An Eye for an Eye
Makes the Whole World Blind:

Teaching Modern Indian History through the film Gandhi.

by Teresa Brain
La Grande High school
La Grande, Oregon

RATIONALE:

To introduce students to modern Indian history.

To introduce students to the concept of non - violent civil disobedience.

To help students form connections between their own history and culture and the history and culture of India.

SOURCES:

Film: Richard Attenborough's Gandhi.
Questions to Guide Viewers of Gandhi

STRATEGIES:

Distribute the questions. Review the first five or so with students and tell them to look for answers to these questions as they view the film. As the film proceeds, stop it at appropriate intervals and discuss the questions with students. The questions are a combination of comprehension critical analysis and reflective thinking. I discourage students from writing during the film. Rather, I provide time in class to write out the answers after our discussions. This focuses their attention on the film, whose cumulative impact is quite profound.

Questions to Guide Viewers of Gandhi

2. What country did India win independence from?

3. What is nonviolent civil disobedience?

4. What is a common misconception about civil disobedience?

5. What was the first thing that Gandhi used civil disobedience to protest ? In what country?

6. What is meant by western materialism?

7. Why did Gandhi's wife so object to cleaning the latrine? Explain this in terms of Indian social structure.

8. List the three provisions of the South African government pass regarding Indians?

9. When the South African government offered to repeal the act, what did it threaten to do instead?

10. On Gandhi's return to India, he said he supported the war effort. Which war?

11. After the war, what do Indians think should be theirs as a reward for supporting Great Britain's war effort?

12. What was the gist of Gandhi's speech before the Indian Congress after his tour of India?

13. Explain the problem/incident involving indigo.

14. Why does Gandhi tell Charlie to leave India when they meet in prison?

15. What were the results of the Amritsar massacre?

16. Why did the general order his men to open fire?

17. What is a boycott?

18. Explain the following quotation: English factories make the cloth that makes our poverty---Gandhi

19. Explain why wearing homespun garments became a symbol of Indian patriotism.

20. Discuss the following commonly held view: Without the British administration, India would be chaos.

21. Explain the following quotation: An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind---Gandhi

22. What incident caused Gandhi to fast? What is the results of his fast?

23. On what charge was Gandhi arrested and convicted? Explain why the people in the court rose at his entrance.

24. Explain the following quotation: Non cooperation with evil is a duty---Gandhi.

25. On his march to the sea, Gandhi says that he, not the British, are in control. Explain.

26. Explain the symbolic and political import of making salt.

27. Explain the events that occurred after India gained independence up to when Gandhi was assassinated.

28. Why was Gandhi assassinated? By whom?

Essay /Discussion Questions:

29. What movement in the United States parallels Gandhi's use of nonviolent civil disobedience and his eventual assassination?
30. Discuss the concept of nonviolent civil disobedience. What is it. Describe specific incidents in which Gandhi used it. Explain the power of it. In what ways is it more powerful than guns? What are some of its draw backs, that is, in what circumstances won't it work? Explain.

EVALUATION:

Option One: Have students select which questions from study guide should be on final test.
Option Two: Assign an essay to be written from one of the essay question prompts. The first requires some research into United States history; the second entails critical thinking and value clarification and is best done after interactive class discussions.

I've successfully taught these concepts in conjunction with the film to (9th grade) students who have relatively little background. Younger students may need more instruction before viewing the film.

NOTES:
- The film is about three hours long. I spread it out over an entire week, thus leaving plenty of time for discussion.
- The depiction of the Amritsar massacre is graphic and difficult to watch. I get prior parental approval. Also, I stop the film shortly after this incident for debriefing and discussion.
- Depending on students' previous learning experiences, the following may need to be discussed before viewing:
  - passive resistance
  - non - violent civil disobedience
  - Martin Luther King
  - Indian colonial history
  - traditional Indian caste system
  - boycotts
    "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. The chain reaction of evil- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." - Martin Luther King Jr.

copied from Lessons at http://home.att.net/tisone/

Links to other sites were added.

Timeline of Gandhi's life

http://www.indianchild.com/mahatma_gandhi1.htm

An Eye for an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind:

Teaching Modern Indian History through the film Gandhi.

by Teresa Brain La Grande High school La Grande, Oregon