All language subtitles for Butterfly.Effect.S03E06_English

- [Narrator] Our history
is no more than a serious

of incredible events.

Every one of us can
influence it's course.

The most infinitely
small of our decisions

can influence the
future of humanity.

To know the past, is
to foresee the future.

1968, New Delhi.

While the British army
besieges the city,

various rebel factions
wage a fight to the death

for control of
the neighborhoods.

India, the last Jewel
of the British Empire

is bathed in fire and blood.

In the previous century,
Gandhi, a young lawyer

fighting for civil
rights was assassinated,

lynched by an angry mob.

Without him, India never
gained it's independence.

The religious communities
became more isolated than ever.

Today the situation
is out of control.

Hindus and Muslims are
engaged in a ruthless fight

while the impotent
British army watches.

But none of this ever happened.

In 1896, a small grain
of sand saved Gandhi

and allowed him to share
his message of non violence.

May 26th 1893,
Gandhi, a young lawyer

registered with the
London Barr Association

is brutally kicked off
a South African Train.

January 13th 1897.

A group of angry protestors
attacked Gandhi and his family

and threatened to
hang him from a tree.

March 1930.

Gandhi begins a
march across India.

He is followed by ten's
of thousands of Indians.

These three inextricably
linked events are key

moments in the life of
Gandhi, and the emancipation

of the former British
colony, India.

(crying)

India, 1858.

Just one year ago,

Indian soldiers from the

British East India
Company mutinied.

The bloody rebellion
spread quickly.

The english response
was ruthless.

The last islands of
resistance are now falling.

To serve as an example the
leaders are executed by

being shot out of a cannon.

India is one of the oldest
settlements in the world.

From the west the passage
through the mountains

has allowed many invaders to
penetrate the Valley of Indus.

The river that India
is named after.

The history of the
region, includes a
succession of empires,

like Ashoka's as vast as the
Roman Empire at it's peak,

or Guptas, the true
golden age of India.

Still up until the 17th
century none of these Empires

seemed able to completely
control this immense and

highly complex land.

From the north to the
south there is not just one

but multiple Indias.

It has an infinite
variety of believes

and religious practices,
simultaneously

Indian society has developed
an unbalanced social system

of the centuries that
is based on Castes.

A strict separation of
individuals into distinct
groups

that are ranked in
hierarchal order.

At the bottom of the social
pyramid in the lowest

category for humans
are the untouchables

who are shunned by
the rest of society.

In the 16th century when
the Portuguese are already

actively trading with
the Indian sub continent

the region is being run
by the Mughal Empire.

At the beginning of
the following century,

the British are competing
with the Portuguese.

December 31st, 1600
in the city of London

entrepreneurs create the
British East India Company.

Not long afterwards the
Mugahls weakened by war

collapsed and allow the
companies influence to spread.

In exchange for British
protection several Indian

princes grant vast privileges.

Trading intensifies, a
steady stream of wealth

flows between England
and it's Indian markets.

Huge plantations produces
large quantities of cotton

all of which is shipped
to England by boat

and then woven in
vast factories.

Soon Indian's can only
find English clothing

in their markets.

Gradually all trace of the

traditional Indian
economy disappears.

Two centuries later the
trading
company is fully established

imposing heavy taxes and
equipped with it's own army.

The company reigns over an
immense merchant empire.

But, after the 1858
revolt, it is dissolved

and India passes under
the rule of the Crown.

Victoria, Queen of England,
becomes Empress of India.

This is the birth
of the British Raj.

- [Robot] Welcome to
the memory of humanity.

Every historical event
regardless of how small

is recorded and connected

you only need to change one
to upset all the others.

Here we are able to control time

analyze and compare
billions of events

in order to rewrite
history in infinite ways.

For example, let's go back to
the middle of the 19th Century

to the heart of
the Victorian era.

At the height of it's
empire, the United Kingdom

is the worlds leading
power, the Union Jack

waves it colors on
every continent.

