Did Gandhi Win Freedom from British for Indians: The Obverse View

Gandhi is a larger than life figure in Indian history, but some facts about him need to be restated. Historically India never won its freedom with a war of Independence like the USA, China and many nations.The popular perception is that Gandhi won freedom after a mass movement. This mass movement succeeded in overthrowing the British who left India. Nothing could be further from truth and the facts speak otherwise. Gandhi had been agitating with his mass movement for over 30 years, but the Imperial power was not concerned. Why? Because they always felt that Gandhi was a harmless old man and they pampered him.

How did India win Independence? This was an act of the British Parliament called ' Indian Independence act 1946'. This act was passed in both houses of Parliament in England and received the assent of the King. After this act the process of transfer to hand over power to Indians commenced. Why did the British suddenly decide to hand over power after the end of World war II, which finished in 1945? One must remember the statement of Winston Churchill who had stated that he had not become the first minister of the king to preside over the liquidation of the British empire. So why did the British leave India and handed over power to Indians by an act of the British House of Commons?

The army was suspect and not to be relied

In this the role of Adolf Hitler merits attention. Hitler lost the war, but like Samson in the Bible dragged the British Empire with him. The Empire and Britain was so weakened that they just did not have the will or the wherewithal to hold on to the empire. Another factor was the Indian Army through which Britain had ruled India. This army lost its loyalty to the crown as many deserted and joined Hitlers Indian Legion and the Japanese Indian national army. Thus Hitler and teh Indian army forced Britains hand and Clement Attlee, heading a labour government decided to leave India . It's a moot point that in case the Conservatives under Churchill had remained in power, whether the British parliament would have passed the Indian Independence Act?