Book review of biography of mahatma gandhi

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He doesn’t present himself as perfect but openly shares his mistakes, doubts, and the constant learning that shaped him into the leader he became. We want to serve the community, and in our own humble way to serve the Empire. But Gandhi’s victory, as Lelyveld shows, if not quite Pyrrhic as far as his hold over the national movement was concerned, had little effect on the real lives of the untouchable castes.

One by one, Lelyveld homes in on those moments in Gandhi’s life that shine with his greatness — the amazing transformation he brought about in the Indian National Congress, taking it from a genteel annual gathering to one of the largest mass movements in the world; his rousing successes and heroic failures with Hindu-Muslim amity; his fight against untouchability; his last desperate bid to prevent the partition of the country — and points to the underlying tensions, vacillations, and retreats, the bluff and bluster, the hard bargains, the frequent emotional blackmails, but also Gandhi’s unshakable resolve never to spare himself from criticism and punishment.

He did not always have perfect clarity in identifying his targets and, as Lelyveld shows with meticulous analysis, the results of his campaigns were often mixed. His approach to resolving conflict peacefully offers powerful lessons for anyone navigating personal or societal challenges in the modern world.

A powerful Quote that shows Mahatma Gandhi’s determination in his quest for justice.

Remember that all through history, there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they seem invincible.

He believed that truth, love, and self-discipline could achieve what violence never could. The Indians he was concerned with were mostly merchants and professionals. We have an abiding faith in the mercy of the Almighty God, and we have firm faith in the British Constitution. But in the end, they always fall. I simply want to tell the story of my numerous experiments with truth, and as my life consists of nothing but those experiments, it is true that the story will take the shape of an autobiography.”

All in all, what makes My Experiments with Truth so compelling is Gandhiji’s honesty.

Read more here. He chopped and changed the list, shifting priorities, learning from his experience and making new discoveries — having, as Lelyveld remarks somewhat acidly, a moment of epiphany every two years or so. Please shop using these links. Also his autobiography covers the period from his birth (1869) to the year 1921. 

After that 1921, this quote he shares in the last chapter says it all why he didn’t write about his life further.

My life from this point onward has been so public that there is hardly anything about it that people do not know…”

Why Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi is a Must-Read:

• A First-Hand Account of Gandhi’s Life:

The book provides an intimate look at Gandhi’s childhood in India, his journey to England for education, and his experiences in South Africa, where he developed his concept of Satyagraha (non-violent resistance).

Gandhi explains that he was after truth rooted in devotion to God and  attributed the turning point, success and challenges in his life to the will of God.

Gandhi says that his attempt to get closer to this divine power led him seek purity through simple living, dietary practices (he called himself a fruitarian), celibacy and ahimsa- a life without violence.

In a furious test of wills, Ambedkar gave in, at least for the time being. This book is one of those reads that will change your life for the better. Gandhi’s list of complaints about the ills that plagued Indian society did not come to him ready-made. Thanks!

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