Reading comprehension – Gandhi passage: what led to the growth of Mahatma Gandhi’s legend among the Indian people?

Introduction / Context:
The passage traces Mahatma Gandhi's journey from a lawyer in South Africa to a central leader of India's independence movement. It mentions several stages of his life, including his legal work, his support for Indians in South Africa, his return to India, his role in the Indian National Congress, and his travels across the country. The question asks which factor, according to the passage, led to the growth of his legend among the Indian people.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The passage tells us that:
- Gandhi began in South Africa supporting civil rights for Indians.
- He returned to India in 1915 with a desire to improve the situation of the lower classes.
- He became an important leader within the Indian National Congress.
- He travelled widely with the party to learn about the local struggles of different communities.
- It is explicitly stated that it was during those travels that his legend grew among the Indian people.

Concept / Approach:
This is a detail-based comprehension question. The crucial phrase is “it was during those travels that his legend grew among the Indian people”. You should recall that this sentence directly ties Gandhi's widespread travels and contact with local issues to his legendary status. Correctly answering requires you to match that sentence with the appropriate option and not be distracted by other historically important but differently emphasised details.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the sentence in the passage that describes when and how Gandhi's legend grew. Step 2: Notice that the passage links the growth of his legend specifically to his travels with the Indian National Congress to understand local struggles. Step 3: Evaluate each answer option to see which one restates this idea. Step 4: Select the option that mentions his extensive travel with the Congress and engagement with local Indian communities.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you restate the key sentence in your own words, it becomes something like, “As Gandhi moved around India with the Congress and learned about local problems, his fame and legend among ordinary Indians grew.” Option c closely mirrors this restatement and therefore passes the verification check.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a) emphasises his status as a promising lawyer but the passage does not say that this alone made his legend grow in India. It was his later work within the country that mattered most for his legendary status there.
Option b) speaks vaguely about his non-violent nature. While non-violence is central to his legacy, the passage is specific that the legend grew during his travels, not just because he was non-violent in the abstract.
Option d) mentions his support for Indian communities in South Africa, which is significant but not identified by the passage as the moment when his legend spread among Indians in India.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes rely on general knowledge rather than the text and choose “non-violent nature” simply because it is strongly associated with Gandhi. However, questions of this sort must be answered using the explicit wording of the passage, which assigns the growth of his legend to his travels with the Congress.

Final Answer:
His extensive travels with the Indian National Congress to learn about local struggles