This film is dedicated to
Motilal Kothari, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, K. G.
and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
without whose inspiration, unfailing advocacy and faith
it would never have been made.
No man's life can be encompassed in one telling.
There is no way to give
each year its allotted weigh
to include each event, each person
who helped to shape a lifetime.
What can be done is to be faithful is the spirit to the record
and try to find one's way to the heart of the man.
It is so crowded. Hurry, else we won't find a place..
Nehru, Patel, Maulana and Azaad are the soul of this country.
He will be saying prayers in the garden, just follow the others.
That's where you can meet Bapu. Go on.
Head to the garden. That's where everyone is going.
You should go too.
Anyway.. - Go that way.
Greetings. - Greetings.
Hello. - Greetings.. - Greetings.
Brother, Bapu is already late for prayers.
Oh, Lord Ram! - No! Look what happened!
Oh, God!
Our Bapu is no more.
Bapu!
Bapu, where are you going?
The one who is being given this massive tribute
lived his life with simplicity.
A private man, without wealth, without property
without official title or office.
Mahatma Gandhi was not the commander of armies
nor a ruler of vast lands.
He could not boast of any scientific achievement
or artistic gift
yet, men
governments and dignitaries from all over the world
have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man
in the loincloth who led his country to freedom.
In the words of General George C. Marshall
the American Secretary of State
Mahatma Gandhi has become the spokesman
for the conscience of all mankind.
He was a man who made humility
and simple truth more powerful than empires.
And Albert Einstein added..
Generations to come will find it difficult to believe
that someone like him, walked upon this earth.
Tell me. Do you think about hell?
No.. Neither do I
but this man, who is a Christian
has written this book, states that in order to believe..
Come and have a look.
Excuse me, sir, how long have you been in South Africa?
A week. - I don't know how you got a ticket.
Just what are you doing in this car, coolie?
Why? 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 didn't have time to..
There are no coloured attorneys in South Africa.
Go and sit where you belong.
I'll take your luggage back, sir.
Just a moment, please.
You see..
Mohandas K. Gandhi, Attorney at Law.
I am on my way to Pretoria
to conduct a case for an India trading firm.
Didn't you hear me? There are no coloured attorneys in South Africa.
Sir, I was called to the Bar in London
and enrolled at the High Court of Chancery.
I am, therefore, an attorney.
And since I am in your eyes, coloured
I think we can deduce
that there is at least one coloured attorney in South Africa.
Smart, bloody scoundrel! Throw him out.
Just move your brown arse back to third class
or I'll have you thrown off at the next station.
But I always travel first class!
You can't..
But you're a rich man. Why do you put up with it?
Yes, I am rich man, but I am Indian.
I therefore do not expect to travel first class..
In England, I was a poor student. - But that was England.
This is part of England's empire.
Mr. Gandhi..
Look at Mr. Khan. He is a successful Muslim trader.
Most South African see him simply as an Indian
and the vast majority of Indians mostly Hindus
were brought here to work in mines and harvest the crops.
Most Europeans don't want them to do anything else.
But that is very un-Christian.
Mr. Gandhi! - And.. - In this country
Indians are not allowed to walk
along the pavement with a Christian.
You mean, you employ Mr. Baker as your attorney
but you can't walk down the street with him?
Well, I can
but I risk being kicked into the gutter
by someone less considerate than Mr. Baker.
Well, then it must be fought.
We are children of God, like everyone else.
May God bless us! And what battalions will you call upon?
I..
I will write to the press, here and in England
and I will use the courts.
You will cause a great deal of trouble.
Our position.. - We are member of the empire
and we come from an ancient civilization.
Why should we not walk on the pavements like other men?
I rather like the idea of an Indian barrister in South Africa.
I'm sure our community could keep you in work
for some time, Mr. Gandhi
even if you caused a good deal of trouble.
Especially if you caused a good deal of trouble.
There's the English reporter. I told you he'd come.
You also said, your article would draw a thousand people.
At least some of the Hindus brought their wives.
No, I asked my wife to organize that.
Some of them are leaving.
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.
We do not seek conflict.
We know the strength of the forces arrayed against us.
So, we will only apply peaceful means against them.
But we are determined that justice will be done.
The symbol of our status is embodied in this pass
which we must carry at all times
but which no European even has to have.
The first step towards changing our status
is to eliminate this difference between us.
Now?
Difficult..
You write brilliantly, but you have much to learn about handling men.
We do not want to ignite
the fear or hatred of anyone.
But we ask you
Hindu, Muslim and Sikh
to help us light up the sky
and the minds of British authorities
with our defiance of this injustice.
We will now burn the passes
of our committee and its supporters.
We ask you to put your passes on the fire with conviction.. - Wait!
What are you doing?
Those passes are government property
and I will arrest the first man who tries to burn one!
Take him away.
You little Sammy bastard!
Now, are there any more?
If you want this kind of trouble, you can have it!
Let me go! Let me go!
Stop!
The London papers have arrived from the Cape, sir.
Yes. - The worst was the Daily Mail, sir.
They said, the burning of passes by Mr. Gandhi..
Ask the boss to meet me.
Burning of passes by Mr. Gandhi
was the most significant act in colonial affairs
since the Declaration of Independence.
Did they?
Well, they'll find that we're a bit better prepared this time.
Mr. Gandhi will find he's on a long hiding to nothing.
A High Court judge has confirmed that Mr. Gandhi
would have been within his rights to prosecute for assault
since neither he, nor Mr. Khan resisted arrest.
I told you about English Law.
As I told you about English policemen.
Yes.
We're very pleased to have you back, Father.
And I am glad to be back. Come.
Mind your face.
Tomorrow, I'll tell you about my days in a police hospital.
Come, come.
He is hurt.
Just like proper English gentlemen. I'm proud of them.
They're boys and they're Indian.
Will you take this off? It pinches every time I speak.
I've got it.
He's got it.
You'd be Gandhi.
I thought you'd be bigger.
Oh! I'm sorry. - No, no, it's all right.
My name is Charlie Andrews, sir. I've come from India.
I've read great deal about you.
Some of it good, I hope.
Would you care to walk?
Come on.
You're a clergyman. - Yes.
I met some remarkable people in India.
When I read what you were doing here
I wanted to help. Does that surprise you?
Not anymore.
At first, I was amazed, but when you're fighting in a just cause
people seem to pop up, like you, right out of the pavement
even when it's dangerous..
Hey! Look what's coming! A white shepherd leading a brown Sammy!
Perhaps we should..
Doesn't the New Testament say
if the enemy strikes you on the right cheek, offer him the left?
Well, I think the phrase was used metaphorically.
Our Lord.. - I don't think.
I have thought about it a great deal
and I suspect He meant, you must show courage
be willing to take a blow, several blows
to show, you will not strike back, nor will you be turned aside.
And when you do that, it calls on something in human nature
something that makes his hatred for you decrease
and his respect, increase.
I think, Christ grasped that and I have seen it work.
Good morning.
Get off the pavement, you bloody coon.
Yes, get off, coon!
Colin, what are you doing? - Nothing
Come out where I can see you!
I said, what are you doing?
We were just trying to clean up the neighbourhood a little.
You're late for work already. I thought you'd gone ten minutes ago.
Get on!
You'll find there's room for us all.
That was lucky.
I thought you were a man of God.
I am, but I'm not so egotistical as to think
that He plans His day around my dilemmas.
Coon!
Yes, you could call it a 'communal farm', I suppose.
But we've all come to the same conclusions
our Gita, the Muslim's Koran, your Bible
it's always the simple things that catch your breath.
Love thy neighbour as thyself.
It's not always practiced
but it's something we Hindus could learn a lot from
and that's the kind of thing you'll be seeking on this farm?
Well, we shall try..
Bad news, I'm afraid. They're going to change the pass laws.
