Gandhi and Toba Tek Singh Study Notes

The plan is to combine the talk on Toba Tek Singh with a Jinah lecture and to incorporate two politics lectures as well.
Aim: Ensure that by Tuesday, all lecture materials will be caught up and reviewed.
Reminder for Class on Tuesday: Students must read the Toba Tek Singh story on Brightspace, as there will be a discussion about it (likely informal).

Previous lecture covered several topics: students may have questions regarding Gandhi, Satyagraha, etc.
Questions should be reserved until the next slide is presented which will go into the Gandhian method.

Students with midterm corrections should hand them in at this time.
For extra credit assignments, students must:
- Get prior approval before attending events.
- Attach a ticket stub or program.
Natural History Museum: Clarified that visiting here does not count as an academic cultural event due to problematic exhibits; the focus should be on more relevant events.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) is encouraged, but students should focus on specific exhibits to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
- Focus on South Asian exhibits (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, with a note about Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc.).
- Clarification on South Asia: Emphasis placed on understanding geographical definitions and avoiding confusion with Southeast Asia.

Attendance records show that students present constitute only about two-thirds of enrolled attendees. Highlighted as a pervasive problem across the institution.
Importance of class attendance: Highlighted that regular attendance is essential for passing the course. Encouragement for students to encourage peers to attend and participate.

1919: Significant due to the conclusion of the Great War (World War I) and the subsequent peace treaties.
Dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire and dethronement of the Sultan (Caliph) which incited various responses including protests in India.
Qilafat Movement: Led by two Muslim communist brothers encouraging Muslims to rally for the Caliph's restoration. This was an anti-imperialist rather than a purely religious movement.
Growing fears of communist revolutions post-Russian Revolution in 1917 contributed to heightened tensions.

The Rowlatt Acts introduced wartime powers into peacetime, allowing people to be detained without trial.
This deeply angered the public due to perceived betrayal by the British after their wartime support.
Anger resulted in protests, notably culminating in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, where British troops fired on a peaceful gathering.
Key Individuals: General Reginald Dyer led this reprehensible act, resulting in widespread outrage.

The reforms were perceived as a method to give the illusion of shared governance while retaining ultimate control (police and finances) with the British.
Outcomes of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms poorly addressed Indian aspirations, exacerbating discontent across religious and socio-economic lines.

Amidst rising discontent, Gandhi became a prominent leader advocating for peaceful resistance through the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Key Component: Swaraj (self-rule) was misinterpreted commonly as independence but referred to deeper self-governance and individual responsibility.
Gandhi argues for a definition of Swaraj not just as national independence but as personal mastery and responsibility.
Swadeshi Movement: Advocated for self-sufficiency, especially in producing indigenous textiles (kadi) as a protest against the British economic exploitation.

Ahimsa (non-violence) was central to Gandhi's philosophy, not pacifism but a strategic response to violence with love and truth (Satyagraha).
He promoted hartals (strikes) as both economic and spiritual avenues for protest.
The Salt March (Dandi March): A deliberate act of civil disobedience against the salt tax, which epitomized Gandhi's opposition to British rule.
Gandhi's call to action was not exclusively a means of protest but rather a conscious tactical choice in the larger historical movement.

Gandhi's emergence as a symbolic and operational leader will be further examined in future classes, especially through the lens of his impact in Indian independence and subsequent sociopolitical movements.
Confirm time for questioning and clarifications, ensuring students are invited to discuss nuanced interpretations and historical contexts.