Congress Prez To 'Half-Naked Fakir': How South India Visit Brought Paradigm Shift In Gandhi’s Life

Two important life turning events for Mahatma Gandhi took place after his visit to southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in 1924 and 1921 respectively

Chennai: On the birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, several leaders and Gandhians are paying tribute to the leader of the nation. They are hailing the important events in the life of the great leader.

However, two important life turning events for Mahatma Gandhi took place in the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. 

Gandhi's Karnataka visit: The Congress President

Mahatma Gandhi first visited Karnataka in May 1915 few months after returning from South Africa where he unveiled the portrait of his political guru, Gopalkrishna Gokhale. He later visited Karnataka to promote the non-cooperation movement in various districts. However, it was his visit in 1924 for the Congress session held in Karnataka that channelised a direction in his life. 

In 1924, Gandhi made a visit to Belgaum (now Belagavi) to attend the Congress session but during the session for the first time he was elected as Congress president, the post that he also held only once until his death. However, the session led to an increase in nationalism and patriotism among the masses in the then Bombay and Karnataka region and changed the life of freedom fighter Gandhi.

Similarly in 1934 and 1936 he toured to Karnataka to work with the depressed classes or "Harijans". He insisted people not to practice untouchability and stayed with them.

Gandhi's tour to Tamil Nadu: Changing to Khadi

When returning from Africa Mahatma Gandhi was an ordinary man wearing a suit but it was in Madurai of Tamil Nadu that changed him into a “half-naked Fakir”, as Gandhi was first called by the then UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

In September 1921, Gandhi was travelling in a train to Madurai and a peasant from the third-class train compartment said, "We are too poor to buy Khadi". This statement kept lingering in Gandhi’s mind and in his biography it was mentioned: "The particular incident made him realise that millions of compulsorily naked men gave through their limbs which was the naked truth."

Near Madurai station, Mahatma Gandhi stayed with a north Indian merchant Ramji Kalyanji on West Masi Street where he first in his life time walked in a loincloth attire.