The great Trial is an excerpt from the book 'Life and death of Mahatma Gandhi', by Robert Payne. Feel free to download and modify with more details and facts if you wish. Re-upload your version so that others can benefit. Cheers!

1. THE GREAT TRIAL
By Robert Payne

2. About the author
Pierre Stephen Robert Payne was an English professor of
literature, lecturer in naval architecture, novelist,
historian, poet and biographer.
Payne had published more than 110 books published,
including novels, histories and biographies, including
studies of Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Adolf Hitler,
Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, MK Gandhi,
Karl Marx, Chiang Kai-shek, Alexander the great, William
Shakespeare, Albert Schweitzer etc.
The following story is the description of a real life
incident that took place on 18th March, 1922. It
describes the trial following Gandhi’s arrest in 1922 in
sedition.

3. The trial
• The trial was held on March 23, 1922. The father of the nation, MK
Gandhi delivered a historical speech in the court, after he was
arrested with sedition under article 124-A.
• The arrest took place at Satyagraha Ashram, Sabarmati, Ahmedabad
on 10th March, 1922 for certain articles published in ‘young India’, a
weekly journal published by MK Gandhi.
• Mr. Shankarlal Banker, the printer of young India was also accused.
• Four articles of young India were cited to accuse Mr. Gandhi and Mr.
S. Banker.

4. Gandhi’s statement before the day of the trial
MK Gandhi made the following statement – “I simply wish to state
that when the proper time comes, I shall plead guilty so far as
disaffection towards the Government is concerned. It is quite true
that I am Editor of the Young India and that the articles read in my
presence were written by me, and the proprietors and publishers had
permitted me to control the whole policy of the paper”

5. On the day of the trial
The district magistrate read out the indictment and defined the
charges of causing civil unrest and sedition. He then asked, “Are you
accepting the charges as stated or do you wish to have the court
proceedings against you?”
Both Gandhiji and Shankarlal Banker accepted the accusation.
Advocate general Mr. Armstrong said, “Only item left now is to
announce the punishment but I am prepared to listen if the
defendant has something to say about the punishment”.

6. The defendant’s response
There was complete silence in the room as Gandhiji stood up and made a
historical confession. He said,
“Even when I am released I would repeat whatever I have done”
“I am here, therefore, to invite and submit cheerfully to the highest penalty that
can be inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberate crime, and what appears
to me to be the highest duty of a citizen”
“I do not have any enmity with any official or an administrator so I cannot have
anything against the punishment. But to bear enmity to the disservice that the
British Raj has meted out to India compared to other rulers is a virtue for me”

7. The judgement
After hearing the defendant, the judge announced six years of prison
for Gandhiji. The punishment for Shankarlal Banker was less severe,
as he had only published the article, and not written it.
The judge also mentioned that no one would be happier than him the
day Gandhi was released, and that the duration of punishment could
be reduced based on the response of the Indian civilians.
He then asked if Gandhiji would like to make a statement, and if he
could give it to him in written as well.

8. Gandhiji’s speech
Some points in Gandhiji’s statement were: -
“I would like to state that I entirely endorse the learned Advocate-
General’s remarks in connection with my humble self”
“I wanted to avoid violence. Non-violence is the first article of my
faith”
“I know that my people have sometimes gone mad. I am deeply sorry
for it and I am, therefore, here to submit not to a light penalty but to
the highest penalty. I do not ask for mercy”

9. Gandhiji’s speech (continued…)
“The only course open to you, the Judge, is, as I am going to say in my
statement, either to resign your post, or inflict on me the severest
penalty if you believe that the system and law you are assisting to
administer are good for the people”
He then read out his own formal statement explaining why he
opposed the British government. He explained that the British
occupation of India had made India more helpless than she ever was
before.

10. Lessons to be learned…
Apart from high levels of honesty which he was known for, Gandhiji
also showed personality traits that one can not expect to see in a
normal human being.
He showed that obedience to law was equally important as
obedience to moral duty. He accepted whatever punishment he
would get according to the law, but he also made clear that after he
was released from prison, he would continue to serve the Indian
people, and the nation as a whole, exactly the way he used to, before
going to prison.

11. THE END 