Mahatma Gandhi Essay, Research Paper

Analytical paper on Mahatma Gandhi

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the achievement of Mahatma

Gandhi. Mahatma’s name is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi was a Indian

political and spiritual leader that lived from 1869 to 1948. In South Africa he

fought for Indian population and practiced law there as well. He worked hard for

Indian independence from Great Britain and He gave up on western ways to have

a abstinence and spiritual life. Most of his fights was by him fasting until the

violence has ended. His achievements were all by his fight against violence and

the unfairness in this world. He has helped a lot of people by fighting against

violence and the Indian population.

Gandhi helped everywhere he went like when Gandhi was still deeply

involved in Champaran, he received news about the labor conditions in Ahmedabad

and he went right on to right a letter to Bhai Ambalalji who was a mill-owner.

He doesn’t interrupt in affairs of family relationships because he doesn’t want to

be involved in any affairs. Gandhi’s achievement was all for the good of the

people and was all volunteering. His success in South Africa brought him to India

and he has planned to use the same method that he has used in South Africa for

the campaign which was a geographic strategy that would soon be in a sense that

he has conquered the world. Gandhi was a caring person because he said the site

of his “home” would be a poor town in a poor city in the center of India.

(Gandhi’s truth page 291 line 10) That meant that even if he had a lot of money

he would still help the poor and live with them. He has put his life on the line

many times by becoming a passive resistance as a way to end the British rule but

his efforts forced the British to put him in jail many times but he had threatened

them that he will fast until his death which made them release him from jail. He

has helped the poor in the Caste system by leading the fight in the Indian

National Congress to get rid of the Caste system mainly the untouchables.

Unfortunate he was unsuccessful in doing so. Gandhi believed in not killing

animals for food or clothing. He believed that the way people behave is more

important than what they achieve.

Gandhi succeeded because in 1915 he returned to India and within five

years, he became the leader of the Indian nationalist movement. In 1919, the

British government introduced the Rowlatt bills to make it unlawful to organize

opposition to the government. He led a campaign and has prevented one of the

bills from happening. This is one of his main successfulness in his life. The event

that has made Gandhi really determined was when a British general ordered his

mens to fire on an unarmed crowd which the result was that 400 Indians was

killed. Gandhi was determined by using one of his strategies which was to begin

an program of hand spinning and weaving about 1920. This program helped to

fight independence by aiding economic freedom by making India self-sufficient in

cloth, it promoted social freedom through the dignity of labor, and it advanced

political freedom by preparing Indians for self government. In 1930, He led

hundreds of followers on a 200 mile march to the sea to make salt. This was the

salt act, which made it a crime to possess salt not bought from the government.

He should be honored because he was jailed for seven years in prison for political

activity and he believed in going to jail for a good cause. He is really a

reasonable man that bases everything on rights and helping out other people that

is in need. Gandhi was awarded by becoming the international symbol of a free

India, dressing in a simple loin cloth and shawl. Also by the Indians revered him

as Mahatma meaning “Great Soul”. He is considered to be one of India’s hero

because of his fights for freedom and nonviolence. In 1947 India was granted

freedom. Gandhi was saddened also by the rioting between Hindus and Muslims

that followed. In 1948, On Gandhi’s way to his evening prayer meeting, Gandhi

was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic who objected to Gandhi’s tolerance for the

Muslims. The Hindu fanatic shot Gandhi three times which shocked the whole

world. Gandhi lived his life just the way he wanted helping other people and

winning freedom and India. On January 28, 1948, two days prior to his

assassination he said ” If I am to die by the bullet of a mad man, I must do so

smiling. There must be no anger within me. God must be in my heart and on my

lips”. His last words were “H? Ram”.

In conclusion, disagreeing to popular belief there were many failed attempts

on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Mahatma. On June 30th 1946

speaking at a Prayer Meeting at Pune, after an unsuccessful assassination attempt,

the Mahatma said, “By the grace of God I have been saved from the proverbial

jaws of death seven times. I have not ever hurt any body. I consider no one to

be an enemy, so I fail to understand why there have been so many attempts on

my life? The attempt on my life yesterday failed. I am not ready to die just yet.

I am going to live till I reach 125 years. ” Out of these attempts five are known

and involve the Pune branch of the Hindu Mahasabha. Three of which also point

to the involvement of Narayan Apte and Nathuram Godse. Godse Apte and the

Mahasabha as well as their off shoot the Rasthtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have

always claimed that the Mahatma was murdered because he was unfair to the

Muslims, because he was responsible for the operation of India and because he

forced the government of India to give Pakistan 550 million (55 Crores Rs ).

Apart from the last two attempts on January 20 1948 and his murder on January

30 1948. Bapuji had not shown any so called unfairness towards Muslims, the

country was not divided and there was no question of giving 550 millions (55

Crores Rs ) to Pakistan. Yet the Hindu Mahasabha and the Godse Apte gang of

murderers were hell bent on killing the Mahatma.

Bibliography

GANDHI’S TRUTH On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence

by Erik H. Erikson

Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand

http://www.historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl?ID=20260

Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948)

http://search.nytimes.com/s…/fastweb?getdoc+site+site+133248+8+wAAA+mahatma%7Egand

The Life of Mahatma Gandhi

by Fischer, Louis

The Philosophy of Gandhi: A Study of His Basic Ideas

by Richards, Glyn