We have all heard Mahatma Gandhi’s name and have some idea about who he is, but to give a speech about him we need to know about his life in detail. With Gandhi Jayanti around the corner let us discuss his life and how we would prepare a speech in English about him in around ten lines. First, let us learn some important information about his life which will help us in writing the speech for Gandhi Jayanti 2021.
Early Life
To write the English speech on Gandhi Jayanti we have to talk about his birth and early life.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is also known as Bapu or the father of the nation because of his contributions to India’s fight for freedom. He was born in Porbandar, a coastal town in Gujarat, on the 2nd of October in 1869. He studied in Gujarat till college and then he went to England to study law. After completing his studies, he was offered a job as a lawyer in South Africa which he accepted.
He had to face the harsh reality in South Africa where he saw Indians being mistreated by the British and he realised that there was blatant discrimination against his people. He fought for the rights of Indians in South Africa but didn’t pay heed to the perils of the people of South Africa. According to Nelson Mandela, years later he helped the people of South Africa by getting volunteers to serve as nurses including himself and fought against racism. After they finally won the right to vote, Gandhi became a national hero even for them.
After learning all this information, you must choose what you think is the most important information to be shared on Gandhi Jayanti in your speech, since it will be only around ten lines you have to learn to pick only the relevant information.
His Efforts for Freedom
For your speech on this occasion of Gandhi Jayanti you have to talk about why his fight for freedom is so important; within your ten-line speech remember to only write in English and if you have to use non-English terms make sure you explain those terms in English
All his efforts in South Africa were non-violent, he encouraged the people to help in the wars but only in non-violent ways; he never encouraged anyone to actively participate in a war. It was from an early age that it was clear that he did not believe in the power of violence, he believed every right could be fought for through non-violent means.
When he returned to India, it was this ideology that he spread among the people for their struggle for independence. He became a part of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1915 and became a leader of the INC in 1920. His weapons of choice were mass movements like Satyagraha or Civil Disobedience movement that made it very difficult for the British to keep a stronghold on India.
To write a speech on Gandhi Jayanti 2021 we must learn the various movements he started to fight for our freedom.
His Mass Movements
1. Champaran Agitations
The farmers of Bihar were forced to grow the indigo dye and sell it to their landlords who were Britishers at a fixed price which was incredibly low. When the farmers approached Gandhi with their problem, he started negotiations with the landlords and made sure that the farmers received their proper compensation.
2. Kheda Agitations
For the Kheda agitations, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was an integral member. Floods and famine ravaged Kheda which made it impossible for the people to pay taxes or revenue and they asked for relief from the same, but this request was denied by the British. When Gandhi learnt of their struggle, he went to Kheda and got people to join him in a Civil Disobedience movement where they refused to pay the revenue even under the threat of the farmers losing their lands and such. Initially, the British refused to budge from their position but eventually, they had to give in and relax the taxes.
3. Non-cooperation Movement
The Non-cooperation movement or the Civil disobedience movement was exactly that, people refused to follow the laws laid out by the British. They refused to pay taxes and revenue even when their livelihood and lives were threatened. He even encouraged people to boycott the use of British goods, this came to be known as the boycott movement. This promoted the use of khadi and other Indian products in people’s daily lives. Gandhi was imprisoned for this movement, the British thought that this would help quell the movement but it had the opposite effect.
4. Salt Satyagraha Movement
The Salt Satyagraha movement or the Dandi March is perhaps one of his most well-known movements. Salt was very highly taxed under the British, one of the most necessities had become almost impossible to buy. Initially, Gandhi tried to negotiate with the British to reduce the taxes but they refused.
When all his efforts at negotiation failed, he organised a march from Ahmedabad to Dandi to make salt himself and break the salt laws of the time. When the people approached the stockade for a non-violent protest, they were met by British policemen who struck them with their steel lathis but they offered no resistance.
