Chapter 23 Independence and Development in the Global South

Ghandi played a big role in India's struggle for independence. Ghandi preached the effects of peace instead of violence and worked to better the souls of the people as individuals rather than group them into a nation that needed to be fixed. He wanted to bring together both Hindus and Muslims as equally important parts of India. Ghandi believed that the people of India should forcus more on religion and tradition rather than modern industrialization. He felt that the modern industrial world was oppressing India more than the Brittish were. Many people began to believe that Ghandi's indeas were drifting from the main goal of gaining independence from Britain. The Muslim and Hindu religios groups began to resent each other despite Ghandi's teachings. This resulted in the independence of India as two countries, Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India. This partition resulted in many deaths caused by much violence that left Ghandi grieving instead of celebrating the new independence. Ghandi played an important role in setting the example of a peaceful leader, but sadly students ended up going against his beliefs.

South Africa's situation was very differnt from India's in their fight for independence. Although black natives made up the majority of South Africa they had no control because of the reigning minority of white settlers that also lived in South Africa. South Africa was ruled by people of both Dutch and Brittish descent. unlike the colinization of India there was a prodominant industrial ecnomy in South Afrca that enforced slave labor and created more incentive for the colinizers to remain in control and benefit from the production of South Africa. The racial issue was much nore extreme in South Africa than in India, fore many natives were forced to live on "native reserves" often away from their families so they could be more efficient in heir work. The native South Africans were severly restricted in their freedoms to move about their own countries. They were basically slave laborers in all aspects of their lives, treated no differently than a settler's herd of cattle. The settlers completely controlled South africa and even kept influencial leaders such as Nelson Mandela from supporting the natives to independence. Finally after strong internal and external preassures, Nelson Mandela was released from jail and was able to lead his county to independence. Although India and South Africa differed in their routes to independence they were both faced with many struggles.