However, not all the
inhabitants of the empire

are citizens or
share equal status.

The English are convinced
that their society

is superior to others.

In India they are perfectly
comfortable with the caste

system, the English simply
place themselves above

the others.

In other colonies
like in South Africa,

the condition black people
is particularly humiliating

and degrading and Asian
people are practically
slaves.

The empire is based on
extreme inequalities.

- [Narrator] May 26th
1893, South Africa.

This man, how was thrown
from a train like a piece

of filth for daring to sit
in a first class compartment

is deeply humiliated.

What could he have
possibly done wrong?

This man is a gentlemen
attorney registered at the
Barr

in London.

Here, neither his diplomas
nor his English education

can balance the scales.

In the eyes of the white
colonialists he is a Cooley,

a duragatory term denoting
one of the too many

asian laborers.

His name is Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi.

And this misadventure
will change him forever.

He will no longer tolerate
this type of injustice.

Arriving in South
Africa for work,

he will soon be
confronted by the reality.

His compatriots have been
reduced to the condition

of slaves, thousands of them
are working on huge
plantations

in this English colony
thousands of white

Europeans ruthlessly exploit
the tens of thousands of

Indians and millions of
Africans without reservation.

This brutal reality
pushes the young lawyer

off the side lines.

In 1893 he begins
defending Indian workers

who have been mistreated
by their white employers.

On march 22nd he
discovers that a bill

designed to suppress
Indian voter rights

is being prepared.

He immediately launches a
huge campaign to protest this.

For the British, the name
Gandhi is becoming synonymous

with agitator.

December 19th 1896.

After a short stay in India,

Gandhi returns to South
Africa with his family

but when he arrives
at the Port of Durban,

the authorities place
the ship in quarantine

for sanitary reasons.

Curiously the white Europeans
are allowed to disembark.

Certain rumors in town,
go so far as to say

that Gandhi has deliberately
brought a plague

to South Africa.

At the dock, a crowd of
protestors scream insults

and death threats at
the Indian passengers.

Gandhi understands
that he, not the ship

is being quarantined.

He finally obtains
authorization to go a shore

with his family but only at
night and with a police
escort.

Once he reaches the
dock, the protestors

come out of hiding and rush
toward the little group.

The situation quickly
gets out of control,

then the police chiefs wife,
passing by in a carriage

on the way back from
a dinner in town

rushes towards the scene
and brandishes her umbrella

using it and her status to
protect the poor Indian
family.

Escorted by the lady to
screams from the angry crowd

demanding he be hanged,
Gandhi and his family

flee the scene.

- [Robot] We have arrived
at a point of divergence.

A point of divergence
is a key moment,

a cross roads in our history
where our world can swing

from on side to the other.

Gandhi has just
miraculously escaped a mob

that was ready to lynch him.

If the English lady
had not intervened

the lawyer would
have surely ended up

at the end of a rope.

At this time his
name and his actions

were already well known in
South Africa and in India.

His violent death would
have served as a warning

to anyone contemplating taking
up the torch of protest.

In India, without Gandhi
and his peaceful influence

it is probable that the
tensions between Indians

and British colonialists
would have escalated

into a spiral of violence.

- [Narrator] During the
night, August 5th 1904,

Gandhi cannot sleep.

He cannot stop thinking
about something that he read

earlier that day.

A brilliant book by John Ruskin.

The British writer explains
that the production

of good and wealth
involves human beings,

and that not everything
should be sacrificed

for financial interests.

Those ideas are
similar to Ahimsa,

a religious Hindu
concept where by life,

present in all things
should be respected.

Intense reflection, pushes
Gandhi to adopt new ideas,

and to put them
into daily practice.

His life style is
profoundly modified.

Thinking that people
often eat too much

while others do not
have enough to eat

he decides to set an example
and begins fasting regularly.

He cut's his own hair,
and cleans his own toilet.

For him, these are no
longer menial tasks

and every human should take
care of their own needs.

