When did Mahatma Gandhi shave his head and begin wearing a loincloth in order to identify with the poor?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → 1921
In 1921, during a tour of South India, Gandhiji shaved his head and began wearing a loincloth in order to identify with the poor.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.2 A people’s leader … This identification was strikingly reflected in his dress: while other nationalist leaders dressed formally, wearing a Western suit or an Indian bandgala, Gandhiji went among the people in a simple dhoti or loincloth. Meanwhile, he spent part of each day working on the charkha (spinning wheel), and encouraged other nationalists to do likewise. The act of spinning allowed Gandhiji to break the boundaries that prevailed within the traditional caste system, between mental labour and manual labour.… …Mahatma Gandhi with the charkha has become the most abiding image of Indian nationalism. In 1921, during a tour of South India, Gandhiji shaved his head and began wearing a loincloth in order to identify with the poor. His new appearance also came to symbolise asceticism and abstinence – qualities he celebrated in opposition to the consumerist culture of the modern world.” |