Professor gerhard rempel biography of mahatma gandhi

He went there to work as a legal representative for an Indian firm. Initially, Gandhi planned to stay in South Africa for a year, but the discrimination and injustice he witnessed against the Indian community there changed his path entirely. He faced racism firsthand when he was thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg station for refusing to move from a first-class carriage, which was reserved for white passengers.

This incident was crucial, marking the beginning of his fight against racial segregation and discrimination. Gandhi decided to stay in South Africa to fight for the rights of the Indian community, organizing the Natal Indian Congress in to combat the unjust laws against Indians. His work in South Africa lasted for about 21 years, during which he developed and refined his principles of non-violent protest and civil disobedience.

In response, Gandhi organized a mass protest meeting and declared that Indians would defy the law and suffer the consequences rather than submit to it. This was the beginning of the Satyagraha movement in South Africa, which aimed at asserting the truth through non-violent resistance. This philosophy was deeply influenced by his religious beliefs and his experiences in South Africa.

He believed that the moral high ground could compel oppressors to change their ways without resorting to violence. Gandhi argued that through peaceful non-compliance and willingness to accept the consequences of defiance, one could achieve justice. This form of protest was not just about resisting unjust laws but doing so in a way that adhered to a strict code of non-violence and truth, or Satyagraha.

His readings of various religious texts and the works of thinkers like Henry David Thoreau also contributed to his philosophy. Satyagraha , a term coined by Gandhi, combines the Sanskrit words for truth satya and holding firmly to agraha. Satyagraha called for non-violent resistance to injustice, where the satyagrahi practitioner of Satyagraha would peacefully defy unjust laws and accept the consequences of such defiance.

This approach was revolutionary because it shifted the focus from anger and revenge to love and self-suffering. Gandhi believed that this form of protest could appeal to the conscience of the oppressor, leading to change without the need for violence. In implementing Satyagraha, Gandhi ensured that it was accessible and applicable to the Indian people.

He simplified complex political concepts into actions that could be undertaken by anyone, regardless of their social or economic status. Satyagraha was demonstrated through the boycotting of British goods, non-payment of taxes, and peaceful protests. One of the key aspects of Satyagraha was the willingness to endure suffering without retaliation.

Gandhi emphasized that the power of Satyagraha came from the moral purity and courage of its practitioners, not from the desire to inflict harm on the opponent. The effectiveness of Satyagraha was evident in various campaigns led by Gandhi, both in South Africa and later in India. In India, the Satyagraha movement gained momentum with significant events such as the Champaran agitation against the indigo planters, the Kheda peasant struggle, and the nationwide protests against the British salt taxes through the Salt March.

These movements not only mobilized the Indian people against British rule but also demonstrated the strength and resilience of non-violent resistance. Through Satyagraha, Gandhi sought to bring about a moral awakening both within India and among the British authorities. It led Winston Churchill to make the disparaging remark about the half naked fakir.

When Gandhi was asked if was sufficiently dressed to meet the king, Gandhi replied. Gandhi once said he if did not have a sense of humour he would have committed suicide along time ago. After the war, Britain indicated that they would give India independence. However, with the support of the Muslims led by Jinnah, the British planned to partition India into two: India and Pakistan.

Ideologically Gandhi was opposed to partition. He worked vigorously to show that Muslims and Hindus could live together peacefully. At his prayer meetings, Muslim prayers were read out alongside Hindu and Christian prayers. However, Gandhi agreed to the partition and spent the day of Independence in prayer mourning the partition. Away from the politics of Indian independence, Gandhi was harshly critical of the Hindu Caste system.

He launched many campaigns to change the status of untouchables.

Professor gerhard rempel biography of mahatma gandhi

Although his campaigns were met with much resistance, they did go a long way to changing century-old prejudices. At the age of 78, Gandhi undertook another fast to try and prevent the sectarian killing. After 5 days, the leaders agreed to stop killing. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth. Gandhi said his great aim in life was to have a vision of God.

He sought to worship God and promote religious understanding. He sought inspiration from many different religions: Jainism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and incorporated them into his own philosophy. On several occasions, he used religious practices and fasting as part of his political approach. Gandhi felt that personal example could influence public opinion.

Supplication, worship, prayer are no superstition; they are acts more real than the acts of eating, drinking, sitting or walking. It is no exaggeration to say that they alone are real, all else is unreal. Further Reading. Building Anew. Assault with Salt. Negotiating Repression. Finally, under pressure from the British and Indian governments, the government of South Africa accepted a compromise negotiated by Gandhi and General Jan Christian Smuts, which included important concessions such as the recognition of Indian marriages and the abolition of the existing poll tax for Indians.

He supported the British war effort in World War I but remained critical of colonial authorities for measures he felt were unjust. He backed off after violence broke out—including the massacre by British-led soldiers of some Indians attending a meeting at Amritsar—but only temporarily, and by he was the most visible figure in the movement for Indian independence.

The iconic Indian activist, known for his principle of nonviolent resistance, had humble beginnings and left an outsized legacy. As part of his nonviolent non-cooperation campaign for home rule, Gandhi stressed the importance of economic independence for India. He particularly advocated the manufacture of khaddar, or homespun cloth, in order to replace imported textiles from Britain.

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.

British authorities arrested Gandhi in March and tried him for sedition; he was sentenced to six years in prison but was released in after undergoing an operation for appendicitis.