Explain three different kinds of sources through which we come to know about Gandhiji. Give any two problems faced while interpreting them.

Explanation

(i) Gandhiji was known through his writings and speeches and that of his contemporaries. Gandhiji published in his journal .Harijan. letters that others wrote to him. Nehru edited and published .A Bunch of old letters. - collection of letters written to him during the national movement.
(ii) The vital source for reconstruction are government records. The British kept a close watch on Gandhiji.s activities. The letters and reports written by policemen and other officials are now accessible to the public.
(iii) The other sources are the contemporary newspapers published in English and vernacular languages. They tracked Gandhiji.s movement and reported on other relevant things.
(iv) The newspapers could be biased or prejudiced as people who published them were guided by their own political opinions and world views. These views shaped what was published and the way events were reported.
(v) The accounts published in a London newspaper would be different from a report in an Indian nationalist paper or the reports on the salt march in the Time magazine.
(vi) Mostly official accounts often expressed what the higher officials wanted to believe. Being aware of possibilities of a rebellion occurring, they still liked to pretend that nothing was amiss.
(vii) A study of the fortnightly reports on the Dandi March reveal the Home Department was unwilling to believe that Gandhi.s actions evoked an enthusiastic response from the masses.
(viii) The march was seen as drama or as a desperate effort to mobilise people who were unwilling to rise against them.