In order to voice their opinions on the oppressive rule of their colonizing powers both the leaders used politics to rise to power, as it was a great way to address the public. Gaining political support meant gaining the favour of the working class of the country. In both cases, the ‘public’ happened to be the overtaxed landless rural people. History saw both leaders identify this problem and rush to the ‘aid of the people of the country’. Gandhi had once said, “India dwells in her villages”, hence solidifying this statement. Targeting the peasant was common as they were the least benefited. Gandhi had started many social reforms regarding basic amenities, group work in domestic and municipal activities, in small communes called ashrams. These were established so as to stabilize and develop the lives in rural areas where health, education and other economic perspectives were extremely low. Mao had also a hand in politics and resistance, from an early age. He took part in many Peasant Campaigns and started a commune which “can be imaginatively regarded as the experiment in the field of Gandhi’s governing idea of a self reliant, multifaceted, multiproductive, self governing (in the main), and peaceful village community” (Sinha III-9). There were many common ideas that Gandhi and Mao incorporated in their movements. Both seemed to agree on the equality of human beings and encouraged this to be followed in their communes. Men and women were to be treated equally and hence, there was only class in China – the worker class. Gandhi even made all caste members to take turns in performing jobs considered menial (for lower castes) in his ashrams.
Under the oppressive colonial rule of the West, both leaders felt that it was important to change the way people perceived themselves. Mao once said, “You have to be reborn to be a communist” and this was done, “by touching their souls”. Steve Biko of the South African History’s Apartheid Struggle had remarked a similar quote by stating, “the realization by the Blacks that the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressor. Both Gandhi and Mao realized the importance of correcting the composure of every local of the country. In order to ‘change the way of thinking’, both Mao and Gandhi tried to impose a strong sense of nationalism in their character by interacting with the local peasants. As quoted by Nehru, the first Prime Minister of Independent India, “Gandhiji was the great peasant, with a peasant’s outlook on affairs and peasant’s blindness to some aspects of life…” Like Gandhi, “Mao manifested a strong sense of nationalism even in early youth and also a spirit of social reform” (Sinha III-1). Their postures, appearances, behavior, languages and ‘symbols/methods of political action that they innovated,’ displayed their fervor for complete independence from (Western) colonial powers. Their appearance had impacted and attracted great attention. It was remarkable to see “a determined, half-naked fakir striding proudly up the steps of Buckingham Palace” (Sinha I-2).
Though Gandhi and Mao embraced the common ideas of independence and freedom from imperialism, both to use the exact opposite methods in order to gain this right.
Gandhi from an early age had adopted the strategy of embracing the consequences when non-cooperating with the British subjects, as part of his resistance. Mao, on the other hand, scorned the idea of non-violence and stated, “War can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun.” The Civil Disobedience Movement, which was launched by Gandhi as part of his peaceful schemes, wouldn’t have probably served as a solution to the large-scale extermination campaigns launched by Jiang Jeishi (leader of opposition party KMT) on the communists, as “At that time India was a negative example of what Communist China had wanted to follow” (Sinha III-1). Gandhi had long decided, before the Indian National Congress, to embark on the journey towards India’s independence, making his two goals eminent, which were Swaraj (self-governance) and political independence. Gandhi also encouraged the ‘Swadeshi Movement’ (self reliance), which meant improving the economic conditions of the country. An example of this movement was the Home Spun, which involved locals to spin their own cloth at home. While Gandhi, encouraged Satyagraha (his peaceful non-cooperation), Mao had started a new violent method of guerilla warfare in order to gain independence. Unlike Gandhi, he considered all landlords/warlords, businessmen, Western Powers, and Imperialism as his enemies. Mao rose to power, with an army of peasants that was nothing compared to the military of the Nationalist government (funded by the US). Mao used violent methods to protest the corrupt and unruly ways of KMT as otherwise he would have been easily crushed like other extremists. Using ideas of Guerilla Warfare, he and his army of Communist supporters used ‘hit and run’ techniques which involved small scale terrorism and included raiding warehouses, enemy camps and bases for weapons and arms. Shortage of arms and technology forced them to frustrate the government in such ways. KMT soldiers often stripped peasants from their food, wealth and possession, which influenced peasants to accept the stances of ‘secret rebels’ and support the Communists. When Mao rose as head of China power, the situation became worse, especially on the onslaught of the Cultural Revolution. Mao transformed from this fair Communist leader to a dictator that ‘forced great bloodshed from the people of China’. An example was anyone when asked could not produce the Little Red Book, a book on Communism teachings by Mao, was immediately classified as a Capitalist and interrogated in the prison. Gandhi never expressed his hatred towards his enemies. He once quoted ‘Hate the sin, love the sinner’, when referring to the British. This was probably, to convince the local Indians not to hate the British, for what they were doing. Mao however, still did not choose ahimsa (non-violent) approach as he himself stated, “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun”. His only satisfaction from these minor campaigns was that it helped China to realize the ‘knowledge gained’. He once quoted, “If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience.”
These two great leaders worked out their methods of social reconstruction differently yet there was evidently some similarity. Mao, an ideal leader had supported his friends, the peasants, and provided equal rights, paving a path for a new revolution which would change their poor ways of living where as Gandhi another able leader who had defied the usual violent ways of gaining independence by Satyagraha. Their common objectives yet different methods rose to give birth to two new prosperous nations among the bloodshed.
As Edwin H. Friedman had once quoted, “Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and expands a vision of the future.”
Works Cited
Bhattacharjea, Mira Sinha. “Gandhi and Mao: National Identity for an Alternative Future.” Across the Himalayan Gap. 1998. By Tan Chung and Ravni Thakur, Dr. New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House, 1998. N. pag. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. 24 May 2007 <http://ignca.nic.in/ks_41017.htm>.
Pape, Steve. “Notes on Communist China.” Unpublished notes, 2007.
- - -. “Notes on India.” Unpublished notes, 2007.
Todd, Allan. “The Rise of Communist China.” Modern World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. 272-286.
