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FORGING A FUTURE<o:p></o:p>At the age of 13, I was married to a 14-year-old girl. It was an arranged marriage as was normal for our Jain culture in northwest India. We went on to have children and despite the responsibility of a family, I decided that I wanted to study law.<o:p></o:p>When I was 18, I set off for London’s University College. I was excited to study there. At the time, India was under the rule of the British. Although they imposed their law on our country and people, they could not change our customs and beliefs. <o:p></o:p>I had witnessed much poverty and hardship in my home city of Porbandar. My interest in law was driven by my desire to help make things fairer.<o:p></o:p>My mother had been a strong influence in guiding my thinking. She had taught me about the Jain religion and the importance of resolving differences through respect, tolerance and understanding. <o:p></o:p>It took me quite some time to get used to Western clothes and culture. I was teased because of my vegetarianism and felt I would never fit in. However, I did find like-minded people. I even became President of the Vegetarian Society. I met with idealists and political activists – all of whom had a lasting influence on my life.<o:p></o:p>LIFE LESSONS<o:p></o:p>In 1891, I graduated and qualified as a barrister and just two days later, set sail for India. <img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F38ea9198ab61419b88539b1a2a26dd42" alt="" style="width: 262.171px; height: 317.719px;"> <o:p></o:p>I set up a law practice in Bombay (present-day Mumbai), but I soon realised I needed to make a better living, so I accepted a one-year contract in South Africa. <o:p></o:p>Even though I had a good job, I faced discrimination due to my race. One day, I was humiliated by a train guard for not allowing me to use my first-class ticket. Instead, he told me to sit in third class. When I refused, I was thrown off the train. And when a judge told me to take off my turban, I refused and left the courtroom. <o:p></o:p>I decided to stay in South Africa and campaign for civil rights. The Natal Indian Congress was formed in 1894, and it was through this organisation that the Indian community found a voice in South Africa. My aim was to bring about peace and prosperity, even though I was arrested several times for leading resistance to inequalities. <o:p></o:p>I knew that we had similar problems with prejudice and inequality in India. So in 1914, after 21 years in South Africa, I boarded the boat back to India. On my return, I established a farm called Sabarmati Ashram for my family and my supporters.<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2F0b7d15d9a7244f1d8e0e546c85e841aa" alt="" style="width: 322.816px; height: 238.75px;"> <o:p></o:p>A CALL FOR CHANGE<o:p></o:p>It was a religious community where we lived simply, ate vegetarian food and prayed regularly. I also stopped wearing Western dress and from then on wore only Indian clothes made from cotton that I had weaved. I led with a non-violent approach to protest against British rule. Many joined me and I became known as Mahatma, meaning ‘great soul’.<o:p></o:p>I then began the start of my political campaign for independence in India. I felt that Indians should rule India, and to start with, I did it to help poor farmworkers, who worked hard for British landlords. The British were nervous and ordered me to leave, but I refused and told the workers to hold non-violent protests. <o:p></o:p>I was arrested, which led to mass protests where hundreds of thousands of people peacefully marched. Eventually, the British changed the law, giving the farmworkers more control over their operations. The non-violent approach had worked! Although we suffered greatly at the hands of the British, I believed that we also needed to practise forgiveness. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is a sign of strength, and we needed to stay strong.<o:p></o:p>When Britain put a tax on salt, I decided to walk 241 miles to the coast to make my own salt from seawater. Thousands joined me in this defiant act against the British monopoly on salt. Again and again, I was arrested, and non-violent protests broke out across India.<img src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fb3b13b7f131f44b8b9040dab74852379%2Fcf7bd84cfb8c4f6aa90ab5fcb387eae4" alt="" style="width: 405.863px; height: 272.531px;"> <o:p></o:p>My spirit could not be broken. <o:p></o:p>By 1930, support for our cause was growing, and on 30 January, I published the Declaration of Independence of India.<o:p></o:p>MORE MISSIONS<o:p></o:p>Two years later, another major protest began against British rule, on behalf of the people of India’s disadvantaged lowest caste – the Dalits. Also known as the&nbsp;‘untouchables’, these people lived in total poverty. I called them Harijans: God’s Children. I went on a hunger strike and refused to eat until our demands were met. Once again, I was thrown into prison, I needed to hold steady to my belief in letting go of my hurt and anger. After six days of fasting, changes were made to improve things.<o:p></o:p>I rose to become the President of the Indian National Congress. I continued to speak at gatherings, and once again, I was arrested, despite being an official representative. So I left the Congress Party, and I concentrated on building the nation from the poorest people upwards. It was a difficult journey but in 1947, India finally got its independence.<o:p></o:p>Proving that non-violence can be an effective method of protest is a legacy I am proud to leave.&nbsp;GLOSSARY<o:p></o:p>Jain – an ancient religion founded in India in the 6th century. Jains are strict vegetarians, practise non-violence, and live in a way that does the least harm to the world and its resources. <o:p></o:p>Barrister – a person entitled to practise law particularly in the higher courts.<o:p></o:p>Caste – a Hindu system of dividing society into inherited classes.<o:p></o:p>Untouchables – belonging to the lowest caste Hindu group or the people outside the caste system.LEGACY AND RECOGNITION<ul><li>Fondly referred to as the Father of the Indian Nation and the Independence Movement, Mahatma Gandhi endured many hardships in his ambition to free the people of India from British rule, and obtain equal rights, by peaceful, yet powerful, means.</li><li>Mahatma Gandhi is still respected worldwide, not only for helping liberate the Indian subcontinent from British rule, but for his non-violent protests, which inspired many other civil rights movements, including the one led by Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States.</li><li>Gandhi, a 1982 feature film about the life of Mahatma Gandhi, won eight Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Director and Best Picture.</li><li>The International Gandhi Peace Prize is named after him and is awarded annually by the Government of India to individuals and institutions, for their outstanding contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence.</li><li>Mahatma Gandhi’s birth date of 2 October is a national holiday in India. It is also known as International Day of Non-Violence.</li><li>There have been approximately 250 postage stamps issued bearing Gandhi's image from 80 different countries worldwide, and more than 70 countries have erected statues in honour of Gandhi.</li></ul>IMAGE CAPTIONS AND CREDITSGandhi in Johannesburg, 1905,&nbsp;Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<o:p></o:p>Gandhi spinning, 1929,&nbsp;Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<o:p></o:p>Salt March, 1930,&nbsp;Yann, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>

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