Great Leader of Non Violent Revolution
Mahatma Gandhi
by Shoji Tsuruta

Why do people have the idea of starting a war? Today, whenever we switch on the TV, we hear all these news, reporting wars in places such as Iraq recently recent and now the North Korea. Taking the case of the Iraq, we saw and heard of many innocent people including children killed during this war by the bombs shot by the U.S. It is said that ‘war arises due to the changing relations of numerous variables, technological, physical, social and intellectual.’ Coming to consider about it, it is something very frightful and yet we have hardly any power by ourselves to stop the occurrences of war. However, I came up with one Indian man, who was able to stop a war by using the method of non-violence. Mohandas Gandhi. Here I would like to introduce his background and also some events he participated in, not the famous ones, but the minor.

Mohandas in youth

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar (http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/gujarat/porbandar1.gif), which is a small town on the western coast of India. He was born in the middle class of the Vashiya caste. Although he has became one of the most famous men on history, back in elementary school didn’t seem very ‘brainy’. He found difficulty in mastering the multiplication tables. Further, he said to himself with candour many years later, “My intellect must have been sluggish and my memory raw”. Therefore he was conscientious but believe it or not, he was a mediocre student, and was exclusively shy and timid. In addition his books were his sole companions, and he spent all his free time alone reading. He entered the primary school at the age of seven, but at only the age of thirteen, Mohandas was told that he soon would be getting married to a girl his parents had already chosen. A bride who lives in Porbandar, and her name was Katuraba.
After passing his high school examination, Mohandas was to go to England to study and become a lawyer. On September 4, 1888, Mohandas left for England. Unlike before, he became a very hard working student, and concentrated on his studies. This achievement had lead Mohandas to be admitted as a lawyer on June 10 1891. As soon as he became a lawyer, he decided to sail back to India, which he did two days later, June 12. When Gandhi returned to India, he set up his practice as a lawyer in Rajkot (http://www.all-india-tour-travel.com/map/gujart/rajkot.htm). However, he was disgusted with the greed and the pettiness that he found among the lawyers. Noticing such situation, he realized that it was difficult for the poor and the humble to get away from such things. It was then, when an offer came to him to got to South Africa on behalf of Dada, Adbulla & Co. Though it was painful to be parted from Katurba again, he accepted the offer, as he was excited with the opportunity to see the new country and new people. On April 1893, he left Bombay heading for South Africa, taking a long time, and finally reaching the port of Natal, towards end of May, 1893. The first thing that he noticed was that, Indians were treated with little respect in this country. He spent three years in South Africa, meeting the Indians and talking about social injustice. By this time, he was a well known figure, everyone recognized his frock coat and turban. As his practice was going on well, and knowing that the people here wanted him, in 1893, he decided to go back home and bring his wife and children to South Africa. Six years had passed since he had brought his family to this country, when Mohandas became more and more involved in public activities and began to think that his future activity does not lay in South Africa, but in India.
Arriving in India, having been very successful as a lawyer, in matter of fact, more than what people have expected of him. From here is where Gandhi began to be famous for his non-violent activity as we know him now for beating Britain by the peaceful revolution, stopping Britain from holding on to India any longer. Britain agreed to a planned withdrawl from India, without bitterness and in friendship. Though he had made a great contribution not only to India but through out the world, on January 30, 1948, Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, for religious reasons. Shot three times in the chest, Gandhi fell dead. The precise time was 5:12am.

Gandhi’s last path

In conclusion, many people know what Gandhi did or at least have some kind of a rough equation, Gandhi = non-violent revolution, but do not know his backgrounds. I have been showing a minor part above that might help to understand how such hero was created. In addition I believe and hope that from now on, there will be a rapid increase of such humans with peaceful heart which will end war

References
http://www.mkgandhi.org/index.htm