Around 300 people were injured or died due to this demonstration but it was a successful blow to the British empire. Many others were imprisoned including Gandhi and various prominent INC leaders. Gandhi was apprehensive of letting women join his movements, lest he is accused of using women as a shield. But women insisted and after his imprisonment for his involvement in the Dandi March, women continued their civil disobedience movement and raided shops that still supported the salt laws. This brought about a lot of verbal and physical abuse against women who protested but it did not discourage them from continuing their fight.
5. Quit India Movement
In 1942, during a public speech, Gandhi demanded that the British “Quit India”. This by far was the boldest and blatant move by Gandhi and the INC. Naturally, the British retaliated by arresting Gandhi and other Congress party workers. But this led to a violent uprising by the people where they burned down government buildings and cut off the telegraph wires. Gandhi discouraged people from resorting to violence even at such a time, he said that if violence was initiated by the other then they should endure rather than retaliate. He was released early from jail owing to his failing health.
While it is interesting to learn so much about Mahatma Gandhi’s life while delivering a speech on Gandhi Jayanti you don’t have to give so many details, only use the information that you find important.
Partition and Independence
Naturally, when you are talking about Gandhi, talking about when India finally got its independence is important. It is important to remind everyone on second October, Gandhi Jayanti 2021, just how vital Gandhi was for India’s independence.
After his release, Gandhi realised that the political scene had changed while he was in prison. The INC’s ideals of a unified and multi-faceted nation were being questioned by the Muslim League led by Muhamad Ali Jinnah. Jinnah rejected the idea of an India that is religiously free and insisted on partitioning the subcontinent based on religious lines; Gandhi opposed this.
After endless negotiations, the British reluctantly decided to grant India its freedom but they didn’t leave without causing another rift among the people by accepting Jinnah’s appeal for a separate Muslim country, now Pakistan. On the fifteenth of August in 1947, India finally gained its freedom.
But this freedom of the Indian subcontinent is extremely controversial, as it involves the death of about half a million people due to religious riots. There was an inexplicable amount of violence inflicted on people from all communities. Gandhi opposed this but had to endure the bloodshed because there was nothing he could do.
His Death
No speech on Gandhi Jayanti is complete without talking about how he died. Do share this information towards the end of your speech.
In 1948, on the 30th of January, a Hindu Nationalist called Nathuram Godse shot Gandhi thrice in the chest. There are varied accounts of the day, some accounts say he died instantly and the others say he died half an hour later. Nonetheless, he was assassinated. Godse did not flee nor did he show any remorse. According to him and his co-conspirators, the complacency of Gandhi towards Muslims was the reason for the violence during the partition of India. They were tried and found guilty. Godse was executed in 1949, as per his sentence.
His Legacy
End the speech by talking about his legacy that has led to the celebration of his life on second October year after year.
This is Gandhi’s legacy and the reason why he is referred to as the father of the nation. No person is without controversy but he led India to its independence along with the other leaders at the time. And this is why the second of October, his birthdate, is a national holiday in India. There are prayer services and tributes paid to him all over the country, from his birthplace to the capital. He was a symbol of non-violence for India in particular but he is revered all over the world today for his belief in peace and non-violence.
How to Write a Speech in English?
When you start a speech, always wish the audience good morning or afternoon, whichever is appropriate, and address them by saying “to all present here”. After you are done addressing the people in attendance, move on to explaining your topic, in this case, tell them that you are there to talk about why we celebrate Gandhi Jayanti. Remember to stick to English while writing the speech.
Use all the information you have learnt while writing your speech on Gandhi Jayanti 2021, and make sure you thank your audience for listening to you.
Conclusion
When you write a speech you must remember that an audience will be listening to you. Talk about the occasion for which you have gathered, in this case, it would be Gandhi Jayanti 2021. Remember to make it captivating, one trick to do that is to add the information that you find most fascinating.
This will help you in keeping the audience listening and wanting to know more. You may also add an occasional question for the audience to think over. Also, always remember to use English words and if you have to use a particular term in any other language then explain the term in English. Engaging with the audience is a vital part of writing a speech, it will also make you relatable to them. And you must always thank the audience for giving you their time and listening to you.
