Achievement of Indian independence without Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution to achievement of Indian Independence was invaluable. He made the freedom struggle a mass movement, encouraging participation of every section of society. 

In Non-cooperation movement, women and youth participation was unprecedented. Peasants and workers also joined the movement after Mahatma Gandhi’s arrival on national scene. Earlier freedom movement was solely restricted to educated upper class. 

He also introduced a new method of peaceful satyagraha, based on truth and nonviolence. Britishers had no idea how to deal with it. If they didn’t do anything, then masses were mobilized against them, and if they used force then also masses condemned them. Had he not been there, achievement of Independence would have been more violent. 

He conditioned massed for non-violent struggle. For example, in non-cooperation movement this was used on a mass scale for the first time. After the incident of Chauri - Chaura, he realized that people were not prepared for such type of peaceful protest. Then he started the campaign to condition the masses for peaceful satyagraha. 

Further, the freedom movement would have been restricted to only upper educated class. It would not have been a mass based movement. In such a situation, it would have taken longer time for attaining independence, as the pressure on Britishers would have been lower. Also, without him, it would have been independent but fragmented India. He was the unifying force between different sections of Indian society. People might differ from his views, but still everyone respected him. 

So, Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution to the achievement of independence is invaluable, which cannot be enumerated completely in words.