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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( 2 October 1869 30 January 1948)

was the preeminent leader of Indian independence movement in British-


ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to
independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across
the world. The honorific Mahatma applied to him first in 1914 in South
Africa, is now used worldwide. He is also called Bapu in India.

Born and raised in a Hindu merchant caste family in


coastal Gujarat, western India, and trained in law at the Inner Temple,
London, Gandhi first employed nonviolent civil disobedience as an
expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's
struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about
organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers to protest against
excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian
National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing
poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic
amity, ending untouchability, but above all for achieving Swaraj or self-rule.

Gandhi famously led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with
the 400 km (250 mi) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the
British to Quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, upon
many occasions, in both South Africa and India. Gandhi attempted
to practise nonviolence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others
do the same. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential
community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with
yarn hand spun on a charkha. He ate simple vegetarian food, and
also undertook long fasts as the means to both self-purification
and social protest.

Gandhi's vision of a free India based on religious pluralism, however, was


challenged in the early 1940s by a new Muslim nationalism which was
demanding a separate Muslim homeland carved out of India.[7] Eventually,
in August 1947, Britain granted independence, but the British Indian
Empire[7] was partitioned into two dominions, a Hindu-majority India and
Muslim Pakistan.[8] As many displaced Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs made
their way to their new lands, religious violence broke out, especially in
the Punjab and Bengal. Eschewing the official celebration of
independence in Delhi, Gandhi visited the affected areas, attempting to
provide solace. In the months following, he undertook several fasts unto
death to promote religious harmony. The last of these, undertaken on 12
January 1948 at age 78,[9] also had the indirect goal of pressuring India to
pay out some cash assets owed to Pakistan.[9] Some Indians thought
Gandhi was too accommodating.[9][10] Nathuram Godse, a Hindu
nationalist, assassinated Gandhi on 30 January 1948 by firing three bullets
into his chest at point-blank range.[10]

Indians widely describe Gandhi as the father of the nation.[11][12] His birthday,
2 October, is commemorated as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and
world-wide as the International Day of Nonviolence. He was the mentor
of Indira Gandhi.

Gandhijis life, ideas and work are of crucial importance to all those who want a better life for
humankind. The political map of the world has changed dramatically since his time, the economic
scenario has witnessed unleashing of some disturbing forces, and the social set-up has undergone a
tremendous change. The importance of moral and ethical issues raised by him, however, remain
central to the future of individuals and nations. We can still derive inspiration from the teachings of
Mahatma Gandhi who wanted us to remember the age old saying, In spite of death, life persists, and
in spite of hatred, love persists. Rabindranath Tagore addressed him as Mahatma and the latter
called the poet Gurudev. Subhash Chandra Bose had called him Father of the Nation in his
message on Hind Azad Radio.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar, a small town in Gujarat,
on the sea coast of Western India. He was born in the distinguished family of administrators. His
grandfather had risen to be the Dewan or Prime Minister of Porbandar and was succeeded by his
father Karamchand Gandhiji .His mother Putlibai, a religious person, had a major contribution in
moulding the character of young Mohan.

He studied initially at an elementary school in Porbandar and then at primary and high schools in
Rajkot, one of the important cities of Gujarat. Though he called himself a mediocre student, he gave
evidence of his reasoning, intelligence, deep faith in the principles of truth and discipline at very young
age. He was married, at the age of thirteen, when still in high school, to Kasturbai who was of the
same age, and had four sons named Harilal, Ramdas, Manilal and Devdas. His father died in 1885. At
that time Gandhiji was studying at Samaldas College in Bhavnagar. It was hoped that his
(Mohandass) going to England and qualifying as a barrister would help his family to lead more
comfortable life.

He sailed to England on September 4, 1888 at the age of 18, and was enrolled in The Inner Temple. It
was a new world for young Mohan and offered immense opportunities to explore new ideas and to
reflect on the philosophy and religion of his own country. He got deeply interested in vegetarianism
and study of different religions. His stay in England provided opportunities for widening horizons and
better understanding of religions and cultures. He passed his examinations and was called to Bar on
June 10, 1891. After two days he sailed for India.
He made unsuccessful attempts to establish his legal practice at Rajkot and Bombay. An offer from
Dada Abdulla & Company to go to South Africa to instruct their consul in a law suit opened up a new
chapter in his life. In South Africa, Mohandas tasted bitter experience of racial discrimination during
his journey from Durban to Pretoria, where his presence was required in connection with a lawsuit. At
Maritzburg station he was pushed out from first class compartment of the train because he was
coloured Shivering in cold and sitting in the waiting room of Maritzburg station, he decided that it was
cowardice to run away instead he would fight for his rights. With this incident evolved the concept of
Satyagraha. He united the Indians settled in South Africa of different communities, languages and
religions, and founded Natal Indian Congress in 1893. He founded Indian Opinion, his first journal, in
1904 to promote the interests of Indians in South Africa. Influenced by John Ruskins Unto This Last,
he set up Phoenix Ashram near Durban, where inmates did manual labour and lived a community
living.

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