Question

On which occasion was the first public announcement made regarding Gandhiji's own desire to make Indian nationalism more properly representative of the Indian people as a whole?

• A. During a public rally in South-Africa
• B. During speech at the opening of Banaras Hindu University
• C. During a public meeting of Non-Cooperation Movement
• D. During speech at the Salt-March at Dandi

Hint:

Remember Gandhi's 1916 Banaras Hindu University speech as an important early expression of his criticism of elite nationalism.
The speech highlighted the need to connect nationalism with the lives of ordinary Indians.
Use chronology to eliminate the Non-Cooperation Movement and Salt March, which occurred much later.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:
Mahatma Gandhi's political approach emphasised the transformation of Indian nationalism into a broader mass movement that represented ordinary Indians rather than remaining restricted to educated elites.
His speech at the opening of Banaras Hindu University in 1916 is an important early indication of this approach.

Step 1: Understanding the Historical Context:
Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915.
Soon after his return, he began developing a distinctive political style based on mass participation, moral criticism of colonial rule, and attention to the problems of ordinary Indians.
The 1916 Banaras Hindu University opening provided an important public platform for expressing these ideas.

Step 2: Examining the Banaras Hindu University Speech:
At the opening ceremony of Banaras Hindu University, Gandhi criticised the social and political distance separating elite Indians from the masses.
He drew attention to poverty and argued that the nationalist movement needed to become more closely connected with ordinary people.
This was an important public articulation of his desire for a more representative nationalism.

Step 3: Eliminating the Other Options:
The South African rally occurred before Gandhi's return to India and therefore cannot represent his first public announcement in the Indian nationalist context described here.
The Non-Cooperation Movement began later, after the First World War, and therefore cannot be the first occasion.
The Salt March took place in 1930, much later than Gandhi's initial articulation of this political vision.
Final Answer:
Therefore, the correct answer is (B) During speech at the opening of Banaras Hindu University.