The Life And Times Of Mahatma Ghandi
Late at night on a train to the country of South Africa an Indian man, in first class, was asked to leave the section he was sitting in, because of his colour. This man argued for his right to ride in first class, since he had paid for the ticket. The Indian man was very surprised. He had come from a moderately wealthy background and had graduated from law school in Britain. He had the ticket and the degree but he was still thrown off of the train because he would not go back to sit in 3rd class, where they said he belonged. His reaction to this discriminatory act would not only send a tremor through the Indian man but would create a tremor that would shake the British Empire for years to come. He would free India from English control, using a totally new and revolutionary tactic of passive resistance and non- violent protest. He persisted in his fight despite being sent to prison many times. The man I will speak about in this essay is ,Mahatma Gandhi.
The turning point in Mahatma Gandhi's life began in South Africa. He found himself in the midst of an intimidated and oppressed Indian community that was the target of state sanctioned discrimination. The leadership role did not come easily. Gandhi struggled to overcome his personal inhibitions, while working towards uniting the South African Indians in protest against discrimination and racism. After several brief incarcerations in prison, he succeeded in getting the local government to relax its laws for the first time in 1908 then again in 1914.
Mahatma Ghandi was a devout and devoted man. This characteristic was displayed not only in his public but, also his private life. In 1906 he took a vow of celibacy. He lived and worked for change in South Africa for 20 years. It should not be surprising that his work in South Africa inspired him to achieve the near impossible back home in India, where Gandhi was becoming an icon in the eyes of many.
During this...