Answers to Movie Questions:
Gandhi
Introduction: Assassination and
Funeral
1. Where and when does the assassination of
Gandhi occur?
•
•
New Delhi, India
January 30th, 1948
2. Who said about Gandhi that, “Generations
to come will scare believe that such a one
as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon
this earth”?
•
Albert Einstein
Welcome to South Africa
3.
When and where does the movie pick up the story of
Gandhi’s biography?
•
4.
South Africa in 1893
In what city did Gandhi study law?
•
5.
London
Why was Gandhi thrown off the train?
•
6.
No colored people in first class, Apartheid Laws
What Empire is South Africa part of?
•
7.
British
Are Indians allowed to walk on the sidewalks in South
Africa?
•
8.
No
Why were Hindu Indians brought to South Africa?
•
9.
Pick the crops from the field and dig in the mines
How did Gandhi say he would fight the pass law?
•
Civil Disobedience (politely refusing to follow laws that were
unjust)
First Protest
10. How many people did Gandhi expect to show up
to his first protest meeting and about how many
showed up?
•
1000s, not many
11. Why was Gandhi protesting the pass law?
•
•
Discrimination against Indians
White British citizens did not need the passes, but
brown and black British citizens did
12. Why was Gandhi beaten by the police at the
demonstration?
•
He refused to stop burning the passes
13. Why was the media interested in Gandhi’s
demonstration?
•
Classic story of David and Goliath
Out of Prison
14. What were the extent of Gandhi’s injuries from his first
beating?
•
Broken Jaw
15. Charley Andrews came from India to South Africa for what
purpose?
•
Helping Gandhi fight against the Apartheid Laws
16. What biblical reasoning did Gandhi give for not moving off
of the sidewalk and walking into a confrontation?
•
Turn the other cheek
17. Who saved him from being beaten up?
•
The hooligan’s mother
18. Were the pass laws changed to become more or less
strict?
•
More Strict
19. Who is Mr. Walker?
•
A reporter from the New York Times
Ashram
20. How does Gandhi respond when Mr. Walker
asks him if he is going to respect the new pass
law?
•
Gandhi cannot follow an unjust law
21. What was the purpose of the Ashram?
•
For everyone to live as equals
22. What does Gandhi and his wife argue about?
•
Her having to clean toilets
23. What aspect of Gandhi’s character is the
director trying to show in the scene between
Gandhi and his wife?
•
•
He is not perfect
He is very focused on his cause
The Meeting about the new Pass Law
24. What were some of the characteristics of
South Africa’s new Pass Law?
– Fingerprints
– Police could come into house to check passes
25. How does Gandhi ask the Indians to fight
against the South Africans at the meeting?
•
Civil Disobedience and no violence
26. What national anthem did they sing to end
the meeting?
•
British
The First Protest
27. What did Gandhi and the mineworkers do when the police
horses charged at them?
•
They lied down on the road
28. What did many of Mr. Andrews’s church members do
when he praised Gandhi for battling against an unjust law?
•
They walked out
29. Who was working in the mines and fields for the white
South African owners during the strike that Gandhi
organized?
•
No one
30. What did the overcrowding in the prison and lack of mine
workers force the South African government to do with
Gandhi?
•
Give in to his protests, let the Indians out of prison
31. What did General Smuts agree to do about the law
restricting the freedom of Indians?
•
Repeal the Law (end it)
Re-Discovering India
32. Why is Gandhi dressed so differently?
–
To dress like the regular peasant Indians
33. What does Gandhi say about his support of World War I?
–
He supports it
34. Why was Gandhi treated like a hero on his return to India?
–
He stood up to British discrimination in South Africa
35. Upon Gandhi’s return to India, what country was
governing India?
–
Britain
36. While Gandhi was at the gathering of wealthy Indian
leaders, did any of them seem to advocate violence in
order to gain Indian independence?
•
Yes
37. What was the purpose of Gandhi’s train trip across India?
•
Re-discover his country
38. What seemed to be the general economic situation of
India that Gandhi witnessed on this travels?
•
Poverty
Congress Party Convention
39. What do the three Indian politicians want to
demand at a party convention?
