India, Aug. 14 -- Hunger is one of the most common and important experiences of living beings. Every individual of the human race has felt it, and it has unquestionably determined many of the actions of their lives.

In February 1943, Mahatma Gandhi was a prisoner at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune. He and thousands of Indians had been arrested on August 9, 1942, after the All India Congress Committee adopted a resolution calling for the withdrawal of British Rule over India.

Violent protests and demonstrations erupted all over the country, including in Pune, where several men and women were killed in police firing. The British Government put the blame squarely on Gandhi.

After seven months of incarceration, he decided to resort to a hunger...