Q.(a) Describe the role of Gandhiji as a social reformer.

When Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915, he was already a renowned figure, having successfully employed Satyagraha against racial discrimination. However, the political and social landscape of India was vastly different from South Africa. To effectively lead a movement in India, it was crucial for him to first understand the country's diverse people, their problems, and the prevailing political climate under British rule. This is where the insightful advice of his political mentor came into play.

1. Gandhi's Return and Search for Guidance:

   Mahatma Gandhi arrived in India on January 9, 1915, after spending over two decades in South Africa. While he had developed his unique philosophy of non-violent resistance there, he was relatively unfamiliar with the ground realities of British India. He sought guidance from a seasoned Indian leader to navigate the complex political environment.

2. Gopal Krishna Gokhale: The Political Guru:

   Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a prominent moderate leader of the Indian National Congress, was widely respected for his intellect, integrity, and deep understanding of Indian affairs. Gandhi had met Gokhale in South Africa in 1912 and considered him his political guru or mentor. Gokhale, in turn, recognized Gandhi's potential and commitment.

3. The Crucial Advice:

   Upon Gandhi's return, Gokhale gave him a piece of advice that proved pivotal for Gandhi's future leadership. He urged Gandhi to spend a full year travelling across British India, observing the country, its people, their grievances, and the political situation, without making any public statements or taking any political positions. Gokhale believed this period of silent observation was essential for Gandhi to truly grasp the complexities and diversity of India. …

The title 'Frontier Gandhi' was given to a leader who, much like Mahatma Gandhi, championed the cause of independence through non-violent means, but specifically in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of British India. This region, inhabited predominantly by Pashtuns (also known as Pathans), had a history of tribal warfare and resistance, making the adoption of non-violence particularly remarkable and impactful. The individual who successfully introduced and sustained this philosophy in such a context earned the moniker due to the striking parallels between his methods and those of Mahatma Gandhi.

Here is a step-by-step explanation:

1. Identifying the Key Figure: The person referred to as 'Frontier Gandhi' is Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. He was a prominent Pashtun political and spiritual leader, deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence.

2. The Khudai Khidmatgar Movement: In 1929, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan founded the Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) movement. This organization was dedicated to social reform and, crucially, to achieving Indian independence through non-violent civil disobedience. Its members were often called "Red Shirts" due to the colour of their uniforms.

3. Commitment to Non-Violence: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan's most significant contribution was his ability to mobilize the fiercely independent Pashtun people towards a path of non-violent resistance against British colonial rule. This was a revolutionary approach in a region where armed struggle was more common. His steadfast adherence to non-violence, even in the face of severe repression, earned him immense respect and the affectionate title 'Frontier Gandhi'. …

The design of India's national flag evolved through several iterations before reaching its final form. Understanding who proposed what helps clarify the roles different leaders played in shaping this powerful symbol of independent India.

The flag we know today—saffron, white and green horizontal stripes with the Ashoka Chakra in the centre—was not the first design considered. The Constituent Assembly debated the flag's design carefully, and the proposal for the horizontal tricolour arrangement came from a specific member.

Jawaharlal Nehru, as the first Prime Minister and a leading figure in the Constituent Assembly, moved the resolution on July 22, 1947 that proposed the national flag. His resolution described a horizontal tricolour with three equal bands: saffron at the top, white in the middle, and green at the bottom, with the Ashoka Chakra (a 24-spoke wheel in navy blue) in the centre of the white band.

This design was based on the earlier Congress flag but with a crucial modification: the spinning wheel (charkha) of the Congress flag was replaced by the Ashoka Chakra to make it a truly national symbol representing all Indians, not just one political party. …

Mahatma Gandhi held a distinctive and deeply practical vision for India's national language, rooted in his broader philosophy of national unity and mass participation. He understood that for a language to truly serve as a national medium, it had to be accessible to the common people and capable of bridging the diverse linguistic and cultural divides within the country. His ideas were not merely academic but emerged from his extensive travels and interactions with ordinary Indians across different regions.

Gandhi was a staunch advocate for Hindustani as the national language. His concept of Hindustani was very specific: it was to be a language that had evolved naturally, spoken by a large section of the population, and understood by many more. This meant it should be a harmonious blend of Hindi and Urdu, avoiding the extremes of highly Sanskritised Hindi or overly Persianised Urdu. He believed that both these purist forms alienated significant portions of the populace. Instead, he championed a simpler, more colloquial form that was a lingua franca in many parts of India, particularly in the North. This directly supports idea I.

Regarding the exclusion of words from other languages, Gandhi's vision was quite the opposite of what idea II suggests. Hindustani, by its very nature, was a composite language, having absorbed words and phrases from various regional languages and dialects over centuries. Gandhi believed in an organic, adaptable language that could grow and evolve by incorporating elements from different linguistic traditions, rather than rigidly excluding them. His goal was maximum intelligibility and inclusivity, which would be undermined by a restrictive approach to vocabulary. Therefore, idea II was not advocated by Mahatma Gandhi. …

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was a political agreement signed on 5 March 1931 between Mahatma Gandhi (representing the Indian National Congress) and Lord Irwin (the then Viceroy of India). It marked a temporary truce in the Civil Disobedience Movement that had shaken British authority since 1930. Understanding any provision requires seeing the context: Gandhi had led the Salt March, thousands were imprisoned, and both sides needed a face-saving exit to negotiate India's constitutional future at the Second Round Table Conference in London.

The pact was essentially a compromise. Gandhi agreed to suspend civil disobedience, and in return, the British government made several concessions. Here is one major provision:

Withdrawal of all ordinances and end of prosecutions: The Government of India agreed to withdraw all ordinances issued to curb the Civil Disobedience Movement and to discontinue all prosecutions pending under those ordinances. This meant that the repressive emergency laws used to arrest and detain Congress workers would be rolled back, restoring a degree of civil liberty.

Alternatively, another equally important provision was: …