Read the following excerpt from Gandhi’s “Banaras Hindu University Speech”:
Over seventy-five percent of the population is agriculturists and . . . there cannot be much spirit of self-government about us, if we take away or allow others to take away from them almost the whole of the results of their labour. Our salvation can only come through the farmer. Neither the lawyers, nor the doctors, nor the rich landlords are going to secure it. . . .
Let us not forget that India of today in her impatience has produced an army of anarchists. I myself am an anarchist but of another type. But there is a class of anarchists amongst us, and if I was able to reach this class, I would say to them that their anarchism has no room in India, If India is to conquer the conqueror. . . .
If we are to receive self-government, we shall have to take it. We shall never be granted self-government. Look at the history of the British Empire and the British nation; freedom-loving as it is, it will not be a party to give freedom to a people who will not take it themselves. What argument is Gandhi making in this excerpt? How does he construct and support this argument?
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi is making a case for India to be more passionate about getting their independence and take back the country from the British.
He believes that farmers are important and instrumental as he said that the farmers were the "only salvation".
The main argument he is making in the excerpt is about the independence of India and how the people of India cannot just be lax about it. According to him, India would have no self-government if the people do not "take it".
He constructs his arguments by making reference to the political and socio-economic situation and showing that the people must take action before they get their freedom.
