• As a political leader Mahatma Gandhi emphasized the active participation of the people along with the sympathy and support of the non-participating masses.
• He employed non-violence to resist not only colonialism but any other authoritarian structure of power. His idea of democracy was based on the ideals of truth and justice.
• Unlike a violent revolution, which could be waged by a minority of committed cadres and fighters, he focused on a non-violent revolution that focussed on the power of inner conscience and morality. It was based on the political mobilization of millions and the passive support of the vast majority. He was the moral and ethical custodian of the movement.

Success of Mahatma Gandhi

• Pan Indian leadership: Starting with the Rowlett Act Satyagraha (1919) Gandhi provided pan Indian leadership to the national struggle. Congress before hint was divided into moderate and extremist Said however his strategies appealed to both the section who readily adopted him as national leader.
• Organizational Character to Congress: In Nagpur Session of Congress (1920) at the instance of Gandhiji, a small working committee of 15 members was created to carry out day to day administration of the Congress.
• Future leadership: Gandhiji provided a rock solid second rung leadership to national freedom struggle. Some of India’s foremost leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel etc. were handpicked by Gandhiji to lead the national struggle. Hence Gandhiji was a visionary leader who not only sought the benefit of his contemporary generation but also of future generations.
• Value based struggle: Gandhi provided the ideology of Ahimsa (nonviolence) and values of tolerance and coexistence to Indian freedom. His ideology and value forged the foundation for a multi diverse country to come together against a common enemy i.e., British.
• Pressure tactics: Gandhi’s pressure tactics such as passive resistance or satyagraha was an unimaginable threat to the British who could not devise strategies to tackle it. Ultimately Gandhi’s struggle such as Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement etc. proved to be fatal for the Britishers on moral ground.
• Soft potent status: Gandhi was perhaps the pioneer in developing the soft power status for India abroad. His austerity measures and simple living attracted massive attention during his tour of England (1930) for the Round Table Conference. Further his ideology of coexistence and peace and tolerance made him a role model for many future generation leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama.
• Hindu-Muslim Unity: Gandhiji’s advocacy of Hindu-Muslim unity formed a common front against Britishers during Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement. His adherence to unity even after partition of the country made him a role model of Hindu-Muslim Unity and set a precedent for future generations of Indian leadership to follow.
• Lower Caste Movements: Gandhi was perhaps the first upper caste leader to take up the cause of lower caste to whom he fondly called Harijans. His organisation Harijan Sewak Sangh and mouthpiece Haeijan advocated for the upliftment of lower caste in the country and broke many social taboos unthinkable in contemporary times.

Gandhiji made social report a part of the programme of the nationalist movement. His greatest achievement in the field of social reform was the campaign against inhuman institution of untouchability which had degraded millions of Indians. His other achievement was in the field of cottage industries. He saw in the charkha, the spinning wheel, the salvation of the village people and its promotion became part of the congress programme.In addition to infusing people with the spirit of nationalism it provided employment to millions and created a large group of people who were ready to throw themselves into the struggle and court imprisonment. The charkha became so important that it eventually became a part of the flag of the Indian National Congress.

Gandhian ideologies shaped the creation of institutions and practices where the voice and perspective of everyone can be articulated, tested and transformed. According to him, democracy provided the weak with the same chance as the strong. Functioning on the basis of voluntary cooperation and dignified and peaceful co-existence was replicated in several other modern democracies. Also, his emphasis on political tolerance and religious pluralism holds relevance in contemporary Indian politics.