“My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realising Him.”
Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of life was based on two intrinsic elements, Truth and Non-violence. He is thus the history’s most inspirational figures in the world.
Today the nation remembers Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. The United Nations General Assembly observes Gandhi’s birth anniversary as the ‘International Day of Non-Violence.’
Mahatma Gandhi lived a simple life who always dressed in a cotton cloth which gradually became his trademark. Gandhi believed in secularism and wanted India to be a democratic country. He wanted both Hindus and Muslims to live in harmony.
Mahatma Gandhi also shares his birthday with the second Prime Minister of India Pt. Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Gandhi was also a lawyer who moved to South Africa in 1893 to represent an Indian merchant in a lawsuit. He went on to stay for 21 years. It was in South Africa that Gandhi raised a family, and first employed nonviolent resistance in a campaign for civil rights.
In 1915, at age 45, he returned to India. He set about organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women’s rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, and above all for achieving Swaraj or self-rule.
Mahatma Gandhi named his non-violent resistance against British Rule as “Satyagraha Movement”. Like “Satyagraha movement” Mahatma Gandhi also emerged with many other protests like “Dandi March” in 1930 along with “Quit India Movement” or “India August Movement” in 1942 which was the prime weapon of Mahatma Gandhi to make India free from Britishers. Due to these activities, he was arrested several times. Finally, on 15 August 1947 India got independence from the British Empire.
Gandhi is an epitome of love, peace and non-violence and the world accepted him with immense respect for showing the way to gain independence through non-violence.