•
Home Rule
40. When Gandhi began his speech, not many
were paying attention. What did he say that
got everyone to quiet down and listen?
•
Equality, Liberty, Democracy
41. What was the message of Gandhi’s speech at
the party convention?
•
Non-violent civil disobedience with corrupt British
rules
Gandhi Goes to the Village
Champaran
42. What did the soldiers tell Gandhi to do
immediately after he got off the train?
•
Threaten arrest him
43. What were the British landlords refusing to
give the villagers until the Indians paid their
rent in cash?
•
Food and water
44. Why was Gandhi arrested?
•
Disturbing the Peace
45. What sport were the British playing?
•
Cricket
Gandhi in Prison
46. At this point in the movie, how many
different times has it been shown that
Gandhi is thrown in jail?
•
Third
47. Why is Gandhi barely dressed?
•
To show his solidarity (support) for the peasants
48. Why does Gandhi ask Charley Andrews to
go to Fiji?
•
The movement for equality has to be handled
by Indians
Gandhi in Court
49. On what grounds was Gandhi ordered out of the poor
villagers’ province?
•
Disturbing the peace
50. Why did the judge have to decide not to send Gandhi to jail
or fine him?
•
He feared a disturbance by the 1000s of supporters of Gandhi
51. What did the four young rich Indian men (who laughed at
Gandhi a few months earlier) wish to do?
•
Help him with the movement
52. What did the British Viceroy order the landlords of the
village to do?
–
–
–
Pay back rents
Let them grow whatever crops they want
An investigation of living conditions
Meeting with “Home Rule” Leaders
53. What were the new British restrictions being placed on
India that they were meeting to discuss how to
respond to?
–
–
Search without a warrant
Arrest any one with papers or books discussing the end of
British rule in India
54. What response to the restrictions did Gandhi offer?
–
–
–
A day of prayer and fasting (no eating)
No one works
The British controlled economy of India stops
55. Were the British leaders concerned about the protest?
•
Not in the beginning
56. What was their decision on how to deal with Gandhi
and the protest?
•
When the protests were successful, the government had
Gandhi arrested
Massacre of Amritsyn
57. Gandhi is in prison again. At this point in the
movie, how many times has he been jailed?
58. How many causalities (dead and seriously
wounded) were there in the lesson the General
intended to have an impact throughout all of
India?
•
1516 with 1650 bullets fired
59. Did the General realize he was slaughtering
women and children?
•
Yes
60. Did the British government support the General’s
actions?
•
No
Answers to Gandhi Questions
Part II (61 to 109)
Meeting to discuss the Massacre with British Officials
61. After the massacre, what does Gandhi tell the British
it is time for them to do?
•
Leave (“Walk out”)
62. What religious minority in India does the British
official claim his government is protecting?
•
Muslims
63. What method does Gandhi intend to use in order to
force the British out of India?
•
•
Civil Disobedience
Non-violent, non-cooperation
64. When the British officials were meeting in private,
what was their general response to Gandhi’s
message to them?
•
•
To laugh at it
Not taking it seriously
Burning the British Clothes
65. What is “homespun”?
•
Cloth made in the house (like before the
industrial revolution)
66. What was the purpose of Gandhi asking
the people to burn their British clothes
and make their own?
•
•
Stop giving the British their money
Boycott
67. Who is Mirabel?
•
Mirabel - The daughter of a British navy
admiral who becomes a follower of Gandhi
Hindu v. Muslim Conflict
68. What religion were the soldiers beating the marchers?
•
Muslims (Islam)
69. What religion were the marchers?
•
Hindus
70. What does Gandhi say is the result of the kind of justice
that takes an eye for an eye?
•
It makes the whole world blind
71. Gandhi’s advisor’s tell him he is the father of the nation. In
the aftermath of the riot, what is Gandhi’s response to their
comments?
•
Shame
72. What does Gandhi do in order to stop the rioting and
violent marches?
•
Fasting – Not Eating
73. Did the people of India heed Gandhi’s call to stop the
protests and demonstrations?