It's taken time, but it needed to be done fairly.
We didn't want to create an injustice simply because Mr. Gandhi
was abusing our existing legislation.
Just one moment, sir, please.
I beg your pardon. - Apologies.
But on a short trip
I wouldn't spend too much time on the Indian question, Mr. Walker.
It's a tiny factor in South African life.
Well, it is news at the moment.
Of course, I do plan to report on the conditions of the mines here
as well as the economy. - Sure..
But I would like to meet this Mr. Gandaye.
Gandhi. - Gandhi.
Of course.
We Westerners have weakness
for these spiritually inclined men of India.
But, as an old lawyer, let me warn you
Mr. Gandhi is a shrewd and very clever man
however other-worldly he may seem.
But I'm sure you're smart enough to see that.
I hope so. Thank you for your time, sir
So it's not spiritualism or nationalism.
We're not resisting anything but the idea that people
can't live together. You see..
Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews..
Even Christians!
Mr. Walker of the New York Times. - How are you doing?
Without a paper, a journal of some kind
you cannot unite a community.
You belong to a very important profession. - I need the nails now.
And what do you think
an important professional should write about your response
to General Smut's newest legislation?
I don't know.
I'm still searching for a response.
You will respect the law?
There are unjust laws as there are unjust men.
And you're an awful small minority
to take on the South African Government
not to mention, the British Empire.
If you are a minority of one
the truth is the truth.
The work is done. - Yes.
Herman Kallenbach.
He's our Chief carpenter, also our chief benefactor. - Hello.
Vince Walker, New York Times. - I see.
Well, this is quite a place you've got here.
And you call it an 'Ashram'?
That's right. The word only means 'community'
but it could stand for village or the world.
You're an ambitious man, Mr. Gandhi.
I hope not.
I heard that you also participate
in preparing the meals and cleaning the toilets.
Is that part of the experiment? - Ba!
We will need another place set for Mr. Walker's driver.
I will tell Tara.
Yes, it's one way to learn
that each man's labour is as important as another's.
In fact, while you're doing it
cleaning the toilets seems far more important than the law.
Please, come and join us.
You'll need something before your journey back.
Would you excuse me, please? - Yes.
What is it?
Tara was sent to tell me I must rake and cover the latrine.
That's right. Everyone takes their turn.
It is the work of untouchables.
In this place, there are no untouchables
and no work is beneath any of us.
I'm your wife!
All the more reason.
As you command!
The others may follow you, but you forget
I knew you when you were a boy.
It's not me, it's the principle.
And you will do it with joy or not do it all.
Not at all, then.
All right, then. Go, you don't belong here!
Go, leave the ashram, get out!
What are you doing? - Get out, we don't need you here.
Have you no shame? I'm your wife!
Where do you expect me to go?
What's the matter with me?
You are human.
Only human.
And it's even harder for those of us
who do not even want to be as good as you do.
I apologise.
I must get back to that reporter.
And I must
rake and cover the latrine.
I want to welcome you all.
Every one of you.
We have no secrets.
Let us begin by being clear
about General Smut's new law.
All Indians must now be fingerprinted, like criminals.
Men and women
no marriage, other than a Christian marriage is considered valid.
Under this Act
our wives and mothers are whores
and every man here is a bastard.
He has become quite good at this.
And a policeman
passing an Indian dwelling, I will not call them homes
may enter and demand the card
of any Indian woman whose dwelling it is.
God damn them! - God damn them!
Understand
he does not have to stand at the door, he may enter.
I will not allow it!
I swear to my Almighty
I'll kill the man who offers that insult to my home and my wife
and let them hang me!
I say, talk means nothing!
Kill a few officials before they disgrace one Indian woman
then they might think twice about such laws!
In that cause, I would be willing to die!
I praise such courage.
I need such courage because in this cause
I too am prepared to die, but, my friends
there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.
Whatever they do to us
we will attack no one, kill no one
but we will not give our fingerprints.. Not one of us!
They will imprison us, they will fine us
they will seize our possessions
but they cannot take away our self-respect
if we do not give it to them.
Have you been to prison?
They beat us and torture us!
I said.. - I am asking you to fight.
To fight against their anger, not to provoke it.
We will not strike a blow
but we will receive them.
And through our pain
we will make them see their injustice
and it will hurt
as all fighting hurts.
But we cannot lose. We cannot!
They may torture my body
break my bones
even kill me
then they will have my dead body
not my obedience.
We are Hindu and Muslim
children of God, each one of us.
Let us take a solemn oath in His name
that, come what may
we will not submit to this law.
"God save our gracious King."
"Long live our noble King."
"God save our King."
These men are contracted labourers. They belong in the mines.
You put their comrades in jail. When you free them
they will go back to work.
I've warned you.
We've warned each other.
I don't think that's very good.
Steady. Steady. Halt.
Forward.
At the centre, charge!
We should lie down!
Down!
The horses won't trample on us! - Lie down!
Let them be!
Follow me!
Now what the hell do we do?
Let them march.
In our sweet time, in our own sweet way
we'll get them.
One King! - One Law!
Some of you may be rejoicing
that Mr. Gandhi has at last been put into prison.
But I would ask you, assembled here in this house of God
to recognize that we are witnessing something new
something so unexpected, so unusual
that it is not surprising that the government is at a loss.
What Mr. Gandhi has forced us to do
is ask questions about ourselves.
As Christians, those are difficult question to answer.
How do we treat men who defy an unjust law
who will not fight
but will not comply?
As Christians or as people who have not heard the word.
Come on, move along.
They're sparing no one, I see.
No, you were the surprise.
It has been all over the prison.
We thought they'd be too afraid of the English Press. - So did I.
I don't know who they've
left out there to do the work.
Have they touched the women?
My wife publicly defied the law.
They've arrested her and four others.
It's split the government.
Well, that's one victory.
If we hold firm, it won't be the last.
Don't worry, I've never seen men so determined.
You have given them a way to fight.
Gandhi! I want Gandhi!
Which Sammy is it?
Oh, Mr. Gandhi!
I thought, we might have a little talk.
Thank you, Daniels.
Will you have a glass of sherry?
Thank you, no.
Perhaps some tea? - I dined at the prison.
Please, do come and sit down.
Mr. Gandhi.
I've more or less decided to ask the House
to repeal the act that you have taken such exception to.
Well if you ask, General Smuts, I'm sure it will be done.
It's not quite that simple.
Somehow I expected not.
I thought of calling for a Royal Commission
to investigate the new legislation.
I think, I could guarantee
they would recommend the act be repealed.
I congratulate them.
But they might also recommend
that all future Indian immigration be severely restricted
even stopped.
Immigration was not an issue on which we fought.
It would be wrong for us to make it one now
that we are in a position of advantage.
I'm ordering the release of all prisoners
within the next twenty-four hours.
You, yourself, are free as from this moment.
Assuming we are in agreement.
Yes, yes.
It's just that in these clothes, I would prefer to go by taxi.
All right, fine.
I'm afraid, I have no money.
Oh.
Neither have I.
I'm awfully sorry.
Daniels
would you lend Mr. Gandhi a shilling for a taxi?
I beg your pardon, sir?
How far will you be going, Mr. Gandhi?
Well! Now that this is settled
I had thought seriously of going back to India
but a shilling will do splendidly for the moment.
Thank you.
I'm obliged, Mr. Daniels
but I can find my own way out.
Guard of Honour! Guard of Honour!
Attention!
Guard of Honour!
My God, he loves it!
I'm sure he hates it.
Generals' reputations are being made in France today
fighting on the Western Front
not as military governors in India.
Hail Congress.
What the devil's going on back there?
Must be that Indian who made all that fuss back in Africa.
My cabin boy told me, he was on board.
There he is.
God, he's dressed like a coolie!
I thought he was a lawyer.
Mr. Gandhi, have you refused to wear European clothes?
