Mohandes “Mahatma” Gandhi 1869-1948 Leo R. Sandy
Gandhi Spent over 2000 days in jail in his struggle against oppression Gandhi used nonviolence to end a 250 year rule of India by the British He was a very shy child and found home as his sanctuary He was married at age 13 to a girl also 13 in an arranged marriage He and his wife had 4 children At age 18 he attended law school in England
Gandhi cont’d He studied and was impressed by Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and the part in the Bible about turning the other cheek On his way to South Africa to begin his new job as a lawyer, he was thrown off the train for riding in the white section with a first class ticket He felt like getting revenge but then said, “An eye for an eye only makes the whole blind” This experience launched his active nonviolent resistance movement
Gandhi cont’d He believed that people should never be hated or attacked – only unfair systems He overcame his shyness and began to speak out and lead protest marches He became the first “colored” attorney to practice law before South Africa’s supreme court Justice became an important issue for Gandhi to the point that he became less domineering and more respectful of his wife He also gave up his possessions, fasted often, did spinning regularly, and spent one day a week in silence
Gandhi cont’d He protested against the caste system and its oppression of “untouchables” He also was against the unjust laws that the British made against the people of India Instead of just going against the British, he wanted to reform or convert them so they would see what they were doing was wrong and then allow India independence The British were so afraid of nonviolence that they killed 379 unarmed men, women, and children in Armristar and would have killed more but ran out of ammunition
Gandhi cont’d Gandhi referred to the massacre at Armristar as one example of “political jui jitsu” Gandhi led many marches to get the British to leave India. One was the Salt march in reaction to the British law that Indians were not allowed to make their own salt Gandhi insisted that “Noncooperation with evil is as much a duty as cooperation with good” In 1947 after many nonviolent actions and days spent in jail by Gandhi and his followers, the British passed the Independence of India bill and freed India from British control
Gandhi cont’d The Independence Bill also divided India into two parts one of which became Pakistan and mostly Muslim. This broke Gandhi’s heart because he yearned for Hindu/Muslim unity Riots between Hindus and Muslims occurred and millions of people were killed. Gandhi fasted to death in order to stop the killing and his action worked Gandhi was shot to death by an upper caste Hindu in 1948 because of his support of Muslims Over a million people came to his funeral To this day, Gandhi is seen as the greatest teacher of nonviolent resistance that the world has ever known
Gandhi quotes My life is my message We must be the change we want to see in the world The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever The good man is the friend of all living things. In a gentle way, you can shake the world
Video Gandhi’s Enduring Legacy
Reference Beller, B, & Chase, H. (2008) Great peacemakers: True stories from around the world: Sedona, AZ: LTS Press Brainy Quotes. Retrieved from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mahatmagan15072 4.html