The power of nonviolent resistance:
“As an entrepreneur, I see an incredible lesson in Gandhi’s strategy of nonviolent civil disobedience: major changes do not always have to be forced through violence. It was perseverance, moral steadfastness, and the ability to unite people from all walks of life behind a common vision—much like a young company standing up to major competition.”
A day of historic significance
On August 15, millions of Indians celebrate the day in 1947 when nearly 200 years of British colonial rule ended. This day marks the beginning of a new era, in which India was able to determine its own destiny for the first time in centuries.
The long road to freedom
Since the mid-18th century, India increasingly came under the control of the British East India Company. After the uprising of 1857, power passed directly to the British Crown. The colonial period brought administration and infrastructure on the one hand, but also exploitation and political oppression.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the independence movement grew. The Indian National Congress, founded in 1885, became the voice of the people. Leading figures such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subhas Chandra Bose shaped the different strategies: from nonviolent resistance to militant actions.
High points of resistance
Campaigns such as the Salt March of 1930 and the Quit India Movement of 1942 put enormous pressure on the British government. Gandhi proved that persistent, nonviolent protest could shake an entire empire.
Outlook for Part 2
In the next part, I will tell how World War II, growing religious tensions, and political decisions in London ultimately paved the way for independence on August 15, 1947.
