Mahatma Gandhi
Nationally in India, Mahatma Gandhi is regarded as the Father of the Nation, let us know where in India he was born, what his parents' occupation or professions, his religion, and more.
- Name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- Born:- 2 Oct 1869
- Birth Place:- Porbandar, Gujarat
- Fathe's name:- Karamchand Gandhi, was a Political figure and Diwan of Porbandar and Rajkot
- Mother's name:- Putlibai Gandhi
- Education:- High School in Nov 1887 and Graduation in Law from University College of London
- Occupation:- Barrister
- Principles:- Non-violence, Truth, Simplicity, Vegetarianism, Brahmacharya
Born in India in Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi later emerged as a great social reformer and political figure at the same time.
Explain the role of the Mahatma Gandhi as a Social Reformer and Leadership
Mahatma Gandhi's principles play a more important role in our society rather than his name or caste. His ideas of non-violence methods have made him today internationally revised. Let us know how his ideas and he himself play a great role as a Social reformer-
Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa
After the completion of his Law degree from London, Gandhiji returned to India in his hometown in 1891. When he returned to India, he met his mother who was very ill at that time, and later in 1893 got an offer for South Africa where he was called for being Assistant Advocate, working for a businessman, named Abdullah. Well in April 1893 when Gandhiji was of only 23 years old reached South Africa. For him, it was not a great stay in South Africa as during those days many Indians in South Africa were struggling and facing racism, discrimination based on skin color and ethnics or Indian heritage. It was 7 June 1893 when he was thrown out of the station in Pietermaritzburg by some White People, those days racism was at such a level that even train compartment was decided according to the race or the color of the skin. Mahatma Gandhi was called by Abdullah for his work only for a year but he stayed there, when he saw all those discriminations against Indians on the basis of skin color, religious ethics, and Indians were not allowed to register as South African citizen and were given any rights to vote in South Africa which was a colony of British Empire 'elections. At that time, white people used to discriminate against black people and other skin colors, there were many European and White South Africans and many Asians, China People, Indian Ethics, Indian skin color people living together in South Africa. Mahatma Gandhi was insulted even beaten, seeing all that Gandhiji could not hold the injustice he found all those discrimination and racism inhuman. He used to think that how a person can be happy by hurting someone, how a human can differentiate each other on the basis of the skin color or its ethics, he found it very un-natural, thus he took his step towards revolting against racism, discrimination, no right to vote and more. He started meeting fellow Indians over there in Natal, thus he founded NATAL INDIAN CONGRESS in 1894, it was his first fight against South African laws and British Government . Though South Africa was under British Rule yet it had its own laws but the British Government and war were going in Natal between Natal citizen and British Empire which was later known as the Boer war. Gandhiji as a social reformer gave his ideas of Satya graha which means non-violence and a path of truth. He took all his fellow companions, with them fought against the law ,many times they were beaten or tortured but they never did anything violent, Gandhiji was leading Natal Indian Congress at thar time , was sent to jail many times but he never revolted violently. As he believed in Truth , Mankind , Righteousness, Non violence ,he never could take discrimination. Being an Indian he showed his leadership in his own Indian ethics style , he took more than 300 signs of fellow people before filing a petition against Non-right to vote and discriminations against Indians based on skin color or ethics. He even helped saving many Soldiers in the Boer war, when South African people were fighting against the British empire there were in need of medical treatment during the war , Mahatma Gandhi at that time managed a team of Indian people and some native people ,they acted as an ambulance unit on feet during the war, thus saving many lives during Boer and Zulu wars.
Gandhiji felt very sad when he saw discrimination and humiliation but he never held any grudges or became violent, he believed in truth and honesty. Not only he was against discrimination of Indian but also he resisted discriminations of Black South African people living there and many Asiatic people too by White people.
During the Zulu war he teamed a group of Black people in South Africa for nursing of the soldiers fighting in Zulu war. He and his team at that time helped many Black Zulu soldiers also and Britishers too. He was not having any thought of racism against anyone. He founded his first Satyagraha when the Asiatic Law of Transvaal stated that there would be a registration of all Asiatic citizens of South Africa, many Asians including people from China, India revolted against that law . Gandhiji managed his first Non-violent campaign at that time in 1906. He organized a group of people more than 2000 in the campaigns and acted as a non-violent method of resisting against law. Though he was getting arrested many times for his Non violent and force of truth compaigns , he was arrested in 1908, 1909,1913. After his release of 1913 jail , he got his triumph and many restriction of Indian immigration in South Africa , registration of Indians , discrimination laws were canceled and Indians were given an allowance of working in South Africa.
As a social reformer and leader Gandhiji had done a lot ,his thoughts has changed many imperial government. His act of non-violene and truth are highly appreciated until now. His ideas of non-violence, non-corporation, civil disobedience, satyagraha have taught many leaders around the world to get their goals in politics and disobeying imperialism.
