Mahatma Gandhi and his BHU visits
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya had invited Mahatma Gandhi to speak at the BHU founding ceremony on Basant Panchami in February 1916.
Gandhiji had already been to the Kashi Vishwanath temple where he was profoundly disappointed to see its dirty condition. He noted, “Where one expected an atmosphere of meditation and communion, it was conspicuous by its absence.”
Gandhiji made his very first public statement at BHU on 6 February 1916, during the BHU founding ceremony after his return from South Africa in 1915. However, his speech was interrupted by dignitaries sitting on the stage. As a result, Gandhiji had to abruptly stop his speech midway. As the princes got off the stage, Malaviyaji walked on to tell them that if they had waited, they would have seen that Gandhiji was, in fact, deploring any kind of anarchism and violence.
In brief, Gandhiji raised three fundamental issues: a more rational attitude towards our way of life, the sharp inequalities among different sectors of our society, and the arrogance of officers.
Citing the example of Kashi Vishwanath, the holiest temple in the holiest city, he called for ‘cleanliness’.
“Why was it so filthy? If we were incapable of maintaining even our own places of worship, how could we justify our claim for self-rule?”
He continued, “Is not this great temple a reflection of our own character? I speak feelingly, as a Hindu. Is it right that the lanes of our sacred temple should be as dirty as they are? The lanes are tortuous and narrow. If even our temples are not models of roominess and cleanliness, what can our self-government be? Shall our temples be abodes of holiness, cleanliness and peace as soon as the English have retired from India, either of their own pleasure or by compulsion, bag and baggage? ... and the British nation; freedom-loving as it is, it will not be a party to give freedom to a people who will not take it themselves.”
Gandhiji’s speech represents an act of great courage at a time when he had little influence or power in his homeland. He made direct and scathing criticism of wealthy princes, important officials and the guardians of religious orthodoxy. He proclaimed his vision to transform the destiny of his country through truthfulness and nonviolence.
Gandhiji’s third visit to Banaras was in February 1920, when he spent six days in Malaviyaji’s house where he prepared the first draft on the horrors of the Martial Law Administration and the impact of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Gandhiji was back again in Banaras towards the end of 1920, seeking volunteers for the non-cooperation movement. Kashi Vidyapith (now Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith) was inaugurated by Gandhiji during this movement of the freedom struggle on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami on February 10, 1921.
Gandhiji’s longest visit to Banaras was in July-August 1934, when he spent a whole week in the city. He was deeply disturbed on the menace of untouchability, and gave two speeches on successive days describing the practice of untouchability as “a blot on Hinduism”.
Gandhiji came to Banaras in January 1942 to deliver the BHU’s convocation address at the silver jubilee year of the university. Gandhiji and Malaviyaji were sitting on a special dais. The BHU vice chancellor, Dr S Radhakrishnan, accorded him a historic welcome, saying, “With these two great men, Malaviyaji and Gandhiji … this city of Banaras, already holy, becomes holier.”
Gandhiji’s speech at the silver jubilee of BHU had five striking features namely, the importance of cleanliness, the importance of the mother tongue, the divide between the rich and the poor, the need for Hindu-Muslim harmony and, and the abolition of untouchability/discrimination.
In October 1931, Albert Einstein wrote to Gandhiji expressing his great admiration for his work, “You have shown through your works, that it is possible to succeed without violence even with those who have not discarded the method of violence.”