An eye for an eye - and the whole world will be blind
Mahatma Gandhi was born on 02.October 1869 in Porbandar (West Indies). He grew up in the affluent, but very devout Hindu parents' house, there was, for example, never had a meal without prayer. Gandhi struggled through school and was only a mediocre student. For this he was a very quiet, shy and timid boy why he had few friends. He avoided any contact with his classmates because he was always afraid of being laughed at. Gandhi wanted after school while studying medicine, but the strict faith forbade this activity.
At the age of 18, he therefore went to London to study law to conform to the wishes of his father to become a lawyer. Before he even made a vow in which he undertook to live chaste and neither to eat flesh nor to drink alcohol. In London he lived a slow, the Western world was completely unknown to him up to this point. But even then it was impressed by the freedom of the media and freedom of expression. He tried to integrate into society, so he even took dancing lessons. He fared since like many men, he had absolutely no tact and was unable to perform rhythmic movements and quickly realized that it was beyond his capabilities. In addition to his studies, he occupied himself extensively with Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. He recognized all religions, but particularly fond he was of the Sermon on the Mount and the motto, to return good for evil. After 3 years, Gandhi had successfully completed his studies and returned to India to become a lawyer.
Mahatma Gandhi: "Religions are different roads that lead to the same point. What does it matter that we are going different ways, if we only reach the same goal? "
Gandhi was still a very uncertain and inhibited young man. This shyness brought him also like the first failure in its first case. When he should speak in court, he lost his nerve from sheer nervousness. He could not speak and rushed amid the laughter of those present in the courtroom. Who could have guessed at that time that it should move as a great leader, millions of people once? As Gandhi by a businessman got an offer to go to South Africa to stand as a consulting lawyer available, he took this immediately grateful.
In South Africa arrived he saw a train that was to mark strongly his future. Gandhi drove compartment in first class. As a white South Africans did not want to sit with him ("a colored Indians") in a compartment, was a conductor and wanted him ship in the luggage compartment despite a valid ticket. But Gandhi refused and insisted on his right to be allowed to stay here. At the next stop he was then thrown out unceremoniously. From that moment on, Gandhi decided to take action against this oppression and to fight for the rights of the disadvantaged. He vowed in his struggles never use force and to provide passive resistance (refusal to cooperate with authorities). He called his policy Satyagraha ("devotion to truth"). He stepped from now on increasingly in the public on, showed courage and perseverance us its popularity grew steadily further developed. Gandhi then postponed his return to India, and this suspension lasted a full 21 years, during which he stood up for the Indian population in the country (1893-1914). Finally, he returned to this stay back in a beggarly India.
Mahatma Gandhi: "One gram of action is worth more than a ton of preaching"
He was already expected by masses of people, he had risen at that time already a national hero, his actions in South Africa did not go unnoticed. He got the famous name "Mahatma" ("great soul"), from now on he was only Mahatma Gandhi. But the problems were large, India was occupied and oppressed by Britain. And as Mahatma Gandhi went traveling and moved from village to village, because he wanted to spread his policy of Satyagraha ("nonviolent resistance"). He always lived as a simple man, this was also the reason why he loved the people so. And so he brought the masses behind them, in the fight for the passive resistance against British rule. He organized as a nationwide strike. On this day throughout India nothing works, no business was open and no telegraph worked no bus or train passed. The British were afraid, because they were completely cut off from their mother country, and Gandhi got international attention. In the spinning-wheel campaign Gandhi called for himself to use spinning wheels and even produce fabrics in order to boycott the English fabrics. Across the country, English clothes were burned, public clothes burns were organized. Gandhi made the spinning wheel became the symbol of Indian independence. Even today, therefore, is decorated with a spinning wheel the Indian flag.
Mahatma Gandhi: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win"
1930 Gandhi and his followers launched the famous "Salt March". On dusty roads they put under surveillance by the international press 385 km in 24 days back. The roads were strewn with leaves by the Indians, the villages they passed through were festively decorated. Throughout India looked to Mahatma Gandhi, who was now worshiped as a saint, as the final goal has been reached by the sea. Gandhi showed the people how to win easily complimentary salt, in which he took a pinch of salt, which anspülte the sea in the hand. This was strictly forbidden at the time. The crowd cheered, from now on the English salt was boycotted. Gandhi and more than 60,000 people were then without resistance into jail, but the police were no longer masters of the situation, as more and more Indians showed their solidarity with Mahatma Gandhi. But there were also horrible images around the world, were put down as an Indian by the police brutally with sticks. It was depressing, because no Indian fought against, because they never turned to violence. There were wounded and many were also killed. International pressure was then getting bigger, and Gandhi was released from prison. A short time later was allowed to Indian salt be sold legally.
The following years were marked by the use of Gandhi for independence, but it was only after the 2nd World War extent. The bled England wanted to get rid of its largest colony quickly, and when then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill (described Gandhi as a "half-naked fakir") in England was voted out of the way for an independent India was free, which in 1947 officially announced. With the withdrawal of the last British troops 130 years British rule in India went to the end. India became independent but only in the form of two separate states, Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India. Gandhi always wanted a common state, but the cracks between Muslims and the Hindus were just too deep. The division of the country caused one of the largest mass flight of history, the Hindus and the Muslims fled in their areas. It always came back to cruel massacres. Gandhi made it with a fast until death to ensure again at short notice for peace, but he withdrew this also the wrath of fanatical followers of both religions to be.
Mahatma Gandhi: "An eye for an eye - and the whole world will be blind"
On 30 January 1948, just before sunset, he went every day as a public prayer meeting. Suddenly a fanatical Hindu stepped forward, bowed low before him, and pointed a gun at Gandhi. With three shots at close range Mahatma Gandhi was killed at the age of 78 years. He died with the word "God" on his lips, upright and completely free of fear and hatred, as he had always wanted. Death Gandhi sparked throughout the world mourning, from the Vatican to the Kremlin. At the funeral procession to the cremation ground nearly a million people took part, all over the world found Trauermärsche instead. This little man with wire-rimmed glasses, who lived very simply and at a young age of sheer shyness often ran away, became an incredible personality and gave millions of people hope in life. Gandhi's birthday, the 02.October, is a national holiday in India. He showed us that it does not matter where we are right now in life, but that we should take care of it, which direction we will take in the future.
Mahatma Gandhi: "When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, so my soul expands in awe of the Creator"