The Hidden Side of the Influential Leader, Gandhi
Once ----- stated, “Just as there are two sides to every story, there are two sides to every person. One that we reveal to the world and another we keep hidden inside” (____). And so did the great and unforgettable leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Who was the real Father of the Indian nation? Was Gandhi what one thought he was? Gandhi was and will always be on known for every child, every young man and woman, and every old man and woman mind. He will always be depicted as a noble leader whom spent life fighting for justice through “satyagraha”- reaching truth. Contrastingly, there is a second face to the person that we all adore. A face that was not known as the “Mahatma” or the “Bapu” that we all recognize and venerate. The side, which came to light by several well-known historians and writers, was unfortunately, a side that neither one of us would anticipate from a courageous, kind and gentle leader. Even though India’s God-Like Founding Father, Gandhi, was a great leader, there are further little known parts of his life, which are not yet exposed.
Was Gandhi the “Mahatma” – a holy person- that everyone thought he was? Some historians claim that Mahatma Gandhi, treated women abusively, in a way that individuals do not recognize. Everyone distinguished Gandhi as the man who led India to its independent, a man that would be sensible, loving and caring husband to his wife, and to all women in general. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the universal symbol of nonviolent resistance, and the dominant leader of Indian nationalism had another side, a side that most of us are unfamiliar with. A more human one. Like all men, Gandhi also had his own sexual desires, desires that turned out into t...
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...l his desires. In addition of taking advantage of his power, Gandhi also acted selfishly. As the psychiatrist Sudhir Kakkar declared, "During these experimentations, Mahatma Gandhi seems to have been so consumed by his own thoughts that he became oblivious of the effect that they may have on the women involved” (1). Let separate the “Mahatma” from Gandhi, cause Gandhi, is not a Mahatma. Gandhi as the leader of independence, who is described as a peacemaker, ethical and inspirational man, someone who gave himself to the Indian nation in order to help individuals, is not the Gandhi that is depicted throughout his severe and horrible action, that utmost people did not acknowledge.
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(1) http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/BZR-diaries-of-mahatma-gandhis-close-aide-manuben-accessed-which-reveal-that-manuben-4303304-NOR.html?seq=2
Mohandas Gandhi was a non-violent promoter for Indian independence.He was married young at 13,and went to London to go to law school.Gandhi got his degree there and was on his way to being a lawyer.He went to his first case,but couldn't even speak. Gandhi then got invited to South Africa from a businessman. Gandhi’s luck their was no good either.European racism came to him,after he got kicked off of a train,because he was “colored” and was holding a first class ticket.When Gandhi fought back because of it,was arrested and was sent to jail.After this, he became know as as a leader.Gandhi returned to India in 1896,and he was disgusted by it.British wanted them to wear their clothes,copy their manners,accept their standards of beauty,but Gandhi refused.Gandhi wanted people to live free of all class and wealth.Gandhi tried so hard and was more successful then any other man in India.They won independence in 1947. Gandhi’s non-violent movement worked because,Gandhi used clever planning, mass appeal, conviction, and compassion to win independence for India.
The mission of Gandhi’s life was to help the people of India free themselves from British rule. Many people have struggled for independence. They have fought bloody battles or used terrorism in an attempt to achieve their goals. Gandhi’s revolution was different. He succeeded as an independence leader with the use of nonviolent methods. The young Mohandas Gandhi did not seem as a boy that would become a great leader. He changed as he studied in Britain and practiced in South Africa. He fought for the rights of Indians in both South Africa and India. Gandhi believed that all people in the world are brothers and sisters. He didn’t hate the English. Actually, he saw a lot that was good about them. His nonviolent means of revolution was referred to as satyagraha, which is a combination of two Sanskrit words, satya, meaning truth and love, plus agraha, meaning firmness. Many people were influenced by satyagraha.
"Selections from Gandhi : Complete Book Online." WELCOME TO MAHATMA GANDHI ONE SPOT COMPLETE INFORMATION WEBSITE. Web. 01 Oct. 2011. .
