Mahatma Gandhi

                   Mahatma Gandhi

                                    (1869-1948)

2nd October the birth anniversary of  "father of the nation"  Mahatma Gandhi (Popularly known as Bapu). Every year   2nd October is celebrated as a  national festival known as "Gandhi Jayanti". This day all the people of  India celebrate as a festival of Non-violence, peace, and harmony. It is also celebrated as the international day of non-violence.

Gandhi Jayanti is Celebrated as a national festival, thus all the government and private offices,  schools, colleges remain closed on 2nd October.

His actual name is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.  Rabindranath Tagore was the first who called Mahatma, after that everyone using Mahatma instead of Mohandas.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat. His father Karamchand Gandhi was 'dewan of Porbandar'. His mother, Putlibai, was religious and belongs to the Vaishnava family. Gandhi learned the lesson of ahimsa (non-violence), vegetarianism and fasting for self-purification from his family.

At the age of 13, he was married to Kasturba. In 1906, Gandhiji took a vow of celibacy for self-discipline, spiritual purification and dedicate his whole life for the welfare of the public. His wife remained married to him until death. 

In 1888, Gandhi left India to study law in London, England, after completing his law he moved to South Africa in 1893 to work as a lawyer. Those days South Africa was under control of the British and the Dutch. In South Africa he and other Indians face racial discrimination, this provokes Gandhi to start fighting for the Civil rights in South Africa and where he developed the concept of  "Satyagraha" and non-violence. After spending 21 years in South Africa, he returned to India in 1915.

After arriving in India, Gandhi saw the poor condition of Indians, they have not enough rights to live happily, they are forced to work according to the British officers. 

Gopal Krishna Gokhale a senior leader of Indian National Congress, was the political guru of Gandhiji. He invited Gandhiji to join the Indian freedom movement. 

Gandhiji uses his concept of Satyagraha and Non-violence, which become popular among the common people. He started the various movement and agitation like Champaran movement, Non- cooperation movement, Dandi March, Quit-India movement, etc.

 

Champaran Movement: 

The Champaran movement in 1917 was a major success of Gandhi's Satyagraha and Non-violence. The peasants of Champaran district are forced to grow Indigo and sell it at a fixed rate. The peasants with the help of Gandhiji started non-violence agitation against the British government. And surprisingly this movement get successful and it helps to increase the popularity of Gandhiji.

Non-Cooperation Movement:

Non-Cooperation movement was one of the most influencing movements of Gandhi. This movement unites the different section of society. Earlier movements and agitations were divided into different sections of the society. In this movement, Gandhiji urged to start non-co-operation with the British government. He warned the British government not to pass the Rowlatt Act, but they ignored Gandhi, as a result of that Gandhiji started the Civil disobedience movement against the British government. The British government began to suppress the movement by force and arrested Gandhiji.

 

Dandi March:

In march 1930, Gandhiji with his followers started the Dandi march, to break the salt law. Starting the march from his ashram Sabarmati situated in Ahmedabad to Dandi on foot, where he broke the salt law of the British.

 

Quit India Movement:

During the World War II, Mahatma Gandhi took advantage of it and started an intensified Independence movement of India called as 'Quit India movement'. He was arrested on 9th August 1942. After getting indication from British to free India, he call off his movement.

Gandhi's fight for Independence of India become successful and India become independent on 15 August 1947.