Early yearsIn the lands of Porbandar, India, Gandhi was born on October 2nd 1869. He practiced Hinduism and was deeply rooted in it. At the age of 13 he was married to Kasturba. By 1888, Gandhi left Porbandar, India to go to England to pursue a degree in law. After graduating, he accepted a job in South Africa. Dada Adbulla needed him as a legal adviser. There he was exposed to the extreme discrimination against Indians.
"an eye for an eye only ends up making up the whole world blind" -Gandhi |
Taking ActionGandhi has reached a turning point after being kicked off a train even though he had proof he bought a ticket for first class, but because he was Indian, they forced him off. This was the beginning of the many actions he took to put a stop to the inequality. He wrote a book (Satyagraha in South Africa) about the struggles that Indians went through, to shine light on the unfair acts brought upon them. Gathered people to act away from simple tasks such as taxes and imposing non-Christian marriages to be legal. One does not simply get hundreds of followers to sacrifice their own life, he’s had to recruit people using Hinduism as a way to connect to them and motivate them.
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Indulging into IndiaIn 1914, he moved to India to know what his culture is and be one with his people. The whole idea is to be unified and indivisible. Gandhi traveled around India to understand the conditions, living how his fellow Indians lived, and meeting new people. He let go of his European wardrobe and began to wear what is called a Dothi. A part of his return to India, he became the leader of the Indian national congress and supported the Home Rule Movement. The goal was to help poor farmers and laborers protest against oppressive taxation and discrimination. He struggled in trying to alleviate poverty, liberate women, and put an end to the caste system, with the ultimate objective to being self-rule for India.
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Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us does render some service or other. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and will make, not only our own happiness, but that of the world at large. |
Bumpy RoadsRabindranath Tagore, a Nobel elite, resigned the title “Knight” from the British soon after the Jalianwalabagh Massacre as a protest. When the movement reached great success, it ended unexpectedly after the violent clash in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh. After this, Gandhi was also arrested and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment. Indian National Congress was now starting to be divided. To add to these, support among the Hindu and Muslim people was also breaking down. However, Gandhi only served approximately two years in prison and was thereafter released.
Mahatma Gandhi again became active in the political arena after the outburst of World War II in 1939. On August 8, 1942 Gandhi gave the call for Quit India Movement or Bharat Chhodo Andolan. Soon after the arrest of Gandhi, disorders broke out immediately throughout the country and many violent demonstrations took place. Quit India became the most powerful movement in the freedom struggle. Thousands of freedom fighters were killed or injured by police gunfire, and hundreds of thousands were arrested. He called on all Congressmen and Indians to maintain discipline via non-violence and Karo Ya Maro (Do or Die) in order to achieve ultimate freedom. On 9th of August, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi and the entire Congress Working Committee were arrested in Mumbai. In view of his deteriorating health, he was released from the jail in May 1944 because the British did not want him to die in prison and enrage the nation. The cruel restraint of the Quit India movement brought order to India by the end of 1943 although the movement had modest success in its aim. After the British gave clear signs of transferring power to the Indians, Gandhi called off the fight and all the prisoners were released. |