Too often the witness of
violence against women

he associates
sexuality with violence

and takes a vow of chastity.

Impressed by the British
women's fight to obtain

voting rights, he sets a
new doctrine into motion

based on civil disobedience
and non violence.

Satyagraha.

Say no to injustice firmly.

Publicly and often illegally,
but never violently.

And accept the consequences
of your actions.

July 31st 1907.

When the government
decrees that all Indians

must be registered
with the authorities

and present proof of their
identity at all times

Gandhi has a chance
to test his method.

Having become an
influential leader,

he suggests that the
Indians in South Africa

refuse to cooperate.

This is followed by thousands
of Indians being imprisoned

including Gandhi himself.

August 16th 1908.

In a public place and under
the watchful eyes of the

police he goes even further
and convinces thousands

to burn their
registration papers.

Severely beaten, he ends
up once again behind bars.

The brutal British response
causes Gandhi to write

that he has discovered
the source of evil.

Western civilization
and modernity.

In 1913 he has part
of the law revoked and

decides to return to
India the following year.

- [Robot] Force or violence?

Gandhi endures beatings and
humiliation without reacting.

From his point of view this
is a show of self control

and therefor a moral strength.

When Gandhi goes
on a hunger strike,

Indians see it as proof
of his determination.

From the viewpoint of
the English it is a sign

of weakness and
cowardice the British

after two centuries of
occupying Indian soil

still don't understand how
Indian society functions.

They respond to the protest
with demonstrations of
strength

Winston Churchill goes
so far as to label Gandhi

as seditious and unclean Fakir.

70 years later in 1981
the British will handle

hunger strikes in the same way.

During the protests lead
by Irish republicans.

After 66 days without food,

the activist Bobby
Sands will die

without succeeding
in influencing the
English government,

will Gandhi's non violent
actions be more successful?

- [Narrator] January 9th 1915.

Gandhi arrives in Bombay.

He is welcomed triumphantly
by his compatriots.

They are waiting for him
to ascend to the head

of the Indian congress,
the political party

working towards independence.

However he has just returned
from a 21 year stay in Africa.

He doesn't really know his
native country anymore.

So he set's out to travel
across India and listen

to it's people.

He learns that the situation
is even worse than he thought.

Misery is everywhere.

The British have overtaken
off the countries resources,

famines are frequent
and the population

is crowded in swamps.

India, miserable, has
lost it's dignity.

Gandhi decides to take action.

He establishes and Ashram,
a sort of monastery

where he trains his
disciples in non violence.

Followers call him
Baku, the father.

Then Mahatma, or great soul.

In the beginning he doesn't
know exactly how to proceed.

March 30th 1919, he
obtains the first results

by organizing a national strike.

All of India responds to his
call for a general strike.

The country is
completely paralyzed.

This demonstration
of strength lands him

once again in prison.

Protests in support of
him begin soon after.

April 13th 1919.

British general Dyer,
decides to teach the Indians

in his own words,
"a proper lesson."

He orders his men to shoot
straight into a peaceful

and unarmed crowd,
without warning.

Modern rapid fire rifles,
against innocent men

women and children.

The carnage is horrifying.

Gandhi,

astounded, loses his
last illusions about the

legitimacy of the
British government.

His goal, which
until that moment,

was to gain additional
rights for Indians

becomes total independence.

He rises to the head of
congress and quickly presents

his program.

Boycott British schools,
courts and English products.

Then stop paying taxes
and desert all police

and army posts.

Gandhi can count on over
300 million Indians.

The British are
less than 100,000.

The only answer they are
able to give is violence.

The systematic
repression, is brutal.

March 1930.

The British authorities,
learned that Gandhi

has launched a 250 mile
march across the country.

His objective is to
circumvent the law

requiring Indians
to buy British salt

by going to the beach and
collecting it himself.

It wouldn't have been so notable

if he had been all alone.

But Gandhi is accompanied by
tens of thousands of Indians.

