| Great Leaders |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
RAJAJI |
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National Leaders Even from his student days, Rajaji was interested in politics. During those days he had the good fortune of being guided by great men like Chidambaram Pillai and Subrahmanya Bharati. He came under the influence of leaders who were trying to awaken the Indian people from slavery. Annie Besant, Bala Gangadhara Tilak and others began to appreciate Rajaji. That Rajaji entered the political arena was not surprising. In 1916, the Government of India arrested Annie Besant. When the train carrying her came to Salem, people gathered in a large numbers to see her. But the authorities would not permit it. Then the people squatted on the rail track. The Collector of Salem called in the police and was about to order them to open fire. Rajaji talked to him, argued, and guaran- teed that the people would be orderly and nonviolent. Then the gathering offered garlands to Annie Besant and showed its gratitude. Rajaji later argued on behalf of Annie Besant in the law court, and she was released. In South Africa, the Government and the Whites were treating non-White population like dirt under their feet. Gandhiji put up a tremendous struggle against that. It was on account of the Satyagraha conducted there that Gandhi’s extraordinary quality of leadership came to the limelight. When Gandhiji returned to India, Rajaji also accepted his leadership. Rajaji suggested to the then Editor of The Hindu, Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, that Gandhiji be invited to Madras. An invitation was accordingly sent to Gandhiji. When Gandhiji came, he stayed in Rajaji's house. For sometime Gandhiji could not make out that it was Rajaji who had invited him and that he was in Rajaji's house. The way Rajaji conducted himself, Gandhiji thought that he too was a guest! |
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