowed to enter. As Gandhi attended the 1901 Indian National Congress,
his hopes came true. G. K. Gokhale, one of the most prominent Indian politicians of the time,
supported the resolution for the rights of Indians in South Africa and the resolution passed.
Through Gokhale, in whose house Gandhi stayed for a month, Gandhi met many political
connections that would serve him later in life. He also formulated his own philosophy of political
protest, called Satyagraha, which literally meant "truth-force" in Sanskrit. In practice, this
practice meant protesting injustice steadfastly, but in a non-violent manner. Setting a personal
example, Gandhi became the first Indian to appear before a magistrate for his refusal to register,
and he was sentenced to two months in prison. Gandhi also felt the impact of another event, the
passing of G. K. Gokhale, who had become his supporter and political mentor. He stayed away
from the political trend of Indian nationalism, which many of the members of the Indian National
Congress embraced. After a while, Gandhi became influenced by the idea of Indian
independence from the British, As Gandhi resumed his public life in India in 1916, and he
delivered a speech at the opening of the new Hindu University, Banares, where he discussed his
understanding of independence and reform. He also provided specific examples of the plight
living conditions of the lower classes that he had observed during his travels around India and
focused specifically on sanitation.

He also interfered whenever he saw violence. When a group of Ahmadabad mill workers
went on strike and became violent, he resolved to fast until they returned to peace. Though some
political commentators condemned Gandhi's behavior as a form of blackmail, the fast only lasted
three days before the workers and their employers negotiated an agreement. Through this
situation, Gandhi discovered the fast as one of his most effective weapons in late years and set a
precedent for later action as part of satyagraha.

As the First World War (1914-18) continued, Gandhi also became involved in recruiting
men for the British Army, an involvement which his followers had a difficult time accepting,
after listening to his passionate speeches about resisting injustice in a non-violent manner. Not
surprisingly, at this point, although Gandhi still remained loyal to Britain and enamored with the
ideals of the British constitution, his desire to support and independent home rule became
stronger. As time passed, Gandhi became exhausted from his long journey around the country
and fell ill with dysentery. He refused conventional treatment and chose to practice his own
healing methods, relying on diet and spending a long time bedridden, while in recovery in his
ashram.
 During the months that followed, Gandhi continued to advocate for peace and caution,
however, since Britain and Turkey were still negotiating their peace terms. Unlike more
nationalistic politicians, he also supported the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms for India, as they
laid the foundation for constitutional self-government. As the British remained determined to put
an end to the Muslim Caliphate, they enforced the Rowlatt Act resolutely. Even Gandhi became
less tolerant towards British practices and in April 1920, he urged all Indians, Muslim and
Hindu, to begin a "non-cooperation" protest against the British rule by giving up their Western
clothing and British jobs. As a personal example, on August 1, he returned the medals for valor
that he had received in the Boer War in South Africa. He also became the first president of the
Home Rule League, a largely symbolic position which confirmed his position as an advocate for
Indian Independence.

In September 1920, Gandhi also passed an official constitution for the Congress, which
created a system of two national committees and numerous local units, all working to mobilize a
spirit of non-cooperation across India. By 1922, Gandhi decided that the initiative of non-
cooperation.

Gandhi realized that Independence and that the British had lost the will and power to
sustain their empire, but he always acknowledged that Indians could not rely simply on the
weakening of Britain in order to achieve independence. He believed that Indians had to become
morally ready for Independence. He planned to contribute to such readiness through his speeches
and writing, advocating humility, restraint, good sanitation, as well as an end to child marriages.
He acknowledged that he had changed his position on many issues, like child marriages, and that
he had not always managed to discern the most moral course of action in his life.

After his imprisonment ended, he resumed his personal quest for purification and truth. He
ends his autobiography by admitting that he continues to experience and fight with "the dormant
passion" that lie within his own soul. He felt ready to continue the long and difficult path of
taming those passions and putting himself last among his fellow human beings, the only way to
achieve salvation, according to him."That is why the worlds' praise fails to move me; indeed it
very often stings me. To conquer the subtle passions is far harder than the physical conquest of
the world by the force of arms."