Gandhi Was Awarded The "kaisar-I-Hind"british-India's Civilian Award

[JANASENA]

 

Hard to believe, but true. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi gave his wholehearted support to the British Raj during the First World War. He even led a massive recruitment drive encouraging towns and villages to send more men to war.

Around 622,000 soldiers, and 470,000 non-combatants, were sent overseas from India, and around one and a half million were recruited during the war years. But not everyone signed up willingly. There were instances where local leaders ‘stopped the water of those who were not readily coming forward to join the army and rewarded people who were joining.’ Brutal methods such as ‘stripping people naked and making them stand before their women folk,’ were also used. People were kept in thorny bushes for hours and hours, and unless they said - yes, I’m ready for enlistment, they were not let out.

Those whole agreed voluntarily, were those actually believed they were fighting UK in the World War, which was 1 in 4 Indians !

He was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind in 1915 by The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst for his support and service to the British Raj.