No, I haven't refused.
I simply wanted to dress the way my comrades in prison, dressed.
Mr. Gandhi, will you support the war effort?
As a citizen
I wish to enjoy the benefits and protection of the British Empire
it would be wrong of me not to help in its defence. - Thanks.
Now that you're back in India, what are you going to do?
I don't know. - Mr. Gandhi. Mr. Gandhi, one more question.
As an Indian woman, how could you accept the indignity of prison?
My dignity comes from following my husband.
Thank you very much.
Just a few words, then we'll get you to civilization. May I?
I'm glad to be home.
And..
I thank you for your greeting.
I'll follow with your wife. Don't worry, everything's arranged.
Who was that young man?
That's young Nehru.
He's got his father's intellect
his mother's good looks and the devil's own charm.
If they don't ruin him at Cambridge..
Wave, wave!
...he might amount to something.
I must say, when I first saw you as bumbling lawyer here in Bombay
I had never thought I'd be greeting you as a national hero.
I'm hardly that, Mr. Patel.
Oh, yes, you are!
It's been two hundred years since an Indian
has cocked a snook at the British Empire and got away with it.
And stop calling me Mr. Patel. You're not a junior clerk anymore.
The new Military Governor of the North West Frontier province
was on that ship.
Too bad you came back third class.
He might have been impressed by a successful barrister
who had outmanoeuvred General Smuts.
Yes, I'm sure.
Are you involved too, Mrs. Nehru?
Oh, no. I leave practical matters to my husband
and revolution to my son. - Mr. Gandhi..
I'd like you to meet Mr. Jinnah, our joint host
members of Congress and leader of the Muslim League.
How do you do?
And Mr. Prakash
who, I fear, is awaiting trial
for sedition and inducement to murder.
I have not actually pulled the trigger, Mr. Gandhi.
I have simply written
that if an Englishman kills an Indian for disobeying his law
then it is an Indian's duty to kill an Englishman
for enforcing his law in a land that is not his.
It's clever argument.
I'm not sure it will produce the end you desire.
We hope, you're going to join us
in our struggle for home rule, Mr. Gandhi.
Well.. - Excuse me, Mohan.
There's someone I would like you to meet. - Oh, excuse me.
I don't want to rush you.
He told the press he would support the British in the war.
That's non-violence for you.
You know, Mohan..
Now I have a confession to make.
I didn't decide to come to South Africa.
Professor Gokhale sent me.
Knowing my husband..
We are trying to make a nation, Gandhi
but the British keep trying to break us up into religion
principalities and provinces.
What you were writing in South Africa
that's what we need here.
I have so much to learn about India
and I have to begin my practice again.
One needs money to run a journal. - Forget that.
Go on, Charlie, this is Indian talk.
We want none of you imperialists here.
All right, then, I'll go and write my report to the Viceroy.
You go and find a pretty Hindu woman
and convert her to Christianity.
That's as much mischief as you're allowed.
Come, let's find a quiet corner.
Now, you forget about your practice.
You have other things to do.
India has too many men with too much wealth
and it's their privilege to nourish the effort of the few
who can raise India from servitude and apathy.
I'll see to it you begin your journal.
I have little to say.
Come.. Let's sit down.
India is an alien country to me.
Change that.
Go and find India.
Not, what you see here, but the real India.
You will see what needs to be said
what we need to hear.
When I saw you in that tunic, I knew..
I knew, I could die in peace.
Make India proud of herself.
Charlie, please, you're both being foolish.
But the air is lovely. Anyway, there's no room in there.
Please, come in!
Come in. - No violence, please.
Let me hang on with two hands or I will fall.
Englishman! Come, come there is room up here!
Put your foot on the window, come..
What are you doing? - I'm going nearer to God.
Charlie, be careful!
Let go, you will kill him. Let go. - Oh, dear.
You see, it is most comfortable.
Sir..
Are you a Christian?
Yes.. I'm a Christian - I know a Christian.
She drinks blood.
Blood of Christ, every Sunday.
Charlie!
It's all right, it's very safe.
Bend! Bend forward.
Pray to God, sir. Now it is when it is best to be Hindu!
I agree with Jinnah.
Now that the Americans are in, the war will be over soon.
The German are worn out as it is.
And our first act should be
to convene a Congress Party convention
and demand independence.
And we will speak with one voice, united.
And we should invite Gandhi.
What is he these days?
He's discovering India.
Rather than creating a ruckus
let's invite him, let him say his piece about South Africa
and then, let him slip into oblivion.
Get inside the train.
Insurgents, they've derailed a troop train.
Keep clear, come on.
They've killed an English soldier.
We were asked for toleration.
We were asked for patience.
Some of us gave it and some did not.
Well, their war is over.
And those of us who supported it
and those of us who refused
must forget our differences.
And there can be no excuses from the British now.
India wants home rule.
India demands home rule!
Congratulations.
And let no one question
Mr. Jinnah speaks not just for the Muslims
but for all India.
And now
I'm going to introduce to you, a man whose writings
we are all becoming familiar with.
A man who stood in high esteem with our own beloved Gokhale
a man whose accomplishments
in South Africa will always be remembered..
Mr. Mohandas Gandhi.
Your journal has made great impact.
I'm flattered by Mr. Patel.
I would be more flattered if what he said were true.
But it is true.
I read it often.
Since I returned from South Africa
I have travelled over much of India.
And I know, I could travel for many more years
and still only see a small part of her.
And, yet, I already know that what we say here
means nothing to the masses of our country.
Here
we make speeches for each other
and those English liberal magazines
that may grant us a few lines.
But the people of India
are untouched.
Their politics are confined to bread and salt.
Illiterate they may be, but they are not blind.
They see no reason to give their loyalty to rich and powerful men
who simply want to take over the role of the British
in the name of freedom.
This congress tells the world it represents India.
My brothers
India is seven hundred thousand villages
not few hundred lawyers in Delhi and Bombay.
Until we stand in the fields
with the millions who toil each day under the hot sun
we will not represent India
nor will we be able to challenge the British
as one nation.
Have you read the magazine?
No, but I think I'm going to.
Come on.
This can't be the way.
Yes, I'm sure this is the direction India is taking.
I almost got excited after hearing Mr. Jinnah
but Mr. Gandhi changed my thinking.
We're looking for Mr. Gandhi.
Well, I think you'll find him under that tree over there.
Thank you. Come on, I'm anxious to meet this new force!
I try to live like an Indian, as you see.
It's stupid, of course
because in our country, it is the British
who decides how an Indian lives
what he may buy, what he may sell
and from their luxury
in the midst of our terrible poverty
they instruct us on what is justice and what is sedition.
So, it is only natural that our best young minds
assume an air of Eastern dignity
while greedily assimilating every Western weakness
as quickly as they can acquire it.
If we have home rule, that'll change.
Would you, please?
Why should the British grant us home rule?
Here, we must take the peelings to the goats.
We only make wild speeches
or perform even wilder acts of terrorism.
We've bread an army of anarchists
but not one single group that can really fight the British anywhere.
Hello..
But I thought you were against fighting.
Now, just spread it around.
There you are.
They like the new peelings mixed in with the rotting ones.
Where there's injustice, I always believe in fighting.
The question is, do you fight to change things
or do you fight to punish..
For myself, I have found that we are all such sinners.
We should leave punishment to God
and, if we really want to change things
there are better ways of doing it
than derailing trains or slashing someone with a sword.
The fire is ready!
You see, even here
we live under tyranny.
What did I tell you?
Look at him..
I can see the British shaking now.
Soaking it again will help.
It doesn't come off easily. - He will get used to that..
Hello! I'm looking for Mr. Gandhi.
I've been trying to speak to you for a long time.
Our crops, we cannot sell them.
We have no money
but the landlords still demand the same rent.
We have nothing left.
Eat.
