Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Biography 
Known as the father of the nation (Baapu), a global peace icon and the pioneer of non-violence and many other national movements round the globe, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869 to the Diwan of Porbandar state, Karamchand Gandhi. He was assassinated on 30th January 1948 but the tradition of non-violence that he sparked lives, even in this fast changing world.
His mother Putalibai was from the Pranami Vaishnav community and Karamchands fourth wife, the earlier three dying due to child birth. At 13 he was married to 14 year old Kasturbai Makhanji who affectionately came to be known as ‘Ba’. When he was 15 the couple had a child. Unfortunately it survived only for a day. They then had four more children. He did schooling from Porbandar, high schooling from Rajkot and passed his matriculation exam for Shamaldas College Bhavnagar. But since this family wanted him to become a barrister he traveled to London to study and train to become a barrister.
He then travelled to South Africa where he had to face various hardships due to discrimination based on caste and creed. One instance being, he was driven out of the first class coach even though he had a valid ticket. He thus extended his stay in South Africa and united the Indians there making them fight for their rights, thus forming Indian national congress in 1894. During this struggle the satyagraha movement was conceptualized and it bore fruit as the Indians staged peaceful protests against the South African government on the act passed for registration of Indian population.
On return to India he staged the famous Kheda satyagraha, as the farmers were forced to grow indigo (cash crops) instead of grains necessary for their survival. He then did a study of all the surrounding areas and brought the entire village together. He was put into jail for creating unrest. He always incorporated non-cooperation and peaceful resistance to the British raj. He then set up the Indian national congress with the goal of swaraj. He then requested people to boycott British cloth and British made goods and encouraged use of KHADI. He was then a part of various protests like the salt march, to reduce tax on salt. The quit India movement etc. on 14th 15th August the Indian independence was evoked and thus India and Pakistan were separated. His efforts paid off making India independent on the 15th of August.
Published: N/A
Updated: September 28, 2017
