Mahatma Gandhi

Throughout history, there have been people to stand up, become leaders, and fight for what is right. Some of these names include John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon B. Johnson, Benjamin Franklin, and Nelson Mandela. All of these people are remembered for speaking out and defending people who cannot defend themselves, due to intolerance and love of power. Perhaps, one of the greatest of them all is Mohandas K. Gandhi. Gandhi did the same thing as all these other liberators, but with a difference approach. The approach of peace and nonviolence.

Gandhi was born October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India (Jegen 17). He was born in to a rich, successful, well-off family. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, was a politician with no formal schooling and his mother, Putlibai Gandhi, was illiterate, yet devout to her Hindu faith (Sarvodaya). Growing up, Gandhi did poorly and school and hardly made any friends. He started smoking at the age of twelve, and to support this habit, he stole money from a servant and his brother. Eventually, he saw the error of his ways. In fact, he was so sorry that he wrote a letter of apology to his father in expectation of a furious reaction. His father cried instead (Jegen 18). This showed him a prime example of ahimsa, or nonviolence- something that he would later shape his whole career around. Gandhi got married at the age of thirteen to Kasturbai Makanji. He still remained in his shell and still had the same childhood fears, such as ghosts, serpents, and the dark. These fears inhibited him to remain in his shell and induced shame, especially when his wife, Kasturbai, would go out at night and he would remain home. Their servant, Rambha, tried changing his outlook by saying, “It is best to deal with fear not b...

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...be beaten with batons and rifle butts and did not cringe, they showed that England was powerless and India invincible. The rest was merely a matter of time (Jegen 65).” Needless to say, the tax was removed and India was later given its independence. Years later, Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu extremist on hiw way to nightly devotion. As he lay there dying, his only concern was that the killer stay unharmed. His final words were “He Ram, He Ram” (Oh God, Oh God) (Sarvodaya).

Throughout history, there have been people to stand up, become leaders, and fight for what is right. These people have left their footprints in history, but perhaps a select few have left prints the size of Gandhi’s. With saying "Be the change you wish to see in the world," Gandhi did just that and inspired many others to leave their footprints as well as people that have yet to leave theirs.