Gandhi - Bapu: India’s Father
When you mention India’s father of the nation, the picture of a bald, smiling old man in nothing but a worn-out shawl comes to our mind. This is the man who broke out of the boundaries of his country and established his place in the world as an idol of peace; Mahatma Gandhi.
Early life and influences
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Gujrat, India. His father was the chief minister of a small state. His mother was the fourth wife of his father; the previous three died during childbirth. Arranged child marriage was a tradition in his area, so Gandhi was married at 13, to Kasturbai Makhanji who was at that time 14 years old. Gandhi first became a father at the age of 15, but the child, tragically, didn’t survive more than a few days. Later, Gandhi and Kasturbai had four sons: Harilal, Manilal, Ramadas, and Devdas.
Gandhi did not achieve any remarkable feats in studies or any physical activities. He was an average student and he passed his matriculation exam with difficulty. He then went to London to study Law and jurisdiction, as his family wanted him to. In 1891, he returned to India after learning about his mother’s death. Despite his studies, he couldn’t practice law because of his shyness while speaking in court. He managed to make a moderate living by attending small businesses that changed very often.
Gandhi’s earliest influences were the Indian classic novels. He was moved by the story of King Harishchandra, who had to give up almost everything to protect his honesty but never tried to find another way and was later rewarded for his character. Gandhi tried to follow the same principles in his life and became successful.
The beginning of the protest
When he was in South Africa, he faced harsh discrimination against all ethnic nationalities. Once, he was thrown from a train because he refused to give up his seat in the first class to a white man. He protested against it and, the next day, he could sit in the first class. This incident gave him the resolve to fight discrimination. Not much later, he was beaten by a driver for the same thing. He was kicked out
In January 1887, Gandhi was beaten up by a gang of white men. He was saved by a woman who stood between him and his attackers. The media published this event and members of the attacking mob
The next big event was when the British government, who ruled India back then, passed an act that legalized arresting and locking Indians up in prison without a trial if they were suspected of terrorism. Gandhi led his famous non-violent civil disobedience and boycotting all British products including food and clothing. He encouraged everyone to make their own food and clothing, blowing a large hole in the British economy. Seeing trouble, the British imposed the Salt Act which made it illegal for an Indian to produce his own salt. Gandhi was imprisoned
After independence, Gandhi again started a hunger strike when a war between India and Pakistan was going on because of a payment Pakistan claimed India owed them. His strike ended the war and brought back peace between the rival countries.
Gandhi was killed in 1948 by a Hindu who claimed that Gandhi favored Pakistan over India and hated his non-violent stance. The loss for India was immeasurable and people grieved for his death everywhere. Even in death, he brought the two opposing parties of India together, working as one to reinstate order in the country.
The white man
Gandhi was nicknamed “Bapu” by his followers. In Hindi, it means “father”. This man showed everyone that one man can change the whole world if he wants to and that it’s not necessary to be violent if you are protesting. He always raised his voice against injustice and discrimination, but never once in his life had he wanted revenge.
His whole life can be described with his famous words: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”