A human wave submerges
the British prohibitions.

More than 60,000 people
are arrested and thrown

in over crowded prisons.

But that changes nothing.

For Gandhi this is only
the beginning of a long

period of resistance
that will see him cross

from one side of the
country to the other

all ways peacefully, yet
tirelessly rallying people

to his cause.

In 1942, in the middle
of World War II,

Gandhi reads his Quit
India Declaration.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill

miraculously crushes what
he perceives as a sedition.

And as all the members
of congress arrested.

More than 1000 protestors
are slaughtered.

But in the aftermath of the war,

Churchill's defeat
in the election,

allows the working part,
long since supporters

of India's independence
to take power.

It seems that the time has come.

- [Robot] Living together.

India is on the verge of
obtaining it's independence.

But this emancipation
comes with new challenges.

Indian society is
extremely complex.

For example, the inequality
of the caste system

goes hand and hand with
multiple religions.

Especially Hindu and Islam.

But at that time,

the two faiths are
considered incompatible.

Muslims, present
mostly in the north

or unevenly spread
out across the land.

And represent around
16% of the population.

Which is the largest
minority in India.

Tensions between the two
communities are very strong.

Gandhi makes great efforts
to end the conflicts

and keep his country united.

British powers aware of this
script within Indian society

use it as leverage
in the negotiations.

If India gains it independence.

It would divide the country.

Divide,

and rule.

- [Narrator] With
Churchill on the sidelines,

independence is within reach.

But the fight is
far from being over.

One of the leaders of
the Independence Movement

the Muslim Muhammad Ali
Jinnah, defends the idea

of separating India
into two countries.

Pakistan for Muslims,
the rest for Hindus.

For Gandhi, this separation
would be catastrophic

and a terrible failure.

Across the country, more
and more riots break out.

Hindus massacre Muslims.

Muslims kill off Hindus.

On each side, people are
becoming more erratic.

Gandhi is increasingly isolated.

Nehru, his political ally
does everything he can

to preserve a unified
India in spite of the

two faced Gena, who while
officially condemning

the anti Hindu protests,

secretly encourages
their outbreaks.

The separation of
India seems inevitable.

August 15th 1947.

After months of negotiations,
independence is proclaimed

to the cries, "victory
to Mahatma Gandhi."

But the old man is not present.

Disgusted he could not
share this jubilation.

The day before, he saw his
country ripped itself in two.

India on one side, and
Pakistan on the other.

This results in huge
population displacement.

Leaving their homes,
millions of Muslims

make their way to the
distant and all new Pakistan.

And cross paths
with Indian refugees

heading in the
opposite direction.

Inevitably clashes occur
and escalate into massacres.

Gandhi tirelessly
crosses the country side

desperately promoting
non violence.

He achieves miracles.

During his trip,
the troubles cease,

but often start back
up after he leaves.

One year later, while on
his way to morning prayers

Gandhi is shot three times
by a young nationalist

who believes the
Mahatma is a traitor.

Hindus and Muslims, after
centuries of living together,

are drawn into a spiral of
conflicts and will become

irreconcilable enemies.

But that, is another story.

- [Robot] Who truly was Gandhi?

The Son, he was the
liberator of India.

A hero in the fight
against the imperialists.

For others, he was a spiritual
guide, sometimes compared

to Jesus Christ.

His fight for women and
the untouchables made him

a humanist.

It is certain that radical
Indian nationalists

considered him a traitor.

His indifference for
the plight of the black

South African
population has lead some

to call him a racist.

But one thing is certain,
he is one of the people

who's left a considerable
mark on the 20th century.

Martin Luther King Jr.
acknowledged being influenced

by Gandhi's ideas.

He too was cut down
by extremists bullets.

Just like many other
agents of change.

In the darkest hours
of the fight for Indias

independence when the country
was on the brink of Civil War

this man dressed
in simple cloth,

and standing all alone,

was stronger than an army.

(epic music)