Mr. Taylor. Please come up here.
Jesus!
Why has such a huge crowd assembled here?
I don't know, sir
The agent got a telegram.
It just said that he is coming along with his time of arrival.
Who the hell is he?
I don't know, sir.
Make way for the officer.
Make way, move out of the way!
Out of the way!
Who are you?
My name is Gandhi, Mohandas K. Gandhi
Well, whoever you are! Your presence isn't required here.
I suggest you return on that train before it leaves.
They seem to want me here!
Now, remember that I'll arrest you if you cause any trouble.
On what charge?
I don't want any trouble here!
An Indian travelling in his own country
shouldn't cause any trouble.
You are responsible for anything that happens!
Move! Go back.
Move, make way for the officer.
Greetings..
For years..
the Britishers ordered us to grow indigo
for dyeing clothes!
They always took part of the crop as taxes.
But now everyone buys their clothes from England!
And no one wants our indigo!
The landlords
say we must pay our taxes in cash.
We paid all that we had!
The police have taken the rest.
There is no food here.
I understand.
Are the landlords British?
We will try to do everything possible!
Shukla! Is all of Champaran like this?
Yes! The whole region
consisting of hundreds and thousands...
Some landlords have tried to help...
But they were helpless as well.
Mohan!
Are you Mr. M.K. Gandhi? - Yes, I am.
I'm sorry, you're under arrest!
I'm not sorry at all.
Who did you say would be buying drinks tonight?
What a pain!
Wouldn't you know, that's the best innings I've played since Oxford.
India has lot of troubles man!
I have got no idea.
All I know is there's a riot at Motihari in Champaran
and the whole Company has been ordered to go there!
I would like to meet the prisoner, please.
He is on the left, sir.
Charlie.
Shades of South Africa here as well?
Not quite. They're only holding me
until the Magistrate's hearing! They may send me to prison.
Did they take your clothes as well?
These are my clothes now.
You always had a puritanical streak, Mohan!
If I want to be one of them, I have to live like them.
Yes, I think you do, but I thank God we all don't!
My puritanism runs in a different way!
I am far too modest for such a display.
Could you let me in? I am a Clergyman, after all.
They're calling you 'Bapu' I thought it meant Father!
Yes, it does.
We are all old now, Charlie.
Well, what do you want me to do?
I think you can be of great help
with that assignment you've been offered in Fiji.
I have to be sure!
The Britishers must realise we can fight our battles ourselves!
But you know the strategy, right?
The world is full of people who despise what's happening here!
It is their strength that we need.
Before you go
you could start off in the right direction.
Well, I must leave from Calcutta
and soon
you'll have to say goodbye.
Well...
There are no goodbyes for us, Charlie!
Wherever you are, you will always reside in my heart.
Please clear the courtroom.
I'm not sure we'll be able to!
Sir, it is the first hearing and it's supposed to be in public!
Moreover, he's a lawyer!
I don't know where they found the nerve for all this!
I don't know, sir!
But the troops won't be here until tomorrow.
How did the press get here before the military?
That English clergyman sent
a number of telegrams yesterday in the afternoon!
I heard that one of them was even sent to the Viceroy!
You have been ordered to leave the Province of Bihar
on the grounds of instigating the public here.
With great respect to you, I refuse to leave this place!
Do you wish to go to jail?
As you wish.
All right!
I will release you on a bail of one hundred rupees
until I pronounce my judgement!
I refuse to pay the bail amount.
Then I hereby release you
without payment of bail, until I pronounce the judgement.
Hail Gandhi!
Mr. Gandhi..
Mr. Gandhi!
Hail Gandhi!
We are from Bihar.
We received a letter this morning from an old friend
who studied at Cambridge with us. His name is Nehru.
I believe you know him. - Indeed, I do.
He tells us you need help and we have come to help you!
Hail Gandhi!
I want everything documented
regarding what is being done here. It may take months.
We have no pressing engagements at the moment!
You will have to live with the farmers!
There will be risks involved!
Hail Gandhi!
I don't know where this country is headed?
But friend
you raised the taxes yourself
simply to finance your hunting expeditions.
And you committed various atrocities.
You beat up people, illegally seized properties
and demanded services without pay!
You also refused them water!
And all this in India itself!
Nobody knows the means to get these people to work.
Well, you've made this half-naked man
an international hero!
One lone man, marching on dusty roads
armed only with honesty and a bamboo staff
is battling the British Empire.
Back home, children are writing essays about him.
What do they want?
Gareth!
Yes, sir.
They want a rebate on taxes!
They want to be free to grow crops of their own choice
And a commission, consisting of Indians to hear the grievances.
Would that satisfy him?
And His Majesty's Government
says it only needs your signature for the landlords as well.
It'll be worth it to get rid of him.
Perhaps, this lie will prove to be costly!
But at least all this made the Government see some sense
about what a man like Mr. Gandhi should be allowed
and what he should be denied!
Where is Mr. Gandhi?
He said he preferred to walk, sir.
I tried convincing him a lot! But he did not listen!
He is crazy!
Oh, wonder who I will be dealing with?
I am honoured.
The honour is ours actually.
I'd like you to meet Dr. Kaalenbach.
He's an old friend and his interest is in flowers.
I presumed he could explore your garden while we talked.
I'll send for my gardener. I'm sure you'll have plenty to discuss.
Thank you.
Gentlemen, here is the hero of Champaran.
Only the stubborn man of Champaran!
This is Mr. Patel whom you know
and this is Maulana Azad, my colleague and a fellow Muslim.
He was just recently released from prison.
Salutations. - Mr. Kripalani.
And, of course! You know Mr. Nehru.
I'm beginning to know you Mr. Nehru.
Please sit down.
Well, gentlemen. I've asked you to come here
on Mr. Jinnah's insistence.
Since I've had a chance to see the legislation
and it is exactly as it was rumoured.
Arrest without warrant and automatic imprisonment
for possession of materials considered seditious.
And your writings are specifically listed.
And so much for helping them in the World War.
There is only one answer to that.
Direct action on a scale they could never handle.
I don't think so.
Terrorism would only justify their repression.
And what kind of leaders would it throw up?
Are they likely to be the men
who we would want to head our country?
I have read Mr. Gandhi's articles as well.
I would rather be ruled by an Indian terrorist
than an English one.
And I don't intend to submit to that kind of law.
I must say it seems to me
that it's gone beyond remedies like passive resistance.
Forgive me, I have never advocated anything as such!
I agree with Mr. Jinnah. We must never submit to such laws.
Never!
And I think our resistance must be active and proactive.
Give it to me.
I want to embarrass all those who wish to treat us as slaves.
Thank you.
And all of them..
Forgive my stupid illustration...
Allow me. - No, please...
But I want their perspective to change.
And not kill them for weaknesses we all possess.
And what resistance would you offer?
The law is due to take effect from 6th April.
I will call upon the nation to make that a day
of prayer and fasting.
You mean a general strike?
I meant a day of prayer and fasting.
Of course, no work would be done. No buses.
No trains, no factories, or any government office will work.
The country would come to a standstill!
My God, it would terrify them!
35 crore people at prayer!
Even the English newspapers would have to report that and explain it!
But could we get people to do it?
Why not? - No, thank you.
Champaran has stirred the whole country
Oh, thank you.
They're calling you 'Mahatma' the Great Soul.
Fortunately, such news comes very slowly to where I live.
I think if we all worked to publicise it
by all of Congress, using every avenue we know.
I could get articles printed
in most of the newspapers in Delhi and Bombay.
This will be a sensational case! - And no one will stand against...
Definitely! - It will be...
Don't you think so?
Of course. The army will always help.
We have 500 soldiers always ready..
My husband says this problem..
Excuse me..
Mr. Kinnock.
I'm afraid it's confirmed, sir.
Nothing's working, sir. The buses, the trains, the markets..
