'It is said of "passive resistance" that it is the weapon of the weak, but the power which is the subject of this article can be used only by the strong. This power is not passive resistance; indeed it calls for intense activity. The movement in South Africa was not passive but active ...'
'Satyagraha is not physical force. A satyagrahi does not inflict pain on the adversary; he does not seek his destruction ... In the use of satyagraha, there is no ill-will whatever.'
'Satyagraha is pure soul-force. Truth is the very substance of the soul. That is why this force is called satyagraha. The soul is informed with knowledge. In it burns the flame of love ... Non-violence is the supreme dharma ...'
'It is certain that India cannot rival Britain or Europe in force of arms. The British worship the war-god and they can all of them become, as they are becoming, bearers of arms. The hundreds of millions in India can never carry arms. They have made the religion of non-violence their own ...'
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:57 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
(11.1) Gandhiji organised an active movement in South Africa, not a passive one. It called for intense activity.
(11.2) Satyagraha is considered pure soul-force because truth is the very substance of the soul. The soul is informed with knowledge and burns with the flame of love, with no ill-will towards the adversary.
(11.3) Gandhiji described passive resistance as the weapon of the weak. He distinguished satyagraha from it, stating that satyagraha can be used only by the strong. Unlike passive resistance, satyagraha calls for intense activity. A satyagrahi does not inflict pain, seeks no destruction of the adversary, and harbours no ill-will — making it an active, positive force, not merely passive.
Source: The Story of Non-Cooperation Movement / Gandhiji's writings on Satyagraha
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Explanation
- 11.1 is 1 mark — one direct line from the passage suffices.
- 11.2 is 1 mark — quote the key phrase "truth is the very substance of the soul" and link it to soul-force.
- 11.3 is 2 marks — needs two distinct points: (i) passive resistance = weapon of the weak, and (ii) satyagraha differs — it is for the strong and demands intense/active effort. Examiners look for the contrast Gandhiji draws between the two concepts.