Angelica de Lima
English 101-36
10/31/10
Prof. Kingsley
“Mahatma Gandhi: Change with No Violence”
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” I am sure you have heard this
before, however, you might not know who it came from, or what made him say this. Mahatma
Gandhi was known around the world for his strong determination to promote social change and
to gain rights for Indians. He was a man who expressed his beliefs through the way he dressed
and presented himself as well as he lived a simple life by abandoning western dress for Indian
garb, fasting, and not owning much. He gave up his life for “India,” as well as helped to achieve
India’s independence with the principles: Courage, Non-violence, and Truth. As he said, “It is
better to allow our lives to speak for us than our words.” In other words, it is better to live
something instead of saying something. Gandhi’s work were mostly expressed as a performance
art, which is an action or spoken word directly between the artist and the audience.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India. He was
born in a Hindu, vegetarian, and also of a non-drinker wealthy family that was of merchant,
caste. Gandhi’s father was the prime minister to the raja of three small city-states and as Gandhi
described, his mother was very religious. At the age of 13 not being aware of the event Gandhi
married Kasturbai, a woman who followed Gandhi wherever he went and who also believed in
him. As a child he had the ambition to become a doctor in fact it was considered a disrespect to
his caste, therefore, his father suggested that he practiced law. After giving up his desire to
become a doctor, Gandhi left India to study law at University College in London although he
never became adapted to the English way of life. He even attempted to establish a law practice in
Bombay but he was not successful.
In 1893, Gandhi was offered thus accepted to work as a legal adviser by an Indian firm
with interests in South Africa in Durban. While traveling in a first-class compartment in Natal,
Gandhi was abused and treated as a member of an inferior race by being asked to leave the train
by a white man. After the occurrence of the discriminative act, he realized that Indians were
being discriminated against in South Africa. As a result, he made a campaign to improve the
legal status of Indians in South Africa.
Gandhi went back to India in 1896 to take his wife and his sons back to South Africa.
While in India, he told his countrymen about the unfortunate situation of Indians in Africa.
Consequently, people in South Africa heard of his speeches in India, and as he got back to Africa
an angry mob attempted to kill him. However he along with his family lived in South Africa for
21 years, working to secure rights for Indian people.
Gandhi bought a farm in Natal and returned to a simpler way of life. He began to fast as
well as gave up his sexual life after having fathered four sons, and he praised enthusiastically as
a means of spiritual purity. He then developed a method called “Satyagraha,” meaning “truth and
firmness” with the principles: Courage, nonviolence, and truth. Truth for Gandhi was a principle
that had to be experimented in every situation. He believed that the way people behaved was
more important than what they achieved. However Satyagraha also promoted civil disobedience
which meant Indians would refuse to obey the British by refusing to buy british clothes and by
refusing to buy salt from Britain. He believed that this was an important method for obtaining
political and social goals.
In 1907 Gandhi persuaded all Indians in South Africa to refuse to obey a law requiring
registration and fingerprinting of all Indians. For this act, he as well as the people that were with
him were imprisoned for 2 months till they agreed to voluntary registration. Although, he only
agreed to voluntary registration after General Jan Smuts agreed to withdraw the Asiatic
Registration Act, in which proposed that Indians and Chinese were to register their presence in
the Transvaal by giving their fingerprints and carrying out passes. As a result, Gandhi
encouraged his people to burn their passes. By this time he abandoned clothes made by the
british and began to wear an indian garb. Before he had completed his journey in South Africa he
achieved a law that declared Indian marriage, and extirpation of a tax on the documents for
Indian labor.
Gandhi went back to India, in January 1915, there he was known as “Mahatma” which
means a “holy person” or “great soul.” As in South Africa, Gandhi insisted on the Indian
resistance and spiritual regeneration. He spoke to Indians about a “free-Indian” individual.
Gandhi set up a 241-mile March to the coastal town of Dandi on the Arabian sea. The purpose of
the March, was to defy the British salt policies in India. The policy forced indians to buy salt
from Britain with a heavy salt tax. He explained to Indians that the salt that they were buying
from Britain came from India, and that they had to show the British that they could make their
own salt. While marching to the sea, he spoke and led prayers as well as brought to their concern
that they were being treated unfairly and with discrimination. Although he led civil disobedience,
he explained it as being appropriate to protest unjust laws. Gandhi picked up a handful of salt in
disobedience to the government and said, “With this salt I am shaking the foundations of the
[British] empire.'' Gandhi showed how making salt that was considered such an illegal act would
call the attention of the British, since Indians needed salt to survive they had to buy salt from
Britain, therefore, Britain gained a lot of money from Indians.
Gandhi wanted to change the untouchability in India. He believed that indians united
would be stronger in order to defy the British and gain India’s independence. “Untouchables”
were Indians who were considered undesirable and contaminating by their birth into a caste
system and thus seen less than humans. They were assigned to the lowest jobs and lived in
constant fear of being humiliated by the upper-caste Hindus. Gandhi called them “Harijans,” or
children of God. Gandhi stated, “It is easier to bridge the oceans that lie between continents than
it is to bridge the gap between individuals or the people.” In other words, the gap between people
is very hard to overcome. As an illustration, he started to do chores and encouraged his wife to
do the same, as he believed this was the first step to show Indians how anyone can clean, have
meals with people from other castes, drink from the same cups etc. For instance, the British
thought of a plan to have a separate electorate for the untouchables. As a result, Gandhi
confronted Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, a harijan leader who favored a separated lectorate for the
untouchables as a political guarantee of improved status. He also began a fast to death.
Consequently to Gandhi’s fast a temple was opened for exterior castes for the first time in
history.
Gandhi’s work was expressed through his actions and words. As he said, “You must be
the change you want to see in the world.” He was the model of what he wanted to change, indeed
he expressed every desire by taking the first step and by doing what he believed people should
do. He not only he gave up his wealthy life to live a simpler life, but he also gave up his social
life to promote changes for Indians. His true identity was shown through his work and
determination to fight against discrimination and to help achieve India’s independence.
Works Cited
• "Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale,
1998. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.
• "Gandhi, salt and freedom. (Cover story)." Economist 353.8151 (1999): 65. Academic
Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.
• Mayell, Hillary. “India’s Untouchables Face Violence, Discrimination.” National
Geographic News. 2 Jun. 2003. 31 Oct. 2010.
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0602_030602_untouchables.html>.
• Oberg, Jan. “The Salt March- Gandhi’s and My Own.” SGI Quarterly. 5 Apr. 2005. 31
Oct. 2010. <http://www.sgiquarterly.org/feature2005Apr-5.html>.