The man they called Mahatma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The man they called Mahatma - Essay Example The class teacher seeing this asked Mohandas to copy from his neighbour's slate. Mohandas refused and was rebuked by the teacher for his attitude. Mohandas married Kasturbai at the young age of thirteen, a marriage that lasted for sixty-two years. Mohandas set sail for England from Bombay on September 4th 1888 and enrolled for studies in law at Inner Temple Inns of Court. He was called to the bar on June 10th 1890, and set sail for India on 12th of June. From a barrister-at-law to a Mahatma, a leader of millions of Indians was a transformation unparalleled in history. On return to India, Mohandas had an uneventful and mediocre practice that lasted two years. Fallout with a British Political Agent had made Mohandas view things differently. He wanted to leave India. Opportunity came to him in the form of a business firm in Porbandar that wanted him to represent them in South Africa. Gandhi's experience in South Africa transformed him and he came back a different man and went on to become the man they called Mahatma. After landing in Durban, Natal, the lawsuit required Mohandas Gandhi to travel to Pretoria. He was given a first class ticket for the travel. During the overnight journey at a place called Maritzburg, Gandhi was manhandled and removed from the train. South Africa was at that time under Apartheid. On that bitter night at Maritzburg the germ of social protest was born in Mohandas Gandhi1. It dawned on Gandhi that he as an individual should fight for his rights against adversities and that through his actions; others will follow and win freedom. In 1901 when Gandhi decided to return to India, the Indian community got together and honored him and his family with a party. The congregation showered Gandhi and his family with gold, silver and diamonds for their contribution to confront the white minority government on their behalf. Gandhi had earlier received gifts in 1896, but they were inconsequential and Gandhi took them out of kindness. This time around the gifts were very precious and this began to haunt Gandhi. He was torn between the yearning for financial freedom and worldly freedom2. He decided to do away with the worldly pleasures and gifted the precious metals for community service, and he followed the same principle when leading a simple life in India. The pledge at the Imperial Theatre in Johannesburg on September 11th 1906 was a critical date in Gandhi's life. This day, Gandhi pledged before God not to obey the proposed anti-Indian ordinance if it became law3 thus was born "Satyagraha", Satya for truth, and agraha for firmness or force. Gandhi followed this path in his disobedience movement act against the British later in India. The Satyagraha was "the vindication of truth not by infliction of suffering on the opponent but on one's self"4 The Salt Satyagraha, also known as the Dandi March on March 12th 1930, is an event that shook the entire British Empire. Gandhi and 78 volunteers walked from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi defying the orders of the British Government to pay tax on salt that was easily available from the sea. They walked 241 miles to reach Dandi to produce salt on their own. Analysis Though Gandhi was an unsuccessful lawyer, destiny had other things in store for him. A business firm offered to send Gandhi as their legal advisor to