A Small Background to Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October, 1869 at Portbandar in Gujarat in a family of the traders. His father worked as a Diwan in Zamindari state.
Mohandas completed his school and college education in Gujarat. Then he went to England to study law.
After passing his law examinations, Mohandas returned to India and went to practice at the Bombay(Mumbai) courts.
In 1893, he went to South Africa to resolve certain legal problems faced by the Indians living there due to operation and suppression by the British rulers.
It was in South Africa, that Gandhi realised the philosophical principle of life that had, in course of time, brought about a tremendous change in his life. The emigrants who were settled in South Africa had their abode in Natal.
Gandhi became the leader of the South African Indian community. He introduces a non-violent non-cooperation movement which was proved successful; the Indians were more oppressed by the government.
Joining Congress
After a few years, Gandhi returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress to fight the cause of liberation for the Indians from the British ruling. Gandhi applied the same policy of Satyagraha (non-violent and non-cooperation movement) and the British rulers were upset in the face of this novel political formula.
Influencing India
Gandhi knew that the Indians were not mobilised with weapons to fight the mighty British rulers. He asked his countrymen to boycott British goods and use Swadeshi (country-made) goods, and to ignore British administration without any violence.
He himself used a primitive wooden spinning wheel for making rough cotton khadi for his simple dress of loin cloth and a chaddar. Millions of Indians followed him and spun clothes for themselves. Khaddar became the national dress of the Congress politicians and the wheel became the symbol of the Indian national flag.
Gandhi marched out of his ashrama(one of four life based stages in Hinduism) with his followers to Dandi on the bank of Indian Ocean and made salt from sea water. As the making of salt is prohibited by the government, Congress workers were beaten, arrested and jailed. He went to jail many times because he fought for India’s independence.
In 1942, Gandhi offered, “Quit India” slogan to his countrymen. In 1946, communal riot broke out in Bengal. He visited villages and towns, preaching peace among the people.
At the End
India won freedom on 15th August, 1947. On 30th January, 1948, Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, the editor of Hindu Rashtra(Hindu Nation).
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