Essay on Mahatma Gandhi: Mahatma Gandhi was a heroic son of Mother India. He played a lead role in getting Freedom to India From the British. Gandhiji was born on October 2, in the city of Porbander, Gujarat. His real name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhiji was the last child to his Father Mohandas Karamchand and Mother Putlibai Gandhi.
Early Life and Education
Gandhi married his wife Kasturba Gandhi very early at the age of 14 in an arranged marriage ceremony. In 1887, At the age of 18, Gandhiji had completed his school education from a high school in Ahmedabad, later he went to Samaldas College in Bhavnagar State for Higher Education but he dropped out of college to return to his family at Porbander. Later by the recommendation of his family priest and encouragement by his bother Laxmidas who also a lawyer, Gandhi decided to pursue law in London. The following year he left for London from Bombay now Mumbai through the ship while his brother giving him a send-off.
Gandhi at London
Mahatma Gandhi attended law at the University of London. By the promise he made to his mother, Gandhi remained a vegetarian and abstained from alcohol consumption throughout his stay in London. As Gandhi was a shy person, he worked on himself to overcome shyness, he developed great communication and leadership skills overtime in his course of stay in London. After completing the studies from the University of London at the age of 22, Gandhi returned to India. He initially wanted to practice law from Bombay high court but after a few failed attempts in practicing law in Mumbai, he decided to move to Rajkot to earn a modest living.
Travel to South Africa
In 1893, At the age of 23, Gandhi was approached by an Indian merchant named Abdullah, to be a lawyer of his cousin in Johannesburg, South Africa who needed a lawyer. Gandhi accepted the offer and left for South Africa to be a lawyer of Abdullah’s cousin. In South Africa, Gandhi had faced several racial discrimination from white people. At one instance Gandhi was pushed out from Train as he was traveling in the first-class coup that was only allowed for white people travel. Irked by all these humiliating Incidents, Gandhi decided to overstay and protest against discrimination in South Africa. So he overstayed in South Africa although his tenure as Abdulla’s cousin Lawyer had come to an end in the year 1894. Gandhiji had spent nearly 21 years in South Africa supporting oppressed people, before returning to India. Gandhi gained popularity and huge respect in front of Black South African People. He was seen as a national hero by South African People after he won them voting rights in South Africa.
Return to India
In 1915, Gandhi decided to move to India based on the request made by Gopal Krishna Gokhale. He joined Indian Nation Congress, become very active in politics and the Indian Freedom Movement. He Successfully organized many freedom movements and protests to ultimately secure Freedom to India From British Rule. Salt March, Quit India Movement, Non-co-operation movement were some of the iconic protests organized by Gandhiji. Gandhiji followed Satya Graha (Non-Violence) throughout all his agitations and protests against the British till India Gained Independence in 1947. Gandhiji rose to prominence in Indian Politics, and the nation revered him as Father of India, also Bapu. Rabindranath Tagore gave Gandhiji the title “Mahatma” a great soul to honor his unbeatable contribution to Indian Freedom. Since then Indians fondly started to call Gandhiji as Mahatma Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi died on January 30 1948. He was laid to rest at Raj Ghat Memorial in New Delhi.