There's not even any ordinary civilian staff here, sir.
Is it only in Delhi and Bombay?
No, sir. Karachi, Calcutta, Madras, and Bangalore. All over!
The Army had to take over the telegraph, sir!
We'd be cut off from the rest of the world!
I can't believe it!
He's going to sell his own paper tomorrow in Bombay, sir.
They've also called for a parade at Victoria Road!
Arrest him!
Take him to the Visitors' room.
Mr. Gandhi!
You too?
It seems less formal than Mahatma.
Since your arrest, the riots have hardly stopped!
Not big, but they keep breaking out.
I run to stop them.
Patel and Kripalani are never at rest too.
But some English civilians have been killed.
The Army is attacking crowds with sticks
and sometimes with bullets.
Maybe I'm wrong
Maybe we're not ready yet.
In South Africa, our numbers were small.
The Government's afraid. They don't know what to do.
They're more afraid of terrorism than of you.
The Viceroy has agreed to your release
if you will speak for non-violence.
I've never spoken for anything else.
England is very powerful.
Its army and its navy..
all its modern weapons.
But when a great power like that..
strikes defenceless people..
it shows its brutality, its own weakness.
Especially when those people do not strike back.
Fighting back will not work and that is why Mr. Mahatma Ghandi
begs us to take the course of non-violence.
Back away! Back away!
What does that..
and the terrorists..
But if we riot..
if we fight back..
we become the vandals and they become the law
If we bear their blows..
they are the vandals
God and law..
Ready!
Get ready!
Attention!
Get ready to shoot!
We must have the courage..
to take their anger
It's time. - Ready..
Aim..
Shall we issue a warning, sir?
They have already been warned.
No more meetings.
Fire!
Aim properly.
Corporal..
to your left!
Ready! Fire!
General Dyer..
Is it true that you ordered your troops..
to fire at the thickest part of the crowd?
It is true.
One thousand five hundred and sixteen casualties..
with one thousand six hundred and fifty bullets.
My intention was to teach them a lesson..
that would have an impact throughout India.
General..
had you been able to take in the armoured car..
would you have opened fire with the machine gun?
Probably, yes.
Did you realize that there were women and children in the crowd?
I did.
But that was irrelevant to the point you were making?
That is correct.
Could I ask you what provision have you made for the wounded?
I was ready to help the ones who asked for it.
General, how does a child..
shot with a 303 Lee Enfield, ask for help?
Forgive me, Gentlemen. But you must understand..
that His Majesty's Government and the British people feel bad about
both the massacre and the philosophy that prompted it.
Now, what I would like to do..
is to come to some compromise over the new civil legislation.
If you will excuse me, Your Excellency..
In my opinion, matter has gone beyond legislation.
We think it's time you recognised that..
You have invaded our homes.
Despite the best intentions..
As you rule over us, it's like getting humiliated by you.
General Dyer is an extreme example of the principle.
It is time you left.
With due respect, Mr. Gandhi..
Without British administration..
this country would be reduced to chaos.
Mr. Kinnock..
I beg you to accept that there is no person on earth..
who would not prefer their own bad government
to the good government of an alien power.
But sir, India belongs to the British.
We're hardly an alien power.
Mr. Gandhi..
Even if His Majesty could waive all other considerations..
he has a duty towards millions of his Muslim subjects..
who are a minority in this realm.
And experience suggests that his troops
and his administration are essential
in order to secure peace.
All nations contain religious minorities.
Like other countries, ours will have its own problems.
But they will be our problems, not yours.
How do you propose to solve the problems?
Do you think we will just walk out of India?
Yes.
One day you will have to walk out.
Because one hundred thousand Englishmen
simply cannot control 350 million Indians
if those Indians refuse to co-operate.
And that is what we intend to achieve.
Peaceful, non-violent, non-cooperation..
till you, yourself, walk out of our country.
Your Excellency.
Well, I said to him if they expect us just to walk-out of here
he said, yes.
What an extraordinary little man. Non-violent, no co-operation.
For a moment I was afraid they were actually going to do something.
Yes, but I think it would be wise to be cautious for the time being.
The Anti-terrorist Act will remain active..
..but on no account will Gandhi be arrested.
Whatever mischief he causes
I have no intention of making a martyr of him.
But now, something worse is happening.
When Mr. Gandhi and I were growing up..
women wove their own cloth.
But now there are millions who have no work..
because those who can..
buy all they need from England.
I say with Mr. Gandhi..
There is no beauty in the finest cloth..
if it creates hunger and unhappiness.
My message to you..
is the message I have given to your brothers everywhere.
To gain independence, we must prove our worth.
There must always be Hindu-Muslim unity.
Second.
No Indian must be treated the way the English treats us
We must remove untouchability from our hearts and from our lives.
Third.
We must defy the British.
Not with violence that will inflame their will
but with a firmness that will open their eyes.
Use of English clothes
creates poverty.
If you wish to eradicate poverty
bring me the clothes from Manchester
and Leeds that you wear today.
And we will light a fire that
will be seen in Delhi and in London.
Also, like me..
you will be left with only one piece of homespun.
Wear it with dignity.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
No.. Thank you. I can manage.
Herman, don't destroy my good intentions.
I'm already feeling guilty about travelling second class.
You've earned a few indulgences.
Well, perhaps, but Maulana is made of sterner stuff.
Our trains met in Bombay.
And there he is, back there in that lot, the model disciple.
There's another passenger, a Miss. Slade from London.
She's been writing to Mr. Gandhi for years.
She's the daughter of an English admiral.
Maulana..
What do you think the daughter of an English admiral proposes
to do in our ashram? Sink us?
From the looks of the luggage, yes.
She wants to make her home with us and Mr. Gandhi has agreed.
Miss. Slade! - You'd be Mr. Kallenbach.
Yes. And you would be Miss. Slade.
I prefer the name Mr. Gandhi has given me. Miraben.
Don't do it so fast, you'll break it again.
Leave it..
God gave you ten thumbs. - Eleven!
Sardar.
Miraben..
It's all right..
You are like a daughter.
But then..
some rioting broke out between Hindus and Muslims.
Violent, terrible.
Whether it was provoked, I don't know.
But it gave them an excuse to impose
martial law throughout Bengal.
Some of the things the military have done..
Is the campaign weakening?
The marches and protest are bigger, if anything..
but with the censorship here, they know more in England
than we do.
And it saps the courage to think you may be suffering alone.
You are not alone.
And martial law only shows how desperate the British are.
Is that homespun?
I sent for it from here, I dyed it myself.
What do the workers in England make of what we're doing?
It must have produced hardship.
It has. But you'd be surprised, they understand. They really do.
Good.
She will have to teach you to spin too.
I'd rather march. - First, spin.
Let the others march for a time.
I'll teach you all our foolishness..
and you must teach me yours.
We burn British cloth!
Long live Mr. Gandhi!
British rule must go!
I'll stuff it down your damn throat!
Help us!
Leave us alone. We're not harming you.
On your way.
- Help!
Help us!
That's one bit of news they haven't censored.
Now, it's all over the world.
'India's non-violence.'
What can we do?
We must end the campaign.
After what they did at the Massacre
it's only an eye for an eye.
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
But Mr. Gandhi...
do you know the sacrifices people have made?
We would never get the same commitment again, ever.
The whole of India is on the move.
Yes, but in what direction?
If we obtain our freedom by murder and bloodshed..
I want no part of it.
Bapu..
You are the father of the nation.
Today, I see no grounds in that for anything but shame.
It was one incident.
Tell that to the families of the policemen who died.
Bapu..
The whole nation is marching.
They wouldn't stop, even if we asked them to.
I will ask.
And I will fast as a penance for my part in arousing such emotions.
And I will not stop until they stop.
God, you can be sure the British won't censor that.
They'll put it on every street corner.
