Mahatma - The Great Soul
Mahatma Gandhi as the entire world refers to him, was born in the state of Gujarat on 2nd October 1869. We call him Bapu while the world knows him as Mahatma or the great soul. This great soul remained firm to his beliefs and principles till his death. He made remarkable contributions to Indian and world Politics. It won't be an exaggeration if I say that his groundbreaking efforts brought India her Independence. He gave the world the message of peace and non violence. He initiated the 'Satyagraha' movement and stood-up to British dictatorship by mass 'Civil Disobedience' wide spread all over the nation. Even in the present day, Gandhi remains a great inspiration to many. People in different parts of the world trust and follow Gandhian philosophies. Some of the great personalities who have followed Gandhi are Martin Luther King, Jawaharlal Nehru, Nelson Mandela and Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam. President Obama in one of his speeches has expressed Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration. India has bestowed on him the title of 'Father of the Nation'. His birthday, 2nd October is celebrated as a national holiday all over India. World wide it is celebrated as the 'International Day of Non Violence'.
His father was Karamchand Gandhi. His mother was Putli Bai who was a great devotee of God and a staunch Hindu. Karamchand called his son Mohandas. The real name of Mahatma Gandhi was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. His father Karamchand gandhi was Dewan of Porbunder and Rajkot. Karamchand had four wives, three of whom died during childbirth. Not many people are aware of the fact that Putli Bai was Karamchand's fourth wife. She was a religious and traditional lady. She gave moral education to her son Mohandas and played a vital role in shaping his character as a great human being. When Mohandas was very young, he heard stories from the scriptures and mythology through his mother. She taught him to be kind hearted, compassionate and committed to truth and honesty. She raised him as a complete vegetarian and also taught him that fasting would lead to 'Self Purification'. She taught him to pray to God and be religious. As per the teachings of his mother, Mohandas became a firm believer of Hinduism and yet he had equal respect for other religions.
When he was just 13, his wedding with Kasturba was celebrated. He lost his first child and had four sons afterwards. Harilalwas was the eldest, Manilal was second, Ramdas the third and Devdas was the youngest. He did his basic schooling in Gujarat and was an average student. He went to England to study law. After returning from England as a Barrister at Law he started drafting legal petitions to earn his livelihood. He went to Natal, South Africa to argue the case of Dada Abdulla Sait. There, he was moved by the suffering and violence undergone by the Indians. The behaviour of whites towards the people of Indian origin as well as the Blacks was intolerable. He was extremely upset by the happenings in South Africa. The racism discrimination, the widespread prejudice and the unfair treatment of the whites stimulated him to take some initiative about it and he established the 'Natal Indian Congress' there.
When he returned to india in 1915, he was not interested in the practice of law anymore. He wanted to work for the society and the nation. He started the 'Satyagraha Ashram' near Ahmedabad and lived there. His mind was filled with 'Sarvodaya' ideal. Man should live by truth and non violence, he said, and preached hatred towards none. Inspired by his lectures, even people like Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, whose lifestyle was very modern during those days, became his deciples.
Gopal Krishna Gokhle introduced him to Indian politics. When Gandhi associated himself with the 'Indian National Congress', his prime objective was 'Poorna Swaraj' or complete independence. Leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai had warned the British who were ruling India. Apperance of Gandhi in the political arena at such a time to open their eyes was almost providential for the Indians. He defied the British rule in the form of 'Satyagraha'. He launched the 'Non Cooperation' and 'Civil Disobedience' movements. The 'Salt Satyagraha' completely baffled the British as Gandhi dared to distribute salt himself, to oppose tax on it. He also played a major role in boycotting foreign goods and spreading awareness about the 'Swadeshi Policy'.
Gandhi was a humanitarian. He opposed 'untouchability' which was widely prevalant in the Indian society during those days. He was completely against the stigmas of the Indian society like 'caste system', 'sati pratha' and 'child marriage'. On seeing religious clashes, he strove to banish differences between the Hindus and the Muslims. He expressed his strong views in his paper, 'Harijan'. He was sentenced to jail several times for participating in the freedom struggle. He undertook 'Satyagraha' by fasting many times. The entire nation had reposed immense confidence in Gandhi. Following the 'Quit India' movement, there was no alternative for the British, but to granting independence to India however, Gandhi was arrested then also.
Of course, we attained independence on August 15, 1947. But India was divided into 'Hindustan' and 'Pakistan'. That triggered communal violence all over the country, causing bloodshed. Gandhi tried to foster amity between 'Hindus' and 'Muslims'. Gandhi breathed his last chanting 'Hey Ram' on the evening of January 30, 1948. Nathuram Godse, a misguided youth who presumed that all the problems could be solved if Gandhi was killed, shot him when Gandhi was approaching a prayer meeting. The mahatma's demise was not death. He has achieved 'Amaratwa' or eternal life as he is enshrined in the minds of billions of Indians for ever and ever.
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