mahatma Gandhi and his life

Mahatma Gandhi (Image: TheWire)

Gandhi is a popular yet still a controversial name, so as this article will be!

Starting his journey from an introvert to emerge as a world leader, Gandhi’s life has many stories to tell. We know Gandhi as a strong and courageous leader who has brought us freedom but Gandhi had been never like this before!

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. He belonged to a good upper class Hindu family. Gandhi used to be a coward from his early days. He had told about a lot of incidences in his autobiography “The story of my experiments with truth”. It was time which transformed a man who could not even speak in court as a barrister to man who fought and spoke to the world!

He was married to Kasturba in his teenage and was lustful. It was when his father died and he felt that he was not able to see him breathe lastly because of his lust, he felt ashamed. After this incident, he went to England for higher studies. He was a strong believer of truth. Because of the vows given by his mother, he never touched meat, women and liquor there. When he returned, he was a barrister who was not able to speak anything for his clients. Although, he had learnt many other things but his introvert nature was coming in between his career. When he got opportunity to flee to South Africa, he at once agreed for the proposal. Although, the proposal was very good and he wanted to leave India. He didn’t want to stay here.

He had been in South Africa for 27 years. All those years, he strived for self- realization and searched for God. Time is a harsh but best teacher and it also taught lessons to Gandhi which proved necessary in his later years. Once, he had a valid ticket, still he was thrown out from the first class compartment under the criteria of “Apartheid”. He wrote letter to higher authorities and it was for the first time, he stood for something. Then, in South Africa, he met many people and his true journey of life started.

Gandhi had shifted his family from India to South Africa. He tried to fit his family according to European standards but in vain. When his profession progressed satisfactorily, it was not satisfying him.

“The question of further simplifying my life and of doing some concrete act of service to my fellow men had been constantly agitating me”, Gandhi has told in his book.

While talking to one of his friends, he came up with the idea that he needs to adopt Brahmcharaya for self-realization.

In 1901, Gandhi had first experience with congress. He met Gopal Krishna Gokhale there. At that time, Gokhale wanted Gandhi to settle in Bombay and help Congress. But due to an emergency, he had to go to South Africa.

His work for the freedom of India started after 1914. This time, Gokhale had instructed Gandhi to come India. After this, Gandhi came to India and visited many places to see the situation first. He had gained popularity in South Africa and now was getting it in India. He had many European contacts and he closely knew their mindset. Moreover, he was a barrister, so he closely knew the ways to solve political problems.

Congress wanted assistance and management from Gandhi’s part. More than half pages of the book of his life say nothing about Indian Freedom and his interest in it. I have read only once when he said that India needs him.

It was after his 27 years from South Africa when he began working with congress. He was a strong believer of non-violence. He believed that Satyagraha can solve problems which violence can’t.

He used to dress up in European style. It was in 1921 when he visited Madurai and saw poor people and farmers wearing dhoti. He was disturbed by the scene he had witnessed. He decided to dress in the simplest form as his countrymen do!

Gandhi worked for poor peasant, led Dandi March and led Civil disobedience movement. He did Satyagraha and asked peasants to grow Indigo. He promoted ‘Swadesi Movement’ after he saw people working on spinning wheel and got the idea to promote handloom. He himself worked on spinning wheel to influence people. It was his experience and knowledge that he took such steps that shook away the sleep of British people.

The result of struggle done by Gandhi and many other Great leaders brought us freedom on August 15, 1947. But story about Gandhi doesn’t end here.

Some experiments of Gandhi were out of some people’s mind like his experiment with sleeping with naked women with Chastity. He wanted people to know about his experiments but some editors didn’t want to publish it and two of them also left their job. As he had his own experiences and his own experiments, we don’t know what kind of mindset was he having and it was his personal life which we can’t judge. As only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.

Another reason for hate of some people towards Gandhi was fasting to convince congress to give 55 Crores to Pakistan for which the congress wasn’t agreeing as India was itself suffering and was not financially strong.

Besides working for India, Gandhi had much more controversies. Nathuram Godse killed Gandhi and that day some people celebrated. Nathuram Godse had no regret of doing so. In his last attempt for assassination of Gandhi, Nathuram Godse had failed and Gandhi told that they are children, when I’ll die they’ll say that old man was right.

Gandhi took his last breathe on January 30, 1948 at the age of 78!