Mr. Gandhi..
People are aroused.
They won't stop.
If I die, perhaps they will stop.
I must get ready for morning prayers.
Miraben is here.
I've brought your drinking water.
There's little lemon juice in it, that's all.
Herman has gone to meet Pandit Nehru.
There was a telegram.
Almost everywhere it has stopped.
When it has stopped completely..
then my prayers will be answered.
Do you find me stubborn?
I don't know.
I know that you are right.
I don't know that this is right.
Can I turn you over?
Miraben..
When I despair..
I remember that all through history..
the way of truth and love has always won.
There have been tyrants and murderers.
And for a time, they can seem invincible.
But in the end, they always fall.
Think of it.
Always..
Whenever you doubt God's will and that this is
the way the world is meant to be.
Think of this.
And they try to do it His way.
And now, could I have another feast of lemon juice?
Mr. Pandit.
Jinnah, Patel, all of Congress..
has called for the end of non-cooperation.
There's not been one demonstration.
All over India, people are praying that you will end the fast.
They're walking on the streets, offering garlands to the police
and British soldiers.
Perhaps I have overdone it.
Has all the work finished?
Good morning, Bapu.
Good Morning, Don't let him go. If he bumps into me, I'll get hurt.
Don't worry, I won't let him go.
I'm sorry, Mr. Gandhi. But you're under arrest.
On what charge?
Sedition.
You can't be serious.
This man has just stopped a revolution.
May be. I only know what I am asked to perform.
I don't believe it. Are the British this stupid?
Mr. Pandit, please come here.
Miraben, you must look after her.
If there is one protest, one riot or a disgrace of any kind..
I will fast again. Okay. - Yeah.
I have been on many trips.
This is just another trip.
I am at your command.
I know we are not ready for my kind of independence.
If I'm sent to jail..
perhaps that is the best protest our country can make at this time.
And, if it helps India, I'll never refuse His Majesty's hospitality.
Call the prisoner to the bar.
Non co-operation has one aim.
To overthrow the Government.
Sedition must become our creed.
We must give no quarter..
nor can we expect any.
Do you deny writing it?
Not at all.
And I will save the Court's time
My Lord, by stating under oath that, to this day..
I believe that going against injustice is one's duty
and that British rule of India is evil.
The prosecution rests, My Lord.
I presume you are conducting your own defence, Mr. Gandhi?
I have no defence, My Lord. I am guilty as charged.
And if you truly believe
in the system of law you administer in my country
then you must inflict on me the severest penalty possible.
It is impossible for me to ignore
that you are in a different category from any person.
And there will be no one like you.
Nevertheless, it is my duty to sentence you..
to six years imprisonment.
If, however, His Majesty's Government
at some later date
sees it fit to reduce the sentence
no one would be better pleased than I.
Yes, I'm sure that's exactly what they hoped.
Put him in prison a few years and people will forget him soon.
May be they could even subdue him.
Well, he certainly wasn't forgotten.
And as soon as he got out, he was back tramping the countryside
preaching non-violence and demanding a free India.
Everyone knows that another showdown is coming.
Well, how does an American journalist in Central America
learn that Gandhi was born in Porbandar anyway?
I've been aware of him for a long time.
He certainly is very interesting.
The other day Winston Churchill called him..
..a half-naked Indian fakir.
I met him once. - You mean Gandhi? - Yes.
In South Africa, a long time ago.
I wonder if he'll recognize me.
What was he like?
Well, he had hair on his head.
We were a bit like college students trying to figure everything out.
Well, he must have found some of the answers.
In every worthy wish of yours, I shall be your helpmate.
Helpmate.
Take the fourth vow. Let our life be filled with joy.
I will always be devoted to you.
I will speak words of love and pray for your happiness.
Take the fifth vow. Walking around the fire.
We may serve the people.
I will follow close behind you
and help serve the people.
Take the sixth vow.
We will follow our vows in life.
I will follow you in all our vows and duties.
Take the seventh vow.
We will live as friends.
You are my best friend.
My highest guru
and my sovereign Lord.
And then I put a sweetened wheat cake in her mouth.
And I put a sweetened wheat cake in his mouth.
And, with that, we were pronounced man and wife.
We were both thirteen back then.
Bapu! Bapu!
It's beautiful.
Even as a boy, I enjoyed this.
Sit. - Thank you.
Trying to keep up with you is like chasing a rabbit.
And you've come all this way because
you think something is going to happen.
Is it?
Perhaps.
I've come here to think about it.
Do you remember much of South Africa?
Yes, a great deal.
I've travelled so far and thought so much.
As you can see..
my city is a sea city.
Always full of Hindus, Muslims..
Sikhs, Jews, Persians.
My family's sect was the Pranami-Hindu.
But in our temple
the priest used to read from the Muslim Koran
as well as from the Hindu Gita
moving from one to the other as if it didn't matter
which book was being read
as long as God was being worshipped.
When I was a boy, I used to sing a song in the temple.
A true disciple knows another's woes as his own.
He bows to all and despises none.
Like all other boys, I sang the words
not thinking what they meant, or how they might be influencing me.
Now after a long time, I could understand what it meant.
Wait a minute.
You know what you're going to do, don't you?
It would have been very uncivil of me
to let you make such a long trip for nothing.
Where are you going? - Come.
Where are we going? - I'm going back to the ashram.
Then I'm going to prove to the new Viceroy..
that the King's writ no longer runs in India.
Salt?
Yes, sir. He's going to march to the sea to put an end to it.
There's a Royal Monopoly on the manufacture of salt, sir.
It is illegal to make it or sell it without a government license.
All right, he's breaking the law.
What's that going to deprive us of? Only two rupees of salt tax.
It's not a serious attack on the revenue, sir.
However, it's primary importance is symbolic.
Don't patronize me, Charles.
No, sir.
Here nothing lives without water or salt.
Our absolute control of it is a control on the pulse of India.
And that's the basis of this Declaration of Independence?
Yes, sir. The day he sets off
everyone is supposed to raise the flag of Free India.
And then he will walk some 250 miles to the sea and make salt.
I say ignore it.
Let them raise their flags. Let them make salt.
It's only symbolic if we choose to make it so.
He's going to arrive at the sea
on the anniversary of the Massacre of Amritsar.
General Edgar is right. Ignore it.
Mr. Gandhi will find that it takes a great deal
more than a pinch of salt
to bring down the British Empire.
Bapu! - I sometimes forget.
Come on.
Greetings, Bapu. - Greetings.
Greetings, Bapu.
- Greetings.
You've done me a great service.
I had to.
It would be uncivil for us
to let you make such a long trip for nothing.
Let's go.
Long Live Mahatma Gandhi!
- Greetings, Bapu.
Will this stop if you get arrested?
Not if they arrest me, or a thousand, or ten thousand of us.
It's not only Generals who know how to plan campaigns.
What if they don't arrest you? What if they don't react at all?
It's something for you to note down.
The function of a civil resister is to provoke response.
And we will continue to provoke
until they respond or change the law.
They are not in control. We are.
That is the strength of civil resistance.
Vince! What did he say?
He said he's in control.
Greetings, Bapu.
Do you intend to walk all the way?
It's the only way I can get the story.
Besides, my name is Walker.
Then my name is Walker as well.
Mrs. Sarojini Naidu. - Bapu.
I am happy that you are a part of this campaign.
Man needs salt
just like he needs air and water.
This salt comes from the Indian Ocean.
Let every Indian claim it as his right.
And so, once again..
he has challenged the might of the British Empire.
They're making salt everywhere on a large scale.
Congress leaders are selling it on the streets of Delhi.
We're being laughed at, sir.
All around the world.
Isn't there any instruction from London?
We're required to stop it. And we will.
I don't care if we have to arrest them all or finish them.
Arrest everyone except Gandhi.
We will bring him down.
