Author:Divakarbabu There was a boy. His name was Mohan.
He was studying in a school at Rajkot. He was not bright at studies, but was very fond of reading.
Once he read the story of Shravana.
Shravana used to carry his old and blind parents in two baskets slung on
a bamboo yoke. Mohan was deeply touched by his devotion to his old
parents. He resolved to be like Shravana and serve his parents.
Once Mohan saw a play depicting the life
of King Harishchandra, who lost his kingdom and suffered much for truth.
Mohan was so deeply moved by this play that he was in tears. He decided
never to swerve from the path of truth and be ever truthful and honest
like Harishchandra.
In his childhood the young Gandhi was very
timid. He feared to step in darkness, even in his own house. He feared
ghosts and thieves and snakes. Rambha was a maid servant in his house.
Once she said to Mohan: `Why are you so much fearful? Remember Rama!
Rama will always protect you. Fear never encounters him who remembers
Rama.'
Mohan was deeply impressed by these words.
He took to reciting the name of Rama. His faith in Rama increased as he
grew up. He remembered God and dedicated all his work to him. When he
died his last words were `He Rama!'
Mohan's father, Karamchand Gandhi, was
popularly known as Kaba Gandhi. In early years, he was the Diwan of
Porbandar, and after that he became the Diwan of Rajkot. During his stay
in Rajkot, his Parsee and Muslim friends often visited his house and
discussed the good in their religions. Young Mohan, who quite often sat
by father's side, heard these discussions. These debates created in him a
real love for all religions.
Once the Inspector of schools came to
visit his school. He wanted to test the boys, so he dictated a few
English words to the boys. Mohan could not spell one of the words
correctly. His teacher prompted him to copy that word from his
neighbour's slate, but Mohan didn't. He did not like to cheat anybody,
come what may. The result was that all the students except Mohan, spelt
all the words correctly. The teacher
scolded Mohan after the class and Mohan felt wounded. But deep inside him he knew that what he had done was right.
scolded Mohan after the class and Mohan felt wounded. But deep inside him he knew that what he had done was right.
Mohan's full name is Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi. He was born in Porbandar, on the sea-coast of Saurashtra, on
October 2, 1869. He did many great things when he grew up. Throughout
the world he is now known as Mahatma Gandhi. He led us Indians to the
non-violent fight for freedom and finally lay down his life for our
sake. He ranks among the greatest teachers of all time like Buddha and
Christ. He is the Father of our Nation. Every year, his birthday is
celebrated throughout the world.
In those days, India was under the British
rule. Once a boy told Mohan: `Do you know why the British are so strong
and why they can rule over us? It is because they eat meat. If we
become meat-eaters, like them, we will be able to drive them out.'
Mohan was convinced by this argument. But
everybody in Mohan's house was strictly vegetarian, so he tried
meat-eating outside. He did not disclose this secret to anybody, yet he
was averse to telling a lie and deceiving the parents, so finally he
decided not to touch meat again.
Mohan was taken to smoking also. For this
he had to steal money and to incur debt. When the debt increased, he
stole a piece of gold from one of the gold-bracelets that his brother
wore and paid off the debt.
But soon after that, his heart was filled
with remorse. He resolved never to steal again. He wrote down a
confession of his crime on a piece of paper and put it in the hands of
his father who was then sick.
The father read the letter and without uttering a word, tore up the paper with a deep sigh.
Mohan was deeply grieved. Tears rolled
down his cheeks. He saw the power of truth. From that day, telling the
truth became a passion with him. He loved his father more and more. He
massaged his legs and served him in all possible ways.
But his father did not live long. He died when Mohan was only sixteen.
After passing his Matriculation
examination, Gandhiji joined a college for further study, but his eldest
brother decided to send him to England to become a barrister.
Now, Mother Putlibai asked Mohan to take a
vow not to eat meat, not to drink and not to live an immoral life,
Gandhiji took this vow, and boarded a steamer for England.
He arrived in London in October, 1888. At
first, he had to face numerous handicaps. He almost starved until he
found a good vegetarian restaurant. He learned Latin and French too, and
finally passed his law examination. Now he was a barrister.
Then he returned to India. He was anxious
to meet his mother and tell her that he had kept his vows in England.
But as soon as he landed in Bombay, he heard that his mother had passed
away only a few weeks ago! It was a terrible shock, yet he restrained
himself.
Now Gandhiji started practice as a lawyer
in Rajkot. After some time, an offer came to him to go to South Africa
as a legal adviser to an Indian firm owned by a Gujarati Muslim
businessman there. Gandhiji accepted the offer and in May 1893, he went
to Natal in South Africa.
In South Africa, Indians were ill-treated
and disgraced. They were called `Coolies'. Very soon Gandhiji too had
his share of this experience. He was travelling in a train to Pretoria,
in a first class compartment. On the way, a European passenger entered
the compartment and found Gandhiji in it. He complained to the station
master: `Take this coolie out and put him in a lower class!'. Gandhiji
raised an objection that he had a first class ticket, but nobody heard
him. A policeman pushed him out with his bag and baggages. The train
left. Gandhiji spent the night shivering in cold, but he did not touch
his luggage.
This incident changed the whole course of
his life. He decided to fight all such injustices with the weapon of
Truth. Later on, he named this weapon Satyagraha.
More trouble was still in store for him.
Next morning, he went to Charlestown by train. He had now to travel by a
stage-coach to Johannesburg, but he was not allowed to sit inside the
coach with white passengers. To avoid confrontation Gandhiji sat outside
on the coach-box behind the coachman. After some time the conductor
asked him to sit on a dirty sack on the step below. Gandhiji refused.
The conductor began to pull him down and give him blows upon blows. Some
of the passengers now came to his rescue and Gandhiji was allowed to
sit where he was.
These
experiences inspired him to do something to end these sufferings of
Indians. He called a meeting of the Indians in Pretoria and told them to
form a league. This was his first public speech. It caused a new
awakening among Indians.
Gandhiji settled out of court the case for
which he had gone to South Africa. This enhanced his reputation. He had
helped many to settle their disputes out of court.
After his stay for three years in South
Africa, Gandhiji returned to India in 1896. In India, he made speeches
about the plight of Indians in South Africa. He then set sail for South
Africa, with his wife Kasturbai and two sons. In the meanwhile, the
newspaper reports of his speeches in India had reached South Africa in a
distorted form. From it, the whites thought that Gandhi had abused them
in India, and they were furious.
As soon as Gandhiji landed at the port of
Durban, a mob of angry whites threw stones and bricks and rotten eggs at
him. They tore off his turban and beat him and kicked him until he was
almost unconscious.
At that time, the wife of the
Superintendent of Police happened to pass by. She ran to his rescue and
opened her parasol to protect him, holding it between him and the crowd.
She led Gandhiji to a safe place.
The South African Government wanted to
punish the wrong-doers, but Gandhiji refused to file a complaint. This
had a very good effect on the whites.
In 1906, the Transvaal Government issued
an order that all Indians — men, women and children should register
themselves with Government by giving their full finger-prints and get
their permits. He who fails to do so, will be fined, imprisoned or
deported from the country.
Gandhiji declared: `This is an insult to
the Indian community. We must fight this `Black Act' in a non-violent
way. The Government might use force, arrest us, send us to jail, and
prosecute us, but we must face all this without resistance.' He called
this `Satyagraha'.
Indians gathered in large numbers and took
an oath in the name of God, not to register themselves. They showed
wonderful unity. Hundreds of Indians were arrested, but they didn't put
up any defence in courts and went to jail. Gandhiji, too, was
imprisoned. At last Government made a compromise with Gandhiji and gave a
promise in writing to repeal the Black Act if the Indians registered
themselves voluntarily.
All the prisoners were released. Most of
the Indians supported Gandhiji, but a few rose against. They accused him
of being a coward. A Pathan named Mir Alam was one of them. When
Gandhiji set out for registration, Mir Alam hit him with a heavy stick.
Gandhiji was knocked down unconscious. When he recovered he found
himself in the house of an unknown Englishman. The first thing he did
was to inquire about Mir Alam and forgive him saying, `I don't want to
prosecute him.' Then he called the registration officer, gave him his
finger-prints and got himself duly registered.
Thus Gandhiji fulfilled his part of the
agreement at the risk of life, but Government went back from its promise
and refused to repeal the Black Act.
The Government of South Africa had imposed
a heavy poll-tax on Indians. Gandhiji wanted to get all these
injustices removed. So again he started the satyagraha movement. A big
bonfire was lit and more than two thousand permits were burnt in it.
Those who called Gandhiji a coward now greeted him as a real hero.
Gandhiji and many of his colleagues were
imprisoned several times in course of this struggle. Gandhiji gave up
his practice as a lawyer and devoted all his time in the service of the
great cause that he had taken up. He renounced his European dress and
put on the simple clothes of a poor Indian labourer. He walked barefoot.
He took only one meal a day.
In jail, Gandhiji did hard labour for nine
hours a day cheerfully. He never complained about any hardships. He
suffered terrible pain of boils in hands, yet did not budge from the
work given him. He was made to carry
luggage's, and was taken to court handcuffed.
Meanwhile, the court in South Africa
declared all Hindu, Muslim and Parsee marriages illegal and the
Government supported the court. Kasturba could not brook this insult of
Indian womanhood. She asked Gandhiji to enlist her name as the first
woman satyagrahi. Women under her leadership broke the law and courted
arrest. Kasturba was also arrested and jailed.
Young elephants gather at a watering hole in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park. (Image credit: 
