c



Four friends were sitting and generally chit chatting:


Hey what happened why are you so sad?

 
I have to submit a write-up on Mahatma Gandhiji as part of history project tomorrow.


Well we will help you with the writeup.

 
But Teacher has asked us to quote some motivating incidents from his life. From where
we will find these incidents in such short time.


Do not worry there is a show going on in Shanmukhanand on Mahatma Gandhiji͛s life.
We will go and watch it and make notes for you.

 
That͛s a great idea!

 
The show starts at 5:30 PM. I will request my mother to take us there.

 

OK. Lets meet at Tanvi͛s place at 5 PM.

At 5 PM in Tanvi͛s home.

  

Kids hurry up, get into the car, we should not be late for the show.

 
I hope everyone has brought a notebook and pen to make notes for Manoj.

 


  

 
Children today we will show you some of the key incidents of Gandhiji͛s formative
years. His family and friends fondly called him Maniya. In his childhood several incidents
happened that instilled integrity, honesty and truth in him.



 


 

Maniya today I am observing a fast and I will not eat food until the Cuckoo sang in his
sweet voice.

 
What if the Cuckoo does not sing?

 

Then I will not have anything today. I will eat something tomorrow morning.

 
Ok mother! I will tell if I hear some Cuckoo singing. I am going out to play.

 

Take care Maniya.

[Evening time]

 
MahatmaGandhiji͛s mother is looking out of window and searching for a Cuckoo.
Maniya notices this.

He steps out of the house to imitate the cooing of the cuckoo. He snuggled behind the bush and
imitated the Cuckoo's voice, and then ran inside the house to tell his mother.

 
"Mother you can eat your food now as it has made its call."

  
Mahatma Gandhi's mother had been following this ritual for past many years. She
quickly came to know about her child's silly prank. Unable to contain her grief, she scolded
Mahatma.

 

"Why did you lie to me Maniya! Oh Lord! Because of you I have broken my ritual of so
many years. You have hurt me"

  
Her misty eyes and broken heart of belief deeply moved Mahatma. That day he made
a promise to her:

 
"From this day, I will not utter falsehood. I will not do anything that would hurt my
mother's gentle heart".




  

 
Gandhiji is in classroom and inspector of school Mr Guile is visiting the school

 

Children I am here to see how are your studies coming along. I want to know things
you have learnt in school.




Kids, Mr. Guiles will be taking a test in English. So take out your notebook and pen.

All kids start writing in notebooks.

 !

Kids write down spelling of these words ʹ Human beings, Cattles, language, worship,
umbrella.




Mohan shhh Mohan.. you have written wrong spelling of Cattles..check in Tarun͛s
notebook.

 
Sorry sir , but I wont copy it.

Mr guiles checks Mohan͛s notebook and leaves.




What is this Mohan?͙ why did you not copy the correct spelling? Mr Guile would
think I am not a good teacher.


Sir but copying is not right. I have to remain truthful to myself.




You are right Mohan. I am proud of you.

All actors leave stage. Kids watching the play start discussing.

  

So kids what did you learn from this act.


We need to be true to ourselves.

 
Honesty is the best policy.

 
We must learn from our mistake and ensure that we do not repeat those.

  

Very good. The second act is starting, let us keep quite.
    "  




#   $  % $ 

 
 Young Gandhi Ji is a barrister. He is traveling in a train from Durban to meet his client.
He is in first class compartment. During those day colored people were not allow to board a
first class coach.
An European passes the compartment and stops dead on seeing an Indian face in the First Class
section.

c&'(') *+
Excuse me, baas, but how long have you been in South Africa?

,%-# Ji(puzzled): A ʹ a week.

c&'('
Well, I don't know how you got a ticket for first class. But you are in for a big trouble.

  
He looks up suddenly then turns back quickly to his work. Gandhi glances at the door
to see what has frightened him so. The European and the conductor push open the door and
stride in.

&,%.&'
Here ʹ coolie, just what are you doing in this car?

,%-# Ji
Why ʹ I ʹ I have a ticket. A First Class ticket.

&,%.&'
How did you get hold of it?

,%-#
I sent for it in the post. I'm an attorney, and I didn't have time to buy one.