And then we'll deal with Gandhi, the Mahatma.
All right. Get ready. Clear this beach.
Everyone will get it.
Give us salt.
Zia, don't hit back. No violence.
More than a thousand have been captured and arrested.
And we are arresting more. - Who's leading them?
I don't know. Nehru, Patel, almost every Congress official is in jail.
Even their wives and their children.
We've even arrested Nehru's mother.
Has there been any violence?
In Peshawar
the Deputy Police Commissioner lost his cool
and opened fire with a machine gun.
But he's facing disciplinary actions.
You can't expect things like that not to happen.
I believe the question was intended to discover
whether there was any violence on their side.
Sir.. No.. I'm afraid not.
Perhaps, if we arrested Gandhi, it might..
He's addressed this letter directly to you, hasn't he?
Yes, sir, he has.
He has written the usual thing that India's salt belongs to India.
Then he says flatly that he is personally
going to lead a raid tomorrow on the Dharasana Salt warehouse.
Thank him for his letter. And put him in jail.
Okay, sir.
Yes. Even I feel the same.
And Fields.. - Sir. - Keep that salt warehouse open.
Yes, sir.
I'm sorry, sir. But my orders are to allow regular staff.
I will allow only regular staff through these gates.
Very well.- But when the blows are struck..
we will receive them in his name.
We will all be peaceful.
For his sake we will not raise a hand.
Long Live Mahatma Gandhi!
Long Live the Revolution!
We are ready.
Don't let anyone enter.
Right, take your positions. - Yes.
To your mark, forward!
Last night at midnight they took Mr. Gandhi from us
They expect us to lose heart
and to fight back.
We will do neither.
On your guard!
Keep this there.
Go back. The gate is closed.
Oh, God!
Pick them up. - Hurry! Take them.
They walked, both Hindus and Muslims alike.
with heads held high.
Without any hope of escape from injury or death.
This went on and on into the night. Stop!
Women carried the wounded and broken bodies from the road..
until they dropped from exhaustion. Stop!
But still, it went on and on. Stop!
Whatever moral ascendancy the West held..
was lost here today.
India is free.
..For she has taken all that cruelty can give..
and she has neither cringed nor retreated.
Stop!
I am aware that I must have given you..
much cause for irritation, Your Excellency.
I hope it will not stand between us as an obstacle.
Mr. Gandhi..
I'm instructed to request your attendance
at an all-Government Conference in London..
to discuss the possible independence of India.
'Only recently released from prison.'
'Mahatma Gandhi leaves Bombay on the S.S. Rajputana'
'to attend the Round Table Conference on Indian Independence'
'called by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald.'
'Mr. Gandhi, the sole Indian Congress Party delegate'
'is staying at Kingsley Hall in the East End of London'
'for the duration of the talks.'
'And he's seen here among local Cockneys'
'who have taken him to their hearts.'
'Besides attending the Conference'
'he has found time to meet political and religious leaders'
'like Lloyd George and the Archbishop of Canterbury'
'as well as Mr. George Bernard Shaw and Mr. Charlie Chaplin.'
'He journeyed last week from Kingsley Hall.'
'..to accept an invitation to tea..'
'from Their Majesties King George and Queen Mary'
'at Buckingham Palace.'
I would emphasize that our first duty
is to recognize that there is not one India
but several. A Hindu India
a Muslim India
and an India of Princely States.
And all these must be respected and cared for.
Not just one.
'Mr. Gandhi'
'who has been attending the London Round Table Conference'
'on Indian Independence, journeyed North to visit a cotton mill.'
'Although not dressed for the Lancashire climate'
'Mr. Gandhi received a warm welcome'
'from cheering mill-workers'
'before heading back South for a final meeting with Mr. MacDonald.'
'The Prime Minister said later..'
'that the talks were both constructive and frank.'
'So, farewell, Mr. Gandhi'
'and Bon Voyage.'
So, the truth is, after all your travels, after all your efforts..
they've stopped the campaign and sent you back empty-handed.
They're only clinging to old dreams
and trying to split us in the old way.
But that doesn't matter anymore.
Independence will make its way to us.
The only question is when and how.
I say why not now?
And we will determine how - Precisely.
Bapu, she is limping again.
It's only a sprain.
Take her to the river, we'll make a mud-pack for her.
Go. I will be there in a moment. - Okay.
They are preparing for war.
I will not support it.
But I do not intend to take advantage of their danger.
This is the time to take advantage.
No, that is just another way of fighting back.
We've come a long way together with the British.
When they leave, we want to see them off as friends.
Now, if you'll excuse me, there is something I must attend to.
Mud-packs.
Mr. Gandhi, sir.
I have been instructed to inquire
as to the subject of your speech tonight.
The value of goat's milk in daily diet.
But you can be sure that I will also speak against war.
Sorry, sir. That can't be permitted.
Corporal! - Sir! - Let's go forward.
It's all right, Mrs. Gandhi..
I have orders to return with you
and your companion to the Mahatma's ashram.
If you take my husband, I intend to speak in his place.
Hold it a second, will you?
It was the Aga Khan's palace before they turned it into a prison.
They're holding Gandhi and a number of the leading
Congress politicians in there.
Pandit Nehru and the others are at Ahamadnagar.
Not bad for a prison.
Well, I guess no place is good if you're locked in.
Your timing is perfect.
They had him cut off from the Press..
but last month his personal secretary died.
So they let up on restrictions.
Yes, I have heard of Life Magazine.
I've even heard of Margaret Bourke-White.
But I don't know why either
should be interested in an old man
sitting alone in prison
while the rest of the world is blowing itself to pieces.
Well, you're the only man I know who makes his own clothes.
But for me, that's not much of an accomplishment.
No, I am fine here.
And there is no doubt that after the war
independence will come.
My only worry is what shape it will take.
Jinnah.. - Stop.
I'm sorry, but could you come forward, please?
Come.. - Just up to the railing. Thank you very much.
Thank you. - Sorry. Please tell me.
Go on.. What shape it will take? Jinnah has what?
Jinnah has co-operated with the British.
It has given him power and the freedom to speak
and he has filled the Muslims with
fear of what will happen to them
in a country that is predominantly Hindu.
And that I find hard to bear
even in prison. - Mr. Gandhi..
It's very hard for me to see that
this is your solution to the twentieth century's problems.
I have friends who keep telling me
that how much it costs them to keep me in poverty.
But I know happiness does not come with materialistic things.
Not even from the twentieth century things.
It can come from work and pride of what you do.
Most people here are from villages.
And the terrible poverty can only be removed
if their local skills can be revived again.
Poverty is the worst form of violence.
And a constructive programme is the only non-violent solution
to India's agony.
It will not necessarily be a progress for India
if she simply imports the unhappiness of the West.
But do you really believe you could use non-violence
against someone like Hitler?
There will be defeat and great pain.
But are there no defeats in this war? No pain?
What you cannot do is accept injustice from Hitler or anyone.
You must make the injustice visible.
Be prepared to die like a soldier.
Is this what I'm meant to end up with here?
No. That's what you get for distracting me.
Well, what do you expect when you talk like that?
I expect you to show as much patience as I am now.
Turn slowly and pull it gently.
And that includes the life of women.
Bapu has always said that
there are two kinds of slavery in India.
One for women and one for the untouchables.
And he has always fought against both.
Does it rankle being separated in this way?
In Hindu philosophy..
the way to God is to free yourself of possessions
and the passions.
Bapu has always struggled to find the way to God.
Do you mean that he gave up married life?
He tried four times
and failed.
But then he took a solemn vow.
And he has never broken it.
Not yet.
I've got permission to move her.
I'm very sorry, sir.
She's had a massive thrombosis, a very serious heart attack.
She'll never survive the trip.
I think it's better that we just keep her here.
It's time for my walk.
I will be back soon.
Move forward!
All halt.