Gandhi was not born poor or untouchable but to a respectful merchant class family (Bush 23). He did a lot of self-searching as a young man before becoming the “Mahatma” Indians respected and followed. Prior to achieving his status as an honored
Gandhi was a well knowledgeable and unique person who found hope in struggles that he never thought would shape who he was. Gandhi was born in a Hindu family, and even though he was the youngest he made a huge impact on others (“Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi” pg 3). He had his older brother who helped him with his education when his father passed away (“Mohandas Gandhi”). Gandhi was very religious even when he was little his brothers tried to make him eat meat (it wasn’t bad to eat meat in Hinduism when you are little), but he refused (“Mohandas Gandhi”). Gandhi respected his religion and was a respectful towards others.
What is Gandhian philosophy? It is the religious and social ideas adopted and developed by Gandhi, first during his period in South Africa from 1893 to 1914, and later of course in India. These ideas have been further developed by later "Gandhians", most notably, in India, Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan. Outside of India some of the work of, for example, Martin Luther King Jr. can also be viewed in this light. Understanding the universe to be an organic whole, the philosophy exists on several planes - the spiritual or religious, moral, political, economic, social, individual and collective. The spiritual or religious element, and God, is at its core. Human nature is regarded as fundamentally virtuous. All individuals are believed to be capable of high moral development, and of reform.
Potpourri, Kamat. "Gandhi: A Biography." Kamat's Potpourri -- The History, Mystery, and Diversity of India. 4 Jan. 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. .
The. Mehta, Ved. Mahatma Gandhi and His Apostles. New York: Viking, 1977. Print.
...Because of Gandhi’s power, his flaw, and his catastrophe, one would say that Gandhi fits the model of a Greek tragic hero. Gandhi’s power was his heightened goodness, proven by his innumerable civil disobedience acts, where he continued to fight even while he was regularly jailed. His flaw was his tolerance and acceptance of everyone which led to his catastrophic assassination by Nathuram Godse. Gandhi’s teachings of nonviolence and peace still live on today, as they have inspired many other human rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Gandhi’s teachings are responsible for the successes of civil rights movements in other countries. He not only helped free India from British rule, but also gave people new thoughts about violence and imperialism around the world. Even today, India continues to live and remember the tutelage of Gandhi.
Kumar, Ravindra. Mahatma Gandhi at the Close of Twentieth Century. New Delhi: Anmol Publications, 2004. Print.
Gandhi was a great man in a lot of ways he was born on October 2, 1869 in Western India. At the age of thirteen he married Kasturbi who was also thirteen before his father died. When he did his mother sent him to law school in England this was in 1888. While he was there he fell in love so to speak with the nonviolent ways of the Hindu scriptures of the Bhagavad-Gita, and in the bible tellings of Jesus.
Gandhi is motivated by religious means; he believes that everyone is equal in God’s eyes. He gets involved in several movements for equality, and he stresses non-violence very strongly. The Indians are very mad because British rule continues to limit their rights. They are supposed to all get fingerprinted, and their marriage laws are invalid. Gandhi’s followers vow to fight their oppressors to the death, but he discourages them from violence.
“The strongest physical force bends before moral force when used in the defense of truth.” - Mahatma Gandhi (Bondurant). Mahatma Gandhi was the main leader in helping India become independent through the principles of non violence, self-rule, and the unity of Hindus and Muslims. His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, but he was given the name Mahatma later on in his life. He wanted to see an united India without the rule of the British Empire. He accomplished this with passive resistance or resistance by non violence because he wanted to show that violence is not always the best answer.
Mahatma Gandhi has had a lasting effect on our world today. His philosophy and ideals have been adopted by many prominent figures in society. A powerful leader, he helped two countries in their struggle for basic rights. Gandhi is an amazing example of the things that can be achieved without violence. He proved that satyagraha is a powerful path to victory. Since his time many leaders have been inspired by his example and anyone who tries to change the world for the better using peaceful means owes something to Gandhi.
Apart from being a national leader and social reformer, Gandhi was a great communicator. More than any one else, he recognized that communication is the most effective tool to shape opinion and mobilize popular support. He was successful because he had a latent skill in communication that surfaced in South Africa where he had gone initially to set up practice as a lawyer. This gave him the clue to rally millions of his countrymen when he returned to India. Gandhi’s journalism belonged to an era when there was neither radio nor television. Such was the power of his 'soul communication' that whatever he said and wrote reached the farthest corners of this country within days and to the entire world thereon.