Mahatma Gandhi’s entry into the national freedom struggle is deemed a watershed moment. He fought for the moral upliftment of the masses and considered life to be an integrated whole, growing from ‘truth to truth’ every day in moral and spiritual status. In order to achieve the twin goal of integrating the masses into the national movement and to fight against the existing social evils, Gandhiji used the following symbols and symbolic language:

• Salt: It was a powerful symbol used by Gandhiji against unjust British taxation during the Civil Disobedience Movement. Salt is the most commonly used commodity and thus by choosing salt, he wanted to make the masses aware that the British were working against the interests of the people of India.
• Charkha: It symbolizes a moral economy based on the idea of self-reliance. It underlined the need for cottage industries and addressed the concerns of cotton growers. The charkha became a major symbol of the National Movement and it was also used as a symbol of boycott of foreign goods.
• Khadi: Gandhiji presented the khadi as a symbol of nationalism, equality, and self-reliance.
• Satyagraha: This is the symbolic language Gandhiji used for his mode of struggle. Satyagraha was not only against the colonial movement but also against the social evils present in the society.
• Swaraj: Unlike the Moderates, Gandhi’s conception of Swaraj was not just self-rule but was an integral revolution that encompassed all spheres of life, personal, political, social, etc.
• Fasting: Gandhiji used ritualistic practices of fasting, observing silence, walking, etc. as tools for applications in social and political activism. He used to fast to communicate his message on social evils such as communalism, untouchability, etc.
• Clothing of the masses: Gandhiji used the clothing of the peasantry as a powerful symbolic act to identify with the poor peasants in India.
• Emphasis on mother tongue: Gandhiji laid immense importance on mother tongue. Gandhiji’s objection to English was that it alienated the masses and created a distance between those who knew English (largely the privileged class) and those who did not (the vast majority). Both, Hind Swaraj and My Experiments with Truth were written in Gujarati. In Hind Swaraj, Gandhiji articulated his idea of a linguistic order for India, which consisted of what he called “provincial languages”.
• Leading by example: Gandhiji said, “My life is my message” and transformed his own life into commentaries about many matters he wanted to convey urgently. From sustainable living to cleanliness to unity, etc., Gandhiji led by example.

Thus, symbols had immense potential to capture the imagination of the masses and could be readily used as a tool for social engineering. In current times, symbols and symbolic languages could be used by administrators as a persuasion tool to enable behavioral change.