(.'&c(,
Colored person can͛t sit in first class. Go sit where you belong in third class.

,%-#
You see, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Attorney at Law. I am going to Pretoria to conduct a
case for an Indian trading firm.

(.'&c(,
Didn't you hear me? There are no colored attorneys in South Africa!

,%-#
Sir, I am enrolled in the High Court of Chancery ʹ I am therefore an attorney, and
since I am ʹ in your eyes ʹ colored ʹ I think we can deduce that there is at least one colored
attorney in South Africa.

(.'&c(,
Throw him out!

[He turns and walks out of the compartment.]

&,%.&'
You move back to third class or I'll have you thrown off at the next station.

,%-#(anger, a touch of panic): I always go First Class! I have traveled all over England and
I've never been asked to move out.

 
Gandhi's luggage is thrown onto the station platform. A policeman and the conductor
are pulling Gandhi from the First Class car. The European cracks on Gandhi's hands with his fist,
breaking Gandhi's grip and the policeman and conductor push him across the platform.



 

*    c
 /  

 
These experiences inspired him to do something to end the sufferings of Indians. He
called a meeting of the Indians in Pretoria and told them to form a league. This was his first
public speech. It caused a new awakening among Indians.

Lot of people surrounding Gnadhi Ji. Mr Khan and Singh holding a sign: "Indian Congress Party
of South Africa.͟ Mr Singh is also holding a box with citizenship passes of all Indians gathered
there.

In the center there is a fire burning.

An English reporter is waiting skeptically. Near him, trying to be inconspicuous on the edge of
the small crowd, are five policemen (one sergeant and four constables).

Gandhi wets his lips nervously. He glances with a little apprehension at the police. He holds up
his hand for attention. He forces a smile ʹ then starts speaking

,%-#*
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have asked you to gather here to help us proclaim our
right to be treated as equal citizens of the Empire.

 0
We do not seek conflict. We know the strength of the forces arrayed against us, know
that because of them we can only use peaceful means ʹ but we are determined that justice will
be done!

,%-#*
The symbol of our status is embodied in this pass ʹ which we must carry at all times,
but no European even has to have.

He holds it up. A constable glances at the police sergeant.

,%-#
And the first step to changing our status is to eliminate this difference between us.

And he turns and drops his pass in the wire basket over the fire. The flames engulf it. The
police sergeant's eyes go wide with disbelief. The crowd murmurs in shock.
  $
) 
1
 + : "Do we arrest him?".


1
 )2

+: "Wait."

 0
We ask you to put your passes on the fire.

c&3#(('(,
Oh, no, you can͛t do that!

He has stepped forward with his constables, who have faced the Crowd

c&3#(('(,
Those passes are government property. And I will arrest the first man who
tries to burn one.

He is facing the crowd. Behind him, Khan holds himself erect and slowly takes his own card
from his pocket. He holds it aloft and then lowers it resolutely into the wire basket. The crowd
reacts and the sergeant turns just in time to see it dropped in the flame.

c&3#(('(,
Take him away.

He gestures to a constable, who turns from the crowd and marches to Khan, seizing him by
the arm and marching him out of stage

c&3#(('(,
Now ʹ are there any more?

Behind him, Gandhi wavers indecisively a moment, then takes the box from Singh and moves
to the fire. Gandhi is at the fire. For a second, his eyes lock with the sergeant's ʹ and then
nervously, he takes a card and drops it in the wire basket, and another. 

c&3#(('(,
You coolie ͙ do not even think of it.

He leaps across the distance between them, knocking the box from Gandhi ji's hands, sending
the cards flying and shoving Gandhi to the ground. 

c&3#(('(,
You want that kind of trouble ʹ you can have it!

 Gandhi, on his hands and knees, blood trickling from his abraded cheek, picks up a card from
the ground and he leans forward apprehensively, his eyes fearfully on the sergeant, but he
drops it defiantly in the basket. The sergeant's fury bursts ʹ and he slams the billy club down on
Gandhi's head. Gandhi sags to the ground.
 4
)5+: (screams) Ohh͙ Let me help him.

Crowd pulls her back.

