Which of the following statements with regard to the speech of Mahatma

Which of the following statements with regard to the speech of Mahatma Gandhi at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University are correct?

  • 1. He charged the Indian elite with a lack of concern for the labouring poor.
  • 2. He asserted that our salvation can come only through the farmers.
  • 3. He highlighted the plight of the untouchables.
  • 4. He promised to take up the cause of the mill owners of Ahmedabad.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1, 2, 3 and 4
1 and 2 only
1, 2 and 3 only
3 and 4 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
Statements 1, 2, and 3 accurately reflect key themes of Mahatma Gandhi’s speech at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University in February 1916. Statement 1 is correct; Gandhi strongly criticized the Indian elite for their disconnect from the common people and their lack of concern for the labouring poor. Statement 2 is correct; he emphasized that India’s true strength and salvation lay with the masses, particularly the peasants and workers, advocating for the need to work for their upliftment and identify with them. Statement 3 is correct; while his major campaigns for the untouchables came later, his speech encompassed a call to address social evils and the plight of the downtrodden as part of the self-purification necessary for achieving Swaraj, implicitly including the issue of untouchability within the broader context of serving the poorest and most marginalized. Statement 4 is incorrect; Gandhi did not promise to take up the cause of Ahmedabad mill owners in this speech; his involvement with the Ahmedabad mill strike occurred in 1918.
– Gandhi criticized the elite’s disconnect from the poor masses.
– He stressed the importance of peasants and workers for India’s future.
– He highlighted the need to address the plight of the poor and marginalized sections of society.
This speech is considered one of Gandhi’s first major public addresses in India after his return from South Africa. It set the tone for his future political agenda, emphasizing the importance of working with and for the masses (peasants and workers) and focusing on social reform alongside political goals.
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