How many days mahatma gandhi fasted

Conducted thus, it will lose its character as satyagraha. Instead, starvation should be inflicted upon the self in order to educate a loved one away from error or wrong-doing by way of suffering. Gandhi hastens to add that while the state may or may not be the tyrant, it is never the lover. The state is therefore excluded as the real object or target of a fast. Instead, a fast is carried out to educate public opinion, to show the masses the need and the way to transform their attitudes and comportment towards themselves and others.

The fast is part of a repertoire of nonviolent action that also involves civil disobedience, non-co-operation, and different kinds of boycott These actions orchestrate a form of mass refusal, or the collective withdrawal of consent, that should erode the foundations of an unjust government, which, according to Gandhi, can never stand by force alone.

Such mass withdrawal, alongside the refusal to obey unjust laws, should thus constitute an active break from colonial rule without stepping outside of nonviolence.

Within a discourse that so emphatically denounces violence, inscribing satyagraha as a weapon retains a strong touch of irony. These tactics were varied and included the hunger strike as a way to demand political status in prison.

Gandhi was critical of the combination of nonviolent and violent tactics, which he saw the Sinn Feiners to be practicing and found to be a frustrating aspect of the Indian struggle, which he tried to prevent from happening , as a sign of the immaturity of the masses and the proof of their weakness, their lack of preparedness for self-rule. Perhaps, since he fasted out of love, he wanted India to reciprocate: the elimination of violence was the ultimate test of whether he had gained this love.

He was imprisoned at Yerwada Jail in Poona now Pune. In January , Gandhiji had high fever followed by acute pain in the stomach. A British doctor, Col Maddock, attended to him and, after urine and blood investigation, suspected appendicitis. He was released from the jail and admitted to the Sassoon General Hospital, Poona. Gandhiji wanted to consult Dr. Dalal, who had operated on him for piles in , but he could not be contacted.

The doctor said, if he was not operated on, he could developed peritonitis, he agreed for the operation. He was operated on by a medical team led by Dr. Col Maddock on January 12, for acute appendicitis. Phatak from Poona was also present during the surgery. Surgery began on the night of January There was a thunderstorm while the surgery was in progress and the electric bulb went off.

The surgery had to be finished with a hurricane lamp. After the surgery, Gandhi thanked Col Maddock and later became friends with him. Gandhiji tried placing mud poultice on his abdomen to keep his BP down. He also depended on Sarpgandha, an ayurvedic medicine.

In summer, he applied a mud bandage on the head as an additional measure. At this juncture somebody suggested the use of garlic as a remedy against high blood pressure.

It was then that I sent to Harijan some of his views on the medicinal virtues of garlic, as he had long since known that in the south of Italy garlic was much used by the poor as a remedy against tuberculosis and one Dr.

Minchin in Ireland highly praised the local application of garlic poultice to tuberculous glands and sinuses as an effective remedy. The late Shri Mahadevbhai got intensely interested in the use of garlic, and wrote me a letter asking for my experiences with it. I had been using a concentrated extract of garlic in cases of lung tuberculosis with very gratifying results, but I could not convince my medical brothers about this.

Gandhiji always had an open mind; and though inconveniently inquisitive at the beginning, he was the most enthusiastic follower of a principle once he was convinced about its soundness. This is the key of a great mind. Based on the health reports of Gandhiji dated October 27—28, , his arterial elasticity was diminished due to arterial constriction, but the condition of his myocardium was stated to be fairly good.

His ECG showed improvement in his myocardial condition compared with one that was taken 3 years prior to that. However, there was slight enlargement of the heart. The prognosis suggested that sudden fluctuations in blood pressure were not good as this burdened the myocardium. Adequate mental and emotional ease with eight hours of sleep every day was recommended. Gandhi has had a mild stroke of apoplexy. He must not be allowed his usual correspondence for a week.

His speaking and travelling programmes should be indefinitely postponed. Absolute rest and freedom from his regular activities should be enjoined for an indefinite period. Gandhi is advised to cancel his travelling and speaking programmes during the hot weather.

Mahatma Gandhi is now threatened with an impending danger of apoplexy due to high blood pressure condition as a result of continuous overwork. He must have absolute rest in a cool climate for some time to come. He is also advised to cancel all his present programmes till his condition decidedly improves. My blood pressure continues to remain high. Hence, I took three drops of sarpagandha yesterday morning and evening. There is no cause for worry. My food intake is good.

