Mahatma Gandhi: Shaping our modern world

Abrar Zawed

Honors History 171

Spring 2012

Overview about Gandhi•Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)

•Also known as “Mahatma or The Great Soul” and “Bapu/father”

•Father of the nation of Republic of India

•Led the independence of India from 200 years of British colonial rule

•Famous for his “Satyagraha” or “nonviolence civil disobedience movement”

Overview about Gandhi

• Married at the age of 13 due to old Hindu custom of early marriage. Later became a prominent figure in stopping the custom.

•Had his early education in India.

•In 1888, went to University College London to earn his law degree.

•Went to South Africa to practice law.

•Spent 21 years in South Africa and led to a successful civil disobedience movement.

•Came to India in 1915, joined Indian National Congress, and led “Quit India” movement in 1942.

•India got its independence in 1947.

How Gandhi shaped our world?

1. Showed a nonviolence way of gaining rights (Satyagraha)

2. Created ideology of self sufficiency (Swadeshi movement)

3. Contribution toward humanity and women rights

4. Became a symbol of inspiration for my political leaders and social reformers such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Dalai Lama.

Satyagraha Movement•During the Start of 20th century,

60,00 Indians were living in South

Africa.

•The Immigration Law of Amendment

Bill of 1890.

•Some of incidence of racial segregation

took Gandhi to the spotlight.

• In 1906, The Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance was passed.

•Quotes from Gandhi: “I could see the Asiatic Department was… a frightful engine of oppression for the Indians… I saw that I had to begin my work from the very beginning.”

•The Satyagraha movement began…….

Photo Courtesy: Gandhi’s own handwriting on non violence.

Satyagraha Movement

•Gandhi founded “Tolstoy Farm” in 1908.

•Became a place for the Satyagrahis and

their families.

•Gandhi on Satyagraha: “Satyagraha is relentless search for truth…. Satyagraha is an attribute of the sprit within…. Satyagraha has been designed as an effective substitute for violence…. Satyagraha is a process of educating public opinion, such that it covers all the elements of the society and makes itself irresistible.”

•Satyagrahis began to break law purposefully.

•British government came into negotiation with Gandhi.

How Satyagraha influenced our world?

One of finest example of Satyagraha is the “Occupy Wall Street Movement“

“The sprit of Mahatma is felt tremendously here. ‘Occupy Wall Street’ is a non violence movement.”

“You can chaw me

You can torture me

You can even destroy this body

But will NEVER imprison my mind”

-- Gandhi

Another Satyagraha in India

•One of the Satyagraha campaign is currently

going on in India.

•People are fasting against corruption

through non violence way.

•Ultimately forced Indian government to pass

an anti-corruption law known as “Jan Lokpal

Bill”

•Ensure the representation of civilian society.

Picture: Civilians fasting in front of India Gate in Mumbai.

Creation of self sufficiency ideology (Swadeshi Movement)

Swadeshi avoid economic dependence on external market force that could the village community vulnerable.

Gandhi avoided wearing cloths exported from other countries.

The British believed in a centralized economy. But Gandhi’s vision was decentralized, home grown, handcrafted mode of production.

“Not mass production, but production of mass.”

Gandhi’s self sufficiency

Gandhi started looming his cloths by using charka.

Later it became a symbol of Indian national flag.

In the beginning, British didn’t pay attention on the movement, but later the British government went to a economic depression.

Gandhi also led “Salt March” which avoided exported salt from England.

Indian economy followed Gandhi’s theory.

Currently India is one of the economic powers in the world.

Symbol of humanity and women's rights

•Gandhi was instrumental in ensuring human rights, especially the rights of women.

•Gandhi himself belong from a society where the division of caste was really extreme.

•Gandhi protested against the “untouchable” theory.

•Made sure that everyone is working equally in “Tolstoy Farm”

•Gandhi dreamed about secular society. He