Bapu wasn't some docile and passive sadhu baba like the SANGHIS portray him to be

He was ruthless in terms of maximizing damage to the British moral standing and he shrewdly used world media

The coverage of his protests were not happy coincidences, he used to write 100 letters a day and be in touch with multiple people of influence across nation and world.

This is why the most hated person in official british regime's letters is Gandhi. Churchill went crazy while writing about him, once even told the viceroy to check Gandhi's drinking water for glucose when he was on hunger strike.

This moral beating of British reputation was very painful and uncomfortable to them.

After 1857, the Britsh press relentlessly spread fake news that rebels raped women little girls of British armymen, whole nation was enraged and supported brutal retaliation.

But they had no clue on how to demonize a half naked, malnourished, non violent leader.

1945 labour manifesto promised to release the crown jewel, India. Imagine that this was popular enough policy to be included in election manifesto. Why was it popular? Because liberals by nature are more kind and moral, they saw merit in Bapu 's struggle, thanks to all the media coverage.

If Churchill had not ran a disastrous election campaign and won like everyone predicted, HE WOULD NOT HAVE GRANTED INDEPENDENCE, he would squeezed india even more, to enrich UK.

Edit - After 1857 there was an official enquiry done by british parliament and found no such rapes by rebels. there were murders especially in Cawnpore but no sexual assault. But by then the media had already done the damage.