He left South Africa in 1914 in the month of July.
When Did he entry into politics of India ? Return to India-Emergence as National politics -
Gandhiji came to India in 1914-1915 after living in South Africa for more than 19 years, and had won his battle there, in India he was not an influence at that time to such level. He never said anything for the first few years for Indian independence.
Chamaparan Satyagraha-
It was first in 1917 when a peasant of Chamaparan named Raj Kumar Shukla and Sant Raut came to him asking for his help for the forceful cultivation of Indigo in Bihar. At that time, British and Germany were at coming to be at war, and indigo was widely used all over the world as it could be used to make dye so Britishers in India forced many peasants to grow indigo on their fields but due to the agriculture of Indigo, peasants were suffering from drylands and not profit business as they were getting very income from that and their lands were becoming dry day by day, they were to share a quarter land of fields to cultivate indigo which further made their soil-less eligible for other crops cultivation and that piece of land was becoming dry. So these peasants went to Mahatma Gandhi and asked his role to act as a leader and social reformer for them at that time. Then, in the year 1917, he started his first nonviolent campaigns and civil disobedience in India first time in the home country. He observed very little things in villages, he moved to Champaran and talked to villagers and landlords, he asked to abandon the oppression of women, caste system, untouchability, he even built many basic schools in Bihar with the support of rich people there. He organized Champaram Movement in April 1917 with the help of his fellow people in Bihar. It was his first Satyagraha movement in India. This is how he first entry into National politics of India, in this satyagraha movement he asked many customs and traditions of Indian village system to be changed and asked people to join him for non-violent and path truth campaigns in Champaran, he asked landlords not to oppress peasants on the demand of the Britishers.
In 1918, in Ahmedabad ,Gandhiji led to the non-violent compaign for the rights of mill workers in Ahmedabad.
Kheda Movement-1918-
When some peasants were asked to give taxes for their crop cultivation and field management. It was huge tax for peasants thus Gandhiji went to Kheda in 1918 and asked for Non-cooperation movement in Kheda which later got success when British Indian Government decrement some taxes. Mahatma Gandhi was introduced to Saradar VAllabhai Patel during this campaign. Vallabhai Patel as a leader represented local peasants who were not able to pay British taxes as it was a famine there, at the end of May 1918, British released all prisoners and canceled revenue collection for that time. Here Gandhi's idea of Non-co-operation movement and non violence was used by Vallabhai Patel.
Khilafat Movement - 1919 -
Gandhiji supported Khilafat Movement to gain attention from the Muslim community of British India and rise together for a National Movement all across the country. The role of Mahatma Gandhi as a Social reformer and leadership in the Khilafat movement was to get the cooperation of Hindu-Muslims across the country to develop a Nationwide movement.
Non-co-operation Movement 1920
Launched on Sep 1920 against Rowlatt act and JAliawala bagh kaand. By 1921, he became the President of the Indian National Congress. The goal was to end untouchability and Purna Swaraj Complete Independence of India. In this movement, people boycotted all British materials, status, honor, goods, clothes, money to end their rule in India. Many were arrested including Gandhiji for more than 2 years. It was Gandhiji who asked people to avoid untouchability and end women oppression, he asked the people of India to take an oath of Non-violence and non-cooperation with the British and create a country of their own with the best constitution.
Dandi March 1930 -
Gandhiji believed that it is India's right on salt which comes through the evaporation on the coast of the Indian ocean and seas. There used to be a law deny Indians to use salt freely, more than 8.28 % of tax was imposed on the use or buying of salt. When Gandhiji saw that he started the Civil Disobedience movement in the 1920s which was not forgotten by the British as well as the people of Indian. He began his non-cooperation, non-violent Salt campaign from 12 March 1930 to 6 April 1930. This was the topmost example of the leadership of Gandhiji, who started with just 78 people towards Dandi in Gujarat from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and later more than 2 lakh people joined with him. They were walking all over the streets and singing Raghupati Raghav Rajaram. They disobeyed the rule of Salt laws and taxes and made salt by there own, then sold it out. Through this Dandi March 1930, he not only talked with the political diplomats of India during the walk but also encouraged all people of India from all classes to join him. Dandi March which lasted for 385 km walk for 24 days included many women and labor class people from over India in white khadi,they were available and registered as Satyagrahis. Did you know this was so bad for the British that they were not able to judge Gandhiji and signed Gandhi -Irwin pact after this movement.
Gandhiji during this movement also encouraged the abolishment of untouchability and violence against women and poor. Many women like Sarojini Naidu joined with him during this time. The DANDI MARCH was filmed by the cinema industry at those time and was shown in many worldwide magazines all over the world. Then, the whole world got to knew about Gandhiji and his Satyagraha movements in India.