The sergeant turns from the commotion to see that Gandhi, his head oozing blood, has
crawled to his knees again and is picking up another card. The crowd watches. The newspaper
reporter watches. Gandhi͛s wife stares in anguish. Gandhi lifts the card. The sergeant stares at
him, angry but his emotions somewhat in control after the first blow.

('(,
Stop!

An instant of hesitation, then Gandhi drops the card into the basket. The sergeant almost
stops, but he strikes again.

Ba's anguished face is wet with tears. The newspaper reporter stares without making notes.

Gandhi, his head bleeding badly now, rises to his knees ʹ a breath and he gropes around the
ground for another card. His fingers finally clutch one. The sergeant stares, his face wracked
with uncertainty and confusion. Gandhi lifts the card and painfully holds it over the fire, then
drops it in the basket.

The sergeant slams the billy club down again ʹ firmly, but with a manifest reluctance. The
crowd watches breathlessly, the newspaper reporter stares. The sergeant draws a breath,
grasping the club, but he bites his lip as he sees Gandhi lift his head feebly, his shaking hands,
stained with his own blood, groping for another card ͙. 

 
 On this day Gandhi ji͛s Non-Violence movement was born. He used non-violence as a
key weapon in his fight against British rule in India.
 6   # 

 11


 
Mahatma Gandhi Ji͛s contribution to our freedom struggle is huge and invaluable. He
taught us principles of non-violence, truthfulness, Satyagrah. He practiced what he preached.
Here are some examples from his life.



$   

 
Children loved visiting Gandhiji. A little boy who was there one day, was greatly
distressed to see the way Gandhiji was dressed. Such a great man yet he doesn't even wear a
shirt, he wondered.

3 
5
"Why don't you wear a kurta, Gandhiji?"

 *
Where's the money, son? I am very poor. I can't afford a kurta.

3
5
[The boy's heart was filled with pity] "My mother sews well.She makes all my
clothes. I'll ask her to sew a Kurta for you.

 *
How many Kurtas can your mother make?
3 
5
How many do you need?One, two, three.... she'll make as many as you want.

 *
[Thinking for a moment] But I am not alone, son. It wouldn't be right for me to be
the only one to wear a kurta.

3 
5
How many Kurtas do you need? I'll ask my mother to make as many as you want.
Just tell me how many you need.

 *
I have a very large family, son. I have forty crore brothers and sisters.

Till every one of them has a kurta, how can I wear one? Tell me, can your mother make
kurtas for all of them?

 
At this question the boy became very thoughtful. Forty crore brothers and sisters!
Gandhiji was right. Till every one of them had a kurta to wear how could he wear one
himself? After all the whole nation was Gandhiji's family, and he was the head of that family.
He was their friend, their companion. What use would one kurta be to him?


 

 
1  

  
During Gandhiji's tenure in the Sevagram Ashram he had occasion to spend his
birthday with the people over there. After the evening prayers Gandhiji was going to have a
discussion in the Ashram. Many people from nearby villages had come to attend the
discourse.

There was a lamp filled with ͚Ghee͛ burning in the hall. Gandhi Ji noticed this.

After the prayers were over.

 * : [asking aloud] Who has brought this lamp?

0  $* : I have brought it.

 * : From where did you bring it?

0  $* : From the village. It's your birthday, that's why.

 * (After some pause) :Today you have done a wrong thing Ba. You lighted this oil lamp
because of my birthday. We have seen how the villagers live their lives. They do not even have
enough oil to spread on their daily 'roti' (bread) and today there is an oil lamp burning in my
Ashram. How can we waste something the poor farmers cannot afford to have?

  
Children with that we conclude today͛s show. We will come back with a new play
depicting more inspirational incidents of Mahatma Gandhi͛s ji life.
   

 
Thanks everyone for accompanying me to the show. I really learnt a lot about Mahatma
Gandhi ji today.


The biggest lesson to learn from his life is that ͞7
 $

 
 1
4
4  


  
4 8.


Yes and also that 9-
  
$
 :8.

 
And ͞ 
  2
 8.

  

Am glad that you have absorbed so much from the play. I promise to bring you
here to see the next series of the play.

2
Thanks Aunty.