What is the Congressional Gold Medal? Check All the Facts Here!

Hi guys, presently we are going to clarify your doubt about the Congressional Gold Medal given to Mahatma Gandhi.

Let’s not delay much and get into the depth of Congressional Gold Medal.

What is the Congressional Gold Medal?

The Congressional Gold Medal is an award given by the United States Congress. This award is Congress’s highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. 

Some key points about the award are as:

• The first beneficiary of the Congressional Gold medal were the participants of the American Revolution (1775-83), the War of 1812 and the Mexican War (1846-48).
• The scope was expanded to include actors, authors, entertainers, musicians, explorers, athletes, humanitarians and foreign recipients among colonists in some other fields.
• Then it was awarded to the 1980 US summer Olympics team, Robert F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela and George Washington among many others.
• Most recently, this medal was awarded to the US Capitol Police and those who protected the US Capitol on 6^th January 2021, the day of the siege.

Lately, a proposal has been proposed again to honour the post mortal- award, the Congressional Gold Medal to Mahatma Gandhi for his contributions made through his methods of non-violence in the US House of Representatives. 

What do Non-Violence actually mean?

• The basic principle of non-violence is rejection of the use of physical violence in order to achieve social or political change. From Mahatma Gandhi, the essence of non-violent technique is that to obtain to dissolve opposition but not the antagonists.
• There are three main categories of non-violence action:

1. Protest and persuasion, including marches and vigils
2. Non-cooperation
3. Non-violent intervention, such as blockades and occupation

• 2^nd October is the International Day of Non-Violence, which is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.

Now, let’s get aware of the Gandhian Strategy of Non-Violence:

• Mahatma Gandhi took the religious principle of ahimsa which was common to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism and transformed it into a non-violent tool for mass action.
• Gandhiji called it “Satyagraha” which means the truth force.
• Under this doctrine, the aim of any non-violent conflict was to convert the opponent and to win over his mind, heart and persuade him.
• He used this movement to fight against colonial rule as well as social evils such as racial discrimination and untouchability.
• He had successfully fought the racist regime with a novel method of mass agitation, Satyagraha in South Africa.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s first civil disobedience movement in India was in support of the indigo cultivators in Champaran, Bihar in 1917. The event was famously known as the Champaran movement.
• In 1919, he decided to launch Satyagraha nationwide against the Rowlatt Act (1919).
• There was a massive upsurge of enthusiasm for Mahatma Gandhi and his non violence method during the Non-cooperation movement (1920-22). With Indians, all political spectrums and religions joined the movement.
• Other examples of Mahatma Gandhi’s non- violence Movement included Salt Satyagraha (1930) and Quit India movement (1942).

Many known leaders like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandella, Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi, etc. had followed the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi and have brought prosperity to themselves and their societies.

If the Congressional gold medal is given to Mahatma Gandhi, he will become the first Indian to receive the award, which is the highest civilian award in the US.

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