Write the explanation of the essay entitled "Reflections on Gandhi"

Write the explanation of the essay entitled “Reflections on Gandhi”. (Part-2)

Ans.

Explanations

(7) The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection, that one is sometimes willing to commit sins for the sake of loyalty, that one does not push asceticism to the point where it makes friendly intercourse impossible, and that one is prepared in the end to be defeated and broken up by life, which is the inevitable price of fastening one’s love upon our human individuals.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay. Reflections on Gandhi’ written by George Orwell. The writer says that Gandhiji’s arguments and his teachings were against humanity because he did not support developing personal friendship with others.

Explanation: According to the writer Gandhiji did not support developing personal relationship like friendship or love with other persons because he regarded such friendship dangerous. It could lead towards supporting unjust and immoral acts because of the faithfulness to the friend or to the lover.

The writer thought that Gandhiji was very strict on the lesser humans who could not face such harsh living or much isolation which was preached and practised by Gandhiji himself. Human beings suffer some weaknesses of flesh and blood. Their identity as human beings is not related to their wisdom and restraint only but it is related to their follies and weaknesses as well as to the capacity for living life with a sorrowful attitude. The life-style used by saints and other great men like Gandhiji might be perfect with them. but to act like them by the common people in their life seems to be very difficult, or rather impossible.

(8) Gandhi’s pacifism, can be separated to some extent from his other teachings. Its motive was religious, but he claimed also for it that it was a definite technique, a method, capable of producing desired political result.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay. “Reflections on Gandhi‘ written by George Orwell. The people regarded Gandhiji as a great lover of peace and non-violence which he used in his life.

Explanation: The writer of this essay had noted that Gandhiji was a pacifist as he loved and favoured peace in his country. He also wished the state of world peace. Though there were some western pacifists who also believed in the world peace but Gandhiji’s attitude for finding peace was of a different nature. Along with the establishment of peace everywhere Gandhiji also taught some other ideals also like the ideals of non-violence, vegetarianism, against the use of wine drinking, celibacy, etc. It should be noted that his ideal of peace was not only different from others but it was certainly unique. It was not only finding out simple peace but his motive was also religious.

It is necessary to mention that Gandhiji preached pacifism as it had been mentioned in the scriptures related to the opponents also. It should be noted that his ideal of peace was a definite technique in order to achieve political objectives. He had already used such technique as an effective weapon in his fighting against rationalism in South Africa. When he used his ideal in the political field it was named ‘Satyagrah’. Gandhiji’s such ideal of peace was called Satyagrah which was totally different from the western pacifism. He made its use to get political success as well as the freedom of his country.

(9) Even after he had completely abjured violence he was honest enough to see that in war it is usually necessary to take sides. He did not-indeed, since his whole political life centered round a struggle for national independence, he could not-take the sterile and dishonest line of pretending that in every war both sides are exactly the same and it makes no difference who wins.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay ‘Reflections on Gandhi’ written, by George Orwell. It should be noted that Gandhiji’s pacifism was different from that of the western preachers. His motive was religious but he used it as a definite technique in order to achieve freedom for India. He also made use of ‘Satyagraha’ against the British Empire in India.

Explanation: In these lines, the writer describes Gandhiji’s views on war which he regarded as an evil to be avoided under all conditions. He was never in favour of violence which he hated out-and-out. But he honestly admitted that when war breaks out, a person cannot avoid it, nor its influence, so one should take either side. Gandhiji himself also did the same. He had taken part in the struggle against racialism in South Africa, so he was ready to take part in the war for freedom in India.

It should be noted that Gandhiji was a very practical man. His whole life was closely related to the freedom struggle in India. For what he had taken a very real view related to the struggle for freedom. The victory or defeat of the British rule was to make an influence on Gandhiji as well as on his part in the freedom movement. He could not avoid it in any way. He could not say that one can be indifferent in such situation of war. He could not say anything that the victory or defeat are separate. In short, Gandhiji took an active part in the freedom movement of India without caring for the victory of any side.

(10) One feels of him that there was much that he did not understand, but not that there was anything that he was frightened of saying or thinking. I have never been able to feel much liking for Gandhi but I do not feel sure that as a political thinker he was a failure.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay, Reflections on Gandhi’ written by George Orwell. Gandhiji was not in favour of war but he advised to avoid it. He had taken part in the racial war in South Africa and he also took part in the freedom struggle of India.

Explanation: George Orwell tried to judge the personality of Gandhiji saying that he did not understand many things. He was not sure if Hitler would respond in favour of the demand of Satyagrah because they were in favour to kill the Jews. He suggested that the Jews should commit suicide collectively to arouse the whole world against Hitler.

The writer further said that Gandhiji was fearless in his speech and his thoughts. He honestly said what he had felt. He was not afraid of saying what he thought to be right according to his faith. He did not ask odd questions like many other politicians. His opinion about the Jews showed his fearless thinking. On account of such quality of fearlessness he had become very popular among the people who felt neglected by others.

It is necessary to mention that the writer did not like him much, yet he thought that Gandhiji could become a successful political leader and he did not regard him as a failure.

(11) One may feel as I do a sort of aesthetic distaste for Gandhi, one may reject the claims of sainthood made on his behalf, one may also reject sainthood as an ideal and therefore feel that Gandhiji’s basic aims were anti-human and reactionary; but regarded simply as a politician, and compared with the other leading political figures of our time, how clean a smell he has managed to leave behind !

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay. ‘Reflections on Gandhi’ written by George Orwell. These lines show the writer’s final assessment of Gandhiji’s personality and his ideas.

Explanation: According to the writer the common people and the writer also had different views about the aesthetic distaste against Gandhiji. He had spent his whole life making his experiments with truth. It may not be the distaste but nobody could reject as a useless matter. Some persons were not prepared to accept Gandhiji as a saint. They might not accept sainthood as an ideal for a man. It could be better for a man to remain only as a human. Gandhiji’s saintly ideal and his firm faith in God along with the other worldliness is an anti-human as well as a reactionary ideal.

The writer added that some people did not like it because they did not accept Gandhiji as an ideal of mankind. Nobody could deny Gandhiji’s success as a political leader. It is true that he was one of the most accepted political leader of the modern age because his image as a leader was very neat and clean. His character did not show any vice like selfishness. falsehood, etc. He was always sincere and truthful. When he was killed, he had left behind a very clear image of himself along with the sweet smell of his personality.

(12) And though he came of a poor middle-class family, started life rather unfavourably and was probably of unimpressive physical appearance, he was not afflicted by envy or by the feeling of inferiority.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay. ‘Reflections on Gandhi’ written by George Orwell. The writer has described about Gandhi’s character.

Explanation: These lines clearly show Gandhiji’s character as the writer George Orwell has described in the essay “Reflections on Gandhi’. According to the writer apparently Gandhiji had unimpressive looks as well as he belonged to a poor middle class family. He had started his life in an unattractive manner, yet he had some virtues in his character by which he deserved more attention than that he had been given by the common people. It is true that he was not troubled by the evils of envy or by the feeling of inferiority or meanness. In short Gandhiji had a broad and loving heart. He had the quality of firmness about his principles along with firm conviction.