Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela represent two examples of how radical political and social changes can be brought to life without the use of violence. The tactics used by these two leaders have ultimately brought independence to India and democracy to South Africa. The three types of non-violent resistance that succeeded for both Gandhi and Mandela were boycotts and strikes, peaceful marches, and accepting jail time.
The first types of activities brought to action by Gandhi and Mandela were the introduction of strikes and boycotts. Hartal, a day on which India traditionally stopped all business activities to refer to one’s spiritual purification through fasting and prayer, was encouraged by Gandhi to become a day of the national boycott. He called this day a “sacred fight that should be commenced with an act of self-purification” (Gandhi, 1948). Nelson Mandela also encouraged strikes across the nation to boycott business activity. He stated, “We cannot tell our supporters to relax the sanctions until the apartheid is completely dismantled” (Mandela, 1994). Boycotting businesses was seen by these two leaders as a direct way of influencing the government and drawing attention to mass resistance. By refusing food, Gandhi put the protest against the British policy in the spotlight and promoted the mass spread of the resistance movement throughout the nation. Strikes in South Africa also drew attention to the protest against apartheid by gaining media coverage. Thus, the method of strikes is significant as the first step in getting the momentum of a resistance movement.
Another successful type of non-violent resistance was the peaceful marches. The famous Salt March led by Gandhi in April 1930 was an act of non-violent civil disobedience against the amendment of the salt tax. In the letter to Lord Irwin, he states that through marching with the coworkers, he wanted to show the wrong that the British government was doing to India with the Salt Laws (Gandhi, 1930). Not applying violence, even when attacked by the police, is an integral part of the idea of a peaceful march. When talking about the Defiance campaign, Mandela says that nonviolence is “morally superior to any other method” (Mandela, 1994). Refusing to use violence, even with self-protective motives, is a harsh but effective way of changing the oppressive governments’ perspective of the protesters. When documenting the events of the Salt March, a journalist Webb Miller writes, “The western mind finds it difficult to grasp the idea of nonresistance” (Miller, 1930). The willingness of the protesters to tolerate brutal violence breaks the normal understanding of resistance and shows devotion to peace, and that is why it is ideologically significant.
The third type of non-violent resistance is acceptance of imprisonment. In 1908, Gandhi asked the Magistrate to impose the heaviest penalty upon him and accepted imprisonment without hesitation (Gandhi, 1930). In 1964, when being sentenced to 27 years in prison, Mandela states that the appeal of the penalty would undermine the moral stance that he had taken and that there was “no sacrifice too great in the struggle for freedom” (Mandela, 1994). Such colossal courage in the face of imprisonment demonstrated by the leaders shows total commitment to the ideals of the struggle. Gandhi and Mandela remained the symbolic leaders without the opportunity to practically lead the movement. This courage acted as a symbol and inspiration for the people to keep struggling against the oppressive regimes.
Thus, the three types of non-violent resistance, such as boycotts, peaceful marches and acceptance of imprisonment, showed their effectiveness in achieving success in the fight for freedom. Such success could only be accomplished by integrating the parts of practical undermining of the economy, drawing the public’s attention to the protests, and ideological strength, altogether. Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela with their example, showed the world how the war for freedom could be won without violence and showed true humanism and gave hope to hundreds of freedom fighters up to this day.
References
Gandhi, M. (1948). A Himalayan miscalculation. Public Affairs Press.
Gandhi, M. (1930). His life and message to the world. Navajivan Trust.
Mandela, N. (1994). Long walk to freedom. Brown and Company Inc.
Miller, W. (1936). I found no peace: The journal of a foreign correspondent. Simon & Schuster.