After the Gandhi-Irwin pact which stated that every Congress prisoner and satyagrahis would be released and Gandhiji was asked to visit London on behalf of the Second Round Table conference Nov 1930 -Dec 1930 with the British Government. The British Government was not looking to grant India full Independence as a whole country, they were wanting to divide India according to Communal religious belief and culture. But Gandhiji did not like that and when he came back to India from London, he started his campaigns again.
Quit India Movement
Gandhiji was jailed by the British whenever they felt that Gandhiji's influence was growing. Whenever Gandhiji went out of jail, he used to see different political parties and views. Thus, he resigned from Congress, and later in 1942 he started his Quit India movement in which he asked the people of India to be together and not to agree with the British on dividing India, he asked the British to ultimately Quit India. It was then after World War 2 when the British told about the granting of freedom to India in 1944-46. During this time, India was going through the talk of the creation of Pakistan, which Gandhiji never accepted but Mohammad Ali Zinnah, one the Indian Congrees Representative and the President of Muslin Home League with his Muslims followers acce[pted it. Gandhiji played the role of Social reformer when it came to religious beliefs and cultural indifference, Gandhiji's thoughts and principles was never discriminative to any human based on religion, ethics, caste, gender, color, etc. It is him due to which many people in the country have their Civil rights and Freedom to speech, freedom to religion, freedom to education, and more civil rights.
Gandhiji highly believed that Untouchability was the major cause of Dividend in the Indian society which still one can see in India, he opposed it and called lower class people Harijans(people of Gods). He asked his fellow leaders of India to make everyone educated and independent with their civil rights in India which to date exists. He asked the people of India to live together and create harmony without being considerate of Religious beliefs and culture i.e. Unity in the Diversity of India.
Partition of India -1947
So now due to the Non-cooperation and Dandi March campaigns , the British were highly backed up and they got to understand that it was the time for them to leave India forever. But before that , Indian National and Muslim League were asked to accept the Partition of India on the basis of the Hindus and Muslim population in British India. Many leaders including Gandhiji denied that but it happened and during this partition, many violent riots happened in Calcutta and Lahore. Gandhiji took fast and asked people in Kolkata and many other places where Hindu-Muslim riots were going on, it was due to him many riots were calmed. But this partition brought India a huge crowd to resettle.
Death of Bapu-1948
Gandhiji was shot dead in Jan 1948 by Nathuram Godse. It is still asked why was he shot, the killer of Mahatma Gandhi did not try to run after shooting him and he was caught with some of his other fellows in crime. Many reported him and many historians wrote that Godse killed Gandhiji because he used to embark on him as a great leader who could not stop the partition and communal riots between Hindus and Muslims, though he could. He felt that it was because of Gandhiji's ignorance and his thoughts and monopoly on India's concern of politics and tolerance.'Godse believed that Gandhiji was too much not aware of Muslims and violence against Hindus in the country, he told that he thought Gandhiji was a traitor of Hindus and Hindu's tolerance towards violence.
Conclusion-
Though it was a dark time for India from 1947-48, now due to GAndhij's support, leadership and his principles of Non-violent campaigns and true followers of him, Satyagrahis, now India and Pakistan both celebrate their independence. Thus,the role of Gandhiji's social reformer and leadership can be exaggerated from the above description --
1- Gandhiji believed that all humans must be treated as equal in terms of laws and constitution. That is why he fought in South Africa for Civil Rights that can be the Right to vote, education, living, speech, ethics, and more. Do you know Nelson Mandela took his many principles and thoughts of Gandhiji for his Nationwide movement in South Africa against Apartheid. And later, from USA Martin Luther King recognized Gandhiji's path of non-violence and won the election in America, and destroyed hatred of White people against Black people in America.
2- His contributions of non-violence and truth can be known and celebrated today internationally as International Peace Day on his birthdate that is 2nd October.
3- Gandhiji came to India in 1915 from South Africa and enter into Nationwide politics, his leadership played his best role at reforming land revenues tax , social in-equality of women, caste system, even he brought up young education development also at those times for everyone in villages.He used to work with low-class people whom at those times people were not used to even touch, with those low-class people Gandhiji and his followers cleaned sewers, sanitation lines, collected un-used materials of people, and later Gandhiji asked his fellow politicians to grant complete freedom to all classes of people in India, he asked Indian National Congress to draft a constitution in which every
citizen of India has their own Civil rights and freedom in new India.
4- Gandhiji's thoughts are completely against racism, discrimination, religious riots, colonialism, violence, war, and the abolishment of Civil rights. His principles of Non-violent campaigns have influenced Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. Do you know NRI day is celebrated on 9 th Jan after every two years in India as on this day in 1915, Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa, this day is celebrated for those people of India living outside of the country but had done or doing the best for India.
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