India and London both hailed Gandhi, this Indian politician-turned-saint. The Empire was too big and lofty to be petty with its own subjects. It could still afford a saint if a saint came its way. And the saint-hero, when he arrived in India (and this was during the beginnings of the First World War) he was garlanded and worshipped. Gandhi wanted no glory, no worship—the victory of the common man was to be the only true glory. He worked for it. Indian politicians at that time were mainly city men, brown Gladstones, who wanted to win their way to Dominion status, the English way. Gandhi was a revolutionary. He wanted to change the face of India, of peasant India, the India of the common man. Therefore on arriving in India, he went straight to Bihar where the indigo workers were, almost slaves of the British planters. Gandhi pleaded with the planters to give the coolies some human consideration. The planters, the government behind them, would not listen. Gandhi then, going from home to home, and village to village sought for every grievance of the worker. He and his followers noted these complaints down. Such documents were then verified and brought to the attention of the administration. Here occurred the miracle, the Gandhian miracle, that was to happen again and again. Most of the officials had nothing but contempt for this sweet-speaking and London-trained barrister who had gone native. But one among them, a British official, saw the veracity of these facts. ‘I am willing to believe,’ wrote this young official to his superiors, ‘I am willing to believe Mr Gandhi whose sincerity I think is above suspicion.’ Then others like him resisted the tyranny of the Delhi administration. Later, came General Dyer who shot Indians, hundreds of them, non-violent resisters. India rose in non-violent rebellion. Yet some amongst these, teased by the police, retaliated. Gandhi confessed his mistakes, and said India was not ready for these experiments with Truth. He retired to his ashram on the Sabarmati river. After some years of preparation and prayer, he started again. India was now in a real revolution. Once more Gandhi was arrested. ‘The law is no respecter of persons,’ wrote Justice Broomfield. ‘It will be impossible to ignore the fact that you are in a category different from anyone I have ever tried or am likely to try.’ And as the judge rose to go he bowed low to the prisoner, in homage.