Sardar is quite well. Vasumati's breasts are very tender. The slightest pressure causes her pain. Let me know if you understand why this is so. There is no letter from you even today. I take it that this is because you are very busy. From the Gujarati original : Pyarelal Papers. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Courtesy : Dr. LXXV, pp. Gandhiji's ECG, taken on April 30, , indicated slight myocardosis and an indication of cardio-vascular degeneration.

There was no evidence of coronary insufficiency. What was highlighted was that the elasticity of the brachial artery had considerably reduced. The dynamic function of the heart had also reduced, indicating slight dynamic insufficiency.

His ECG reports from February 19, indicated a reduction of elasticity of the artery as well as of the dynamic function of the heart. The comparative reports of April 30, and February 19, showed that his ECG was normal in all respects except slight myocarditis, which was negligible given Gandhiji's age. His cardio-vascular degeneration was arrested.

Gandhiji's biochemical investigation done on January 19, , December 9, and April 5, indicated his blood sugar level was at 41, His cholesterol readings were within normal range. His urine report from March 5, showed the presence of acetone in large amounts, as well as of motile bacilli, while the urine report of April 19, indicated phosphate deposits and amorphous crystals in abundance.

Traces of acetone were also detected. His haemoglobin was Gandhiji's eye test from February 26, indicated fundus oculi. Except for changes in the lenses, his eyes were otherwise healthy. Gandhiji was known for going on long fasts to protest against several societal and political issues.

During such times, his health often deteriorated. While on a fast in Rajkot, Gujarat on March 4, , his health bulletin which was released said he had last fasted six years ago. Considering his age and recent history of weakness, greater care was suggested. It was recommended that he should be spared from any exertion. He had also lost two pounds. The health bulletin of the 8 th of March announced that he had broken his fast in the afternoon of the 7 th of March and was having fruit juices, honey and gud jaggery.

His blood report was, however, normal. Since there were no complications, his cold was taking its normal course. He remained confined to bed and people were requested not to trouble him. On August 15, , India got freedom.

While there were celebrations all around, there was violence in Calcutta now Kolkata due to partition, and Gandhiji was determined to end the violence there. He reached Calcutta on August 9, and stayed at Hyderi Manzil.

There he held prayer meetings and tried to convince the agitating people. Gandhiji began his last fast on January 13, He announced his intention to fast till death. He was then seventy-eight and this was his eighteenth fast. Gandhiji's health declined very quickly this time. On January 18, when political and religious leaders came to assure Gandhiji that attacks would end and there would be communal harmony, Gandhiji broke his fast on the sixth day.

Such was the impact and influence of this great man that, in places like Punjab and others where thousands of policemen were not able to control riots, in Calcutta that was severely affected by riots, he alone could bring peace without raising a single weapon.

Gandhiji was assassinated on January 30, National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Indian J Med Res. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Received Oct This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.

Operated on by Col. Open in a separate window. Sr No. Mehta attended to Gandhiji and his colleagues. Gandhiji had great esteem for him but did not always follow his advice. Later he became the first Chief Minister of Gujarat. Ansari asking for a medical visit. Ansari had been treating his grandson for malaria in Delhi. Gandhiji said, he was not merely a physician for him, he was like a father. Gandhiji and he collaborated on many projects.

Gandhiji described him as one of the foremost physicians in India and added that any country would be proud of him. Josiah Oldfield Vegetarianism In —91, Gandhiji shared a flat with him in London and they were fellow vegetarians. All these ideas influenced Gandhiji. As the flames burned, the grieving crowd showered the pyre with petals. The ashes were kept on the river bank for three days before they were taken away for immersion at the spot where the Jumna joins the Ganges.

Despite the efforts of Nehru and other leaders, violence erupted in Bombay and elsewhere in India, with riots and arson. There were attacks on Brahmins, because the killer was a Brahmin.

Police in Bombay had to open fire on the rioters. It was an outcome which would have profoundly horrified Gandhi himself. The Burke-Wadsworth Act is passed by Congress on September 16, , by wide margins in both houses, and the first peacetime draft in the history of the United States is imposed.

Selective Service was born. The registration of men between the ages of 21 and 36 began exactly one Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Colonial America.