Sohail hashmi biography of mahatma gandhi
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Gandhi’s eloquence and embrace of an ascetic lifestyle based on prayer, fasting and meditation earned him the reverence of his followers, who called him Mahatma (Sanskrit for “the great-souled one”). With his unusual yet powerful political tools of Satyagraha and non-violence, he inspired several other political leaders all over the world including the likes of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr and Aung San Suu Kyi.
Gandhi, apart from helping India triumph in its fight for independence against the English, also led a simple and righteous life, for which he is often revered. The incident is known as ‘Jallianwala Bagh Massacre’.
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Childhood
M. Gandhi's early life was pretty much ordinary, and he became a great man during the course of his life.
But the British failed to recognize it and soon they levied a tax on salt and Salt Satyagraha was launched in March 1930, as an opposition to this move. Many movies and documentaries have been made on the life of the Mahatma. Post the Independence, Gandhi’s image became the mainstay of Indian paper currency.
He refrained from active participation in politics for the next several years, but in 1930 launched a new civil disobedience campaign against the colonial government’s tax on salt, which greatly affected Indian’s poorest citizens.
A Divided Movement
In 1931, after British authorities made some concessions, Gandhi again called off the resistance movement and agreed to represent the Congress Party at the Round Table Conference in London.
This is one of the main reasons why Gandhi is followed by millions, for he proved that one can become a great soul during the course of one’s life, should they possess the will to do so. He believed that the British succeeded in India only because of the co-operation of the Indians. But the British responded aggressively to this and arrested many protesters.
Gokhale thoroughly guided Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi about the prevailing political situation in India and also the social issues of the time. Agitated by this, Gandhi passed a resolution at the Calcutta Congress in December 1928, calling on the British government to grant India dominion status. In fact, his sister Raliat had once revealed that hurting dogs by twisting their ears was among Maohandas’ favorite pastime.
The British promised many rights to various religious groups as well as the untouchables. But his move was questioned by many Hindu leaders. The protest was successful and resulted in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in March 1931.
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Negotiations over Round Table Conferences
Post the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Gandhi was invited to round table conferences by the British.
This turned him into an activist and he took upon him many cases that would benefit the Indians and other minorities living in South Africa. Born on October 2nd, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, Gandhi was raised in a devout Hindu family and received a traditional education. Gandhi believed in the power of individuals to effect change and his message of nonviolent activism continues to resonate with people from all walks of life.
Nonviolent Resistance
Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance:Gandhi believed in the power of nonviolent resistance as a means to bring about social and political change.This campaign marked Gandhi’s arrival in India!
Kheda Satyagraha
Farmers asked the British to relax the payment of taxes as Kheda was hit by floods in 1918.