Up!
We have come to crown victory with friendship.
To help create an independent India.
and to welcome her as an equal member in
the British Commonwealth of Nations.
I am here to see that I am the last British viceroy..
ever to have the honour of such a reception.
The conference is about to start. - Yes, sir.
Mr. Gandhi, I'm not concerned about the independence of India.
I'm concerned about the slavery of the Muslims.
Please, Mr. Jinnah.
I will not stand by to see the mastery of the
British replaced by the mastery of the Hindus.
Of course, Mr. Sardar and Mr. Pandit.
Muslim and Hindu are the left and right eye of India.
No one will be master, no one will be the slave.
The world is not made of Mahatma Gandhi.
I'm talking about the real world.
But.. - India has Muslims and Hindus
in every village and every city.
How do you propose to separate them?
Where there is a Muslim majority
that will be Pakistan. The rest of it will be India.
My dear Jinnah..
the Muslims are in a majority
on two different sides of the country.
Let us worry about Pakistan, and you may worry about India.
Gentlemen..
I think we should discuss this matter.
Death to Jinnah!
Thank God they've stopped.
Manu.. Aabha..
I'm your grand uncle..
but I can still walk without your help.
And I don't need to be pampered in this way.
Finish spinning.
There are Hindus and Muslims..
Bapu!
Bapu, please don't do it.
What do you want me to do?
Do you not want me to meet Mr. Jinnah?
I am a Muslim and a Hindu.
I am a Christian and a Jew.
And so are all of you.
When you wave those flags and shout
you send fear into the hearts of your brothers.
That is not the India I want. Stop it.
For God's sake, stop it.
If you've finished your prayers, gentlemen..
perhaps we could begin our discussion.
My dear Jinnah..
you and I are brothers..
born to the same Mother, India.
If you have fears, I want to put them at rest.
Please don't misunderstand me.
I am asking Mr. Pandit to stand down.
I want you to be the first Prime Minister of India
to name your entire cabinet
to make the head of every government department a Muslim.
Bapu..
if that's what your decision is then
we will all accept it.
But out there..
people are rioting.
Because Hindus fear that you are going to give too much away.
If you do this..
no one will be able to control them.
It is your choice.
Do you want an independent India and an independent Pakistan
or do you want a civil war?
Jinnah! Jinnah!
Rascal!
They have gone to bring them back.
But millions are on the move and no one can count the dead.
In Calcutta, it's like civil war.
The Muslims rose and there was a blood-bath.
Now, the Hindus are taking revenge.
If we can't stop it..
there'll be no hope for the Hindus left in Pakistan.
An eye for an eye, will make the whole world blind.
Aren't there any troops to spare?
No.
The divisions in Bombay and Delhi can hardly keep the peace now.
And each fresh bit of news creates another wave of madness.
We could cut all news off.
Bapu, please, where are you going?
I don't want to hear more.
We need your help. - There is nothing I can give.
Where are you going?
Calcutta.
If I had shunned death or feared it..
I would not be here now.
And you wouldn't have had to be concerned about me.
But, sir. Listen..
I don't have the men to protect you.
This is a Muslim's house, it's their area.
I'm staying with the friend of a friend..
We will take revenge!
- Look Gandhi!
Why are you staying at the home of a Muslim?
They are murderers. - They killed my family.
Get out of Calcutta, Gandhi!
We will take revenge!
I am sorry, sir.
Why must I read news like this in the paper?
Inform Sardar Patel. We will go on Friday.
Four days, sir?
Bapu.. - Yes.
Sardar, you have gained weight.
You must join me in the fast.
If I fast, I will die.
If you fast, people go to all sorts of trouble
to keep you alive.
Bapu, forgive me. I've cheated.
Had I come earlier, I wouldn't have been able to see you this way.
Since the last few days, people's attention has turned towards you
and away from the atrocities. But now..
This is enough.
All that has happened is that I've grown a little thinner.
Tomorrow, five thousand Muslim students of all ages..
are marching here in Calcutta, for peace.
And five thousand Hindu students are marching with them.
I'm glad.
But it will not be enough.
Bapu..
you are not young any more.
Don't worry for me.
I cannot watch the destruction of all that I have lived for.
Get them!
We will take revenge! - God is great!
We will take revenge! - God is great.
Death to Gandhi!
Who dares to say such things?
Who?
You kill me first!
Come!
Where are you?
Kill me first.
Where are you?
His pulse is very irregular.
The kidneys aren't functioning.
Bapu..
I have brought Mr. Suhrawardy with me.
He is the one who incited the Muslims yesterday.
He is now telling them
to go back to their homes and lay down their arms.
The things that you can do while you are alive
can't be done once you are gone.
Please say something.
Stop the fighting
and assure me that
it will never happen again.
Sometimes, it is when you are quiet without hope..
and in utter darkness..
that God comes to the rescue.
Mr. Gandhi is dying
because of our madness.
Put away your revenge.
Hatred will increase if you kill.
Have the courage to do
what you know is right.
For God's sake..
let us embrace like brothers.
It's our promise. We will stop killing.
These are the Hindu swords.
It's a promise.
Go. God will be with you.
Here, eat!
Eat!
I'm going to hell..
but not with your death.
Only God decides who goes to hell.
I killed a child.
I smashed his head against a wall.
Why?
They killed my son.
My boy..
The Muslims killed my son.
I know a way out of hell.
Find a child..
whose father and mother have been killed.
A little boy, about this high..
and raise him as your own.
Make sure that he is a Muslim
and that you raise him as one.
Go..
God bless you.
Bapu..
There's been no fighting anywhere.
It has stopped.
The madness has stopped.
It's foolishness if you are saying this to save this old man's life.
No. In every temple and mosque..
they have pledged to die..
before they lift a hand against each other.
It is true, Bapu.
Everywhere.
Maulana, my friend..
could I have some orange juice?
Later we will have something together.
We will be meeting Bapu there.
That is how you eat radish.
I'm not sure that I want to be remembered that way.
Don't worry, with luck you may not be.
No, he will be remembered for tempting fate.
So you're really going to Pakistan, then?
You are a stubborn man.
I'm simply going to prove to Hindus here and Muslims there..
that the only devils in the world..
are those in our own hearts.
And that is where all our battles ought to be fought.
So what kind of warrior have you been in that warfare?
Not a very good one.
That's why I have so much tolerance
for the scoundrels of the world.
Sardar..
Ask Mr. Pandit to consider what we've discussed.
Enough. - One more.
You're a temptress. - Just an admirer.
That's more dangerous, especially for an old man.
There's sadness about him.
He thinks he has failed.
Why?
After whatever happened, it's been proved that
he was always right.
I may be blinded by my love for him.
But I believe..
when we most needed it..
he offered the world a way out of this madness.
But he doesn't see it.
Neither does the world.
Greetings. - Greetings.
Greetings. - Greetings Bapu.
Greetings Bapu. - Greetings Bapu.
Greetings. - Greetings Bapu.
Mister, Bapu is already late for prayers.
Oh, God!
When I despair..
I remember that all through history..
the way of truth and love has always won.
There have been tyrants and murderers..
and for a time, they can seem invincible..
but, in the end, they always fall.
Think of it. Always.
"Devotee of Vishnu.."
"who knows the pain of others."
"Devotee of Vishnu.."
"who knows the pain of others."
"Does good to others.."
"without letting pride enter his mind."
"Devotee of Vishnu.."
"who knows the pain of others."
"Lord Ram, the Lord of heavens."
"Blessed is thy name."
"Lord Ram, the Lord of heavens."
"Blessed is thy name."
"Victory to You, Lord Ram.."
"the husband of Sita."
"Some call You Ishwar, some call You Allah."
"We beg You Lord, to bless us all."
"Hail Lord Ram.."
"Lord Ram, the Lord of heavens."
"Blessed is thy name."