•
Yes
The First Long Fast
74. What did Gandhi say has always
happened to tyrants and dictators all
through history?
•
They always fall
75. Why did Gandhi say that he might have
over done it with his long fast?
•
The protesters were giving the British
soldiers flowers
76. After Gandhi stopped the rioting with his
fast, how did the British government
reward him?
•
Arrested him (sent him to jail)
In Court Again
77. What penalty does Gandhi ask the court
to give him?
•
The maximum
78. For how many years is Gandhi
sentenced to prison?
•
Six
79. What action does the judge take to
demonstrate his sympathy for Gandhi
and his methods?
•
He stood when Gandhi stood
Gandhi’s Out of Prison
80. Who showed up to see Gandhi that knew him
from his work many years earlier in South
Africa?
•
The New York Times, Mr. Walker
81. How old was Gandhi when he married his
wife?
•
13
82. During his childhood, in what religion was
Gandhi raised?
•
Hindu
83. What is the big protest that Gandhi is
planning?
•
The March to the Sea (to make salt)
The March to the Sea
84. In what way is Gandhi breaking the law by
making salt?
•
The British forbid Indians to make salt
85. How are the British planning to respond to
Gandhi’s March to the Sea?
•
In the beginning, they planned to ignore it
86. What anniversary is Gandhi planning on
arriving at the sea to make salt?
•
Amritsar
87. Who does Gandhi say is in control of the
situation in India?
•
He is in control
Results of the Salt Protest
88. Did the British continue to ignore the salt making protest?
•
No, they started arresting everyone
89. During the protest demonstrations was there any violence on the part of
the British?
•
Yes
90. During the protest demonstrations was there any violence on the part of
the Indians?
•
No
91. Gandhi planned to block the entrance to a Salt making factory. What did
the British do to him?
•
Arrested
92. Did the protest continue on without Gandhi?
•
Yes
93. According to the report of Mr. Walker, how long did the protesters continue
to walk four at a time into the beatings?
•
All day and night
94. Who did Mr. Walker declare victory for in the aftermath of the protest, India
or the British?
•
Indians
Discussions of the Independence of India
95. Why did the British finally decide to enter into
discussions of Indian independence with Gandhi?
•
•
They could not control 350 million Indians any longer
World opinion shifted against the British
96. What British city did Gandhi go to for the meetings?
•
London
97. Gandhi was thinking ahead to when the British
would finally leave India. On what terms did he
want to part with them?
•
As friends
World War II
98.
At the train station, Gandhi was going to make a speech in which he
would voice his opposition to the British involvement in World War II.
What was the response of the British to this?
•
99.
Arrest him
At his point in the movie, how many times has Gandhi been jailed?
•
•
•
•
•
•
South Africa – pass demonstration
South Africa – for not carrying the pass on a second occasion
Indian Village for disturbing the peace
After the fast to stop the violence caused by the massacre of Amritsar
(for six years)
For making salt
To stop an anti war speech about WWII
100. What aspect of India’s coming independence is Gandhi worried
about?
•
Muslim – Hindu violence
101. What happened to Gandhi’s wife while imprisoned under house
arrest?
•
She died of a heart attack
Division of India
102.When Gandhi stops the car to engage
the protestors, what religions does he
say he is?
•
Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Christian, and Jew
103.What compromise did Gandhi offer to
the Muslims to keep India undivided?
•
The Muslims could control the government
104.Were his Hindu advisors willing to
support Gandhi’s compromise?
•
No
The British Leave
105.In what year did the British finally leave India?
•
1947
106.Why were so many people traveling along the
newly formed India – Pakistan border?
–
–
–
Hindus were leaving Pakistan
Muslims were leaving India
It was a mass migration to escape religious
persecution and ethnic conflict
The Last Fast
107.What action does Gandhi take to try to
bring about peace between the Hindus and
Muslims?
•
Fast
108.What does Gandhi tell the Hindu who
murdered a child is his way out of hell?
•
Raise a Muslim child as a Muslim
109.Who shoots Gandhi, a Hindu or a Muslim?
•
•
Strict Hindus considered Gandhi a traitor to his
faith and his people
For this he was assassinated