Mahatma Gandhi was promoter of non-violence and preacher of truth. He was born on October 2nd, 1869 in Gujarat. He belonged to a well-to-do family. Throughout his school days, he remained a shy boy but was a good and average student. He later went to England to study law and became a barrister. Then he returned to India and began to practice at the Bombay High Court. But he was not very interested in the legal profession. So, he joined the struggle for India’s Independence.

He went to South Africa. There, he made his best efforts to improve a lot of the Indians. He underwent all the sufferings but remained committed in his convictions.He could not bear the miserable trouble of Indian masses suffering and starving under British rule. In order to uproot the Britishers from the Indian soil, Mahatma Gandhi sacrificed everything.

His entire life is a saga of courage and sacrifices. Freedom was the breath of Mahatma Gandhi’s life. In 1919 he started a non-violent and peaceful movement. Hindu-Muslim unity, removal of untouchability and usage of Swadeshi (domestic-made) goods were his life-long missions. He launched the ‘Khadi Movement’ to encourage the use of hand spunfibres like khadi or jute. ‘Khadi Movement’ was part of a bigger movement of “Non-cooperation Movement” which encouraged the use of Indian goods and boycotting of foreign goods.

Mahatma Gandhi was a man of sound and strong convictions. He wore very simple clothes and took simple vegetarian food. He was not only a man of words but also of action.

His birthday 2nd October is remembered as ‘Gandhi Jayanti’, a national holiday in India, and worldwide as the ‘International Day of Non-violence’.

The memorable words of Lord Mountbatten are worth quoting, “India, indeed the world, will not see the likes of him perhaps for centuries.”

The whole world still loves and respects this veteran of the twentieth century who has left an indelible mark on the sands of time.