Her aspirations expand to helping the Dalit community, referred to with the pejorative 'untouchables' by most in the town. Anjali's mother takes the active role, first learning to spin cotton on the charkha in order to make khadi, or homespun clothes, and teaching others to do the same. Gr 4–6-Ten-year-old Anjali's comfortable life changes dramatically when her parents decide to honor Mahatma Gandhi's request that every Indian family give one member to the fight for freedom from British rule. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. Inspired by her great-grandmother's experience working with Gandhi, New Visions Award winner Supriya Kelkar shines a light on the Indian freedom movement in this poignant debut. When Anjali's mother is jailed, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother's work, ensuring that her little part of the independence movement is completed. Anjali is forced to get over her past prejudices as her family becomes increasingly involved in the movement.

Then her mother decides to reach out to the Dalit community, the 'untouchables' of society. First the family must trade in their fine foreign-made clothes for homespun cotton, so Anjali has to give up her prettiest belongings. And with this change comes many more adjustments designed to improve their country and use 'ahimsa'-non-violent resistance-to stand up to the British government.

In 1942, when Mahatma Gandhi asks Indians to give one family member to the freedom movement, ten-year-old Anjali is devastated to think of her father risking his life for the freedom struggle.īut it turns out he isn't the one joining.

Ahimsa supriya kelkar