GHANDI

             On October 2, 1869, the "little brown saint" was brought into the world; during this time India was under the British monarchy. During his early years he did not show the signs of developing into the great leader that he eventually became but nevertheless Gandhi aspired to be a lawyer, follow in the footsteps of his father and become a respected member of the community. Throughout his life Gandhi fought against colour prejudice, promoted religious harmony and toiled laboriously to gain independence for his country.
             Gandhi was a great man who brought about many changes all over the world but especially in India. His means of bringing about change and the effect he had on people made him a respected and loved individual.
             Gandhi travelled to South Africa for the first time in the summer of 1892, to try his luck at a law firm. He was not aware of how deeply he would be involved in South African affairs while he proceeded on his journey. Indians in South Africa suffered many disabilities. For instance, an Indian "had to carry a pass if he appeared on the streets after 9 p.m."(Pg. 24). Gandhi felt this was completely unfair and by the time he had finished his campaign against colour prejudice in South Africa, "the three pound tax on farm indentured labourers was annulled, Hindu, Muslim and Parsi marriages were declared valid; free Indians and their wives could continue to come into the country from India"(Pg. 47-48).
             Gandhi achieved this status for Indians in South Africa by a method called "Satyagraha" or "passive resistance". This involved a non-violent means of refusing to co-operate with the government's wishes, thus forcing the government to meet the demands of the resistors. This method of nonco-operation earned Gandhi a great deal of respect, world-wide acclaim and helped him considerably reduce legalized racism against Indians in South Africa.
             Gandhi was a very patri...

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GHANDI. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 07:37, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/46313.html