Champaran To Quit India Movement

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In this carefully prepared informative book, which covers whole canvas of Mahatma Gandhi's Non-violent struggle from Champaran to Quit India Movement, the author has dealt with practically all the Satyagrahas carried out within the period, i.e. Champaran, Kaira, Non-Co-operation & Khilafat, Nagpur, Bardoli and others. Each of these Satyagrahas had produced a new leader. Therefore, these were not merely non-violent movements but in a sense were a training ground for the leaders. The author has successfully depicted as to how these Satyagrahas were carried out and how common people were involved in it. He has brought out all the salient features of these Satyagrahas in a narrative form. It is hoped that not only scholars and students but political leaders, all other interested in human history will welcome this book, prepared by the author with his expertise and scholarship, with an open mind.

Dr. Ravindra Kumar (b. 1959) is an Eminent Scholar, Writer and Indologist. He is the Former Vice-Chancellor of C.C.S. University, Meerut (India).

Dr. Ravindra Kumar has been closely associated with a number of academic, cultural, educational and social institutions in India and abroad. He has 50 outstanding works and 150 research articles to his credit. Some of his famous works, of which many are of international repute and have been translated in several Indian and foreign languages, viz., Towards Peace Vol. I and II, Morality and Ethics in Public Life, Religion and World Peace, Life and Work of Kanjibhai Desai, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Com. Mao Tse-Tung: A Comparative Study with Reference to Peasantry, Essays on Gandhism and Peace, Correspondence and Selected Documents of Subhas Chandra Bose, Collected Essays: Voice of an Indologist, Sagai Ka Din and Kulpati Kaksha Tak. He is the Founder of the World Peace Movement Trust, a member of I.C.P.A, Executive Councils/Senates of several Indian Universities and a Consultant to UN University of Peace for Gandhian Studies. He has visited many countries of the world as a Visiting Scholar and Professor. The President of India has conferred the honour of 'Padma Shri' upon Dr. Kumar for his outstanding services.

I treat it to be a great privilege to write a Foreword to this carefully prepared scholarly and informative book, which covers whole canvas of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent struggle, from Champaran to Quit India Movement.

Before Gandhi, India was a mere geographical country. It was Gandhi who transformed it into a nation by uniting people in Satyagraha Movement, which resulted in creating a will among them to live together. This togetherness means sharing weal and woe. To say the least, so far as India is concerned, it is Gandhiji who created this spirit of togetherness amongst the Indians by involving the common people in his mass movement or Satyagaraha. Gandhiji is known as Father of the Nation. It is pertinent to note that he is not called as Father of India or Bharat. Bharat or India was there even before the birth of Gandhiji, but only as a geographical concept and not as a nation. It is Gandhiji who converted Statehood into Nationhood and, therefore, he is called as Father of the Nation and that too by none else but by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

In a broadcast speech, addressed to Gandhiji on 6th of July 1944, Subhas Babu said, "In all the countries, free from British influence that I have visited, since I left India in 1941, you are held in the highest esteem, as no other political leader had been, during the last century".

At the invitation extended to me by the Department of Philosophy & Religion (P.S.U., Thailand) during the period 1996- 99, I had occasions to go there four times as a Visiting Professor. During my visits, besides attending the above Department, I had the opportunity to express my views not only before other departments on different subjects but also before students, researchers and teachers, belonging to various faculties. In this context, I can particularly, mention about the Faculty of Education. Not only this, I could get a chance to deliver special and general lectures wherein the whole campus participated. I am not only pleased for the same but also feel proud thereof.

In the month of April, 2000, my fifth journey was decided again as a Visiting Professor, for I got an invitation from the same Department of Philosophy & Religion but on a short notice and simultaneously with an irresistible appeal for a lecture series on a particular topic. It was because the Department of Political Science of the above university had keen interest in the lecture series on that topic. The topic was: 'The Non-Violent Satyagraha, launched by Gandhi for the freedom of India and its relevance for future generations'. Although the subject was of my choice but the time given was very short. So I speedily prepared a series of seven lectures on the above topic in English and Hindi languages under the title "From Champaran to Quit India Movement'.

On my return from that journey, I thought of preparing manuscripts of the above lecture series both in English and Hindi language, according to its title.

Prof. K.L. Malik has helped me in final preparation of English manuscript. He has translated some Hindi portions into English for the same which have been well read over by me and in my opinion, they are in their original form. I am indebted to Prof. Malik as well as to the Department, inviting me to deliver the above lecture series.... I also heartily express my warmest gratitude to the entire audience of the university for evincing keen interest in my lectures.

There is quite a lot for the present and future generations to learn from 'Gandhi and Gandhism', particularly, from the non-violence point of view. Gandhi and Gandhism will ever remain in vogue and examplary not only among Indians, but also in the context of the world as a whole. With this firm determination, I dedicate my lecture series to all the believers and lovers of non-violence and world peace which is now going to be published in the form of a book.

I am confident that interested people will certainly be benefitted by using it in the form of a reference book.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages