Non-Violence In Mahatma Gandhi

The ability to effectively bring change upon the world is a characteristic that many leaders strive to have. Mahatma Gandhi has this characteristic. His ability to change the world is in itself an astonishing task. Although, Gandhi went beyond just simply changing the world. He did so in a way that was not seen done on such a large scale; He used non-violence as his weapon. After watching the self-titled film, Gandhi, it is easy to see the astounding leadership quality Gandhi possessed. Throughout the film Gandhi utilizes non-violence to spark the idea of complete independence from Britain and lead India towards completing this goal. Though Gandhi’s overall focus was non-violence, he used many different methods and tactics to achieve independence
Beginning his protesting in South Africa with this method allows him to complete two minor goals as well. First, Gandhi is able to exhibit that though his body is small and appears weak, his heart and mind are capable of withstanding any physical harm he may face. Gandhi, in a physical sense, is not alarming or frightening. Yet, Gandhi was able to show that it is not a person’s physical aspects in which power comes from. Power originates in your heart and mind. This is the perfect counter to any violence that Britain forces upon India. Disconnecting the idea that strength and power come from physicality from the mind of the people allowed for Gandhi to reallocate where Indians viewed the source of strength and power. By doing so, Gandhi was able to strip Britain of their only advantage, violence. Secondly, Gandhi portrays the villain as the British Police Official. As the bystanders and reporter witness Gandhi’s beating he displays the wrong and terrible actions that the British rely and embody. These are violent actions. This simple, yet impactful, method was able to accomplish these two important goals and by doing so, Gandhi was able to spark what would be a non-violent attack against Britain and maintain the support of his followers. The support of his followers continues even as he is imprisoned. When the salt workers protest without violence and accept the pain they are about to experience, Gandhi’s tactic of withstanding pain from the enemy is fully developed. This example in the film further displays and exemplifies Gandhi’s unmatched effectiveness in non-violent protest. Once his followers utilize his tactic of experiencing pain and withstanding the consequences, the British fully develop their understanding as to how far India will go to obtain their