Catrin fychan biography of mahatma gandhi
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On 15 August 1947, when India became independent, free from the British rule, Gandhiji fasted and prayed in Calcutta.
On 30th January 1948, Gandhiji, on his way to the prayer meeting at Birla House, New Delhi, fell to the bullets fired by Nathuram Vinayak Godse.
As observed by Louis Fischer, “Millions in all countries mourned Gandhi’s death as a personal loss.
An offer from Dada Abdulla & Company to go to South Africa to instruct their consul in a law suit opened up a new chapter in his life. Gandhiji jumped at the idea and sailed for South Africa in April 1893.
His birthday is celebrated every year as Gandhi Jayanti. When he refused to do so, a constable pushed him out and his luggage was taken away by the railway authorities. Invested with all the authority of the Indian National Congress (INC or Congress Party), Gandhi turned the independence movement into a massive organization, leading boycotts of British manufacturers and institutions representing British influence in India, including legislatures and schools.
After sporadic violence broke out, Gandhi announced the end of the resistance movement, to the dismay of his followers.
A Cabinet Mission arrived from England to discuss with Indian leaders the future shape of a free and united India, but failed to bring the Hindus and Muslims together. Same year in 1918, Gandhiji led a Satyagraha for the peasants of Kheda in Gujarat.
In 1919, he called for Civil Disobedience against Rowlatt Bill. Gandhiji was also influenced by this ancient book.
He was also considered the father of the country.
Influenced by John Ruskin’s Unto This Last, he set up Phoenix Ashram near Durban, where inmates did manual labour and lived a community living.
Gandhiji organized a protest in 1906 against unfair Asiatic Regulation Bill of 1906. He united the Indians settled in South Africa of different communities, languages and religions, and founded Natal Indian Congress in 1893.
Gandhiji was against the partition and chose to be with the victims of riots in East Bengal and Bihar. To win his mother's approval Gandhiji took a solemn vow not to touch wine, women and meat and remained true to it throughout his stay in England.
Gandhiji was born in middle class family of Vaishya caste. Gandhiji's call roused the sleeping nation. In South Africa, Mohandas tasted bitter experience of racial discrimination during his journey from Durban to Pretoria, where his presence was required in connection with a lawsuit. But British government dithered in its response and on August 8, 1942 Gandhiji gave the call for Quit India Movement.
At Dandi Gandhiji picked up handful of salt thus technically ‘producing’ the salt. It was a new world for young Mohan and offered immense opportunities to explore new ideas and to reflect on the philosophy and religion of his own country. But he returned to India in 1915 as Mahatma.
As advised by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gandhiji spent one year travelling in India and studying India and her people.
Gandhiji and his volunteers instructed the peasants in elementary hygiene and ran schools for their children.
In Ahmedabad, there was a dispute between mill workers and mill owners. That train journey served as a turning point for Gandhi, and he soon began developing and teaching the concept of satyagraha (“truth and firmness”), or passive resistance, as a way of non-cooperation with authorities.
The Birth of Passive Resistance
In 1906, after the Transvaal government passed an ordinance regarding the registration of its Indian population, Gandhi led a campaign of civil disobedience that would last for the next eight years.
Drawn back into the political fray by the outbreak of World War II, Gandhi again took control of the INC, demanding a British withdrawal from India in return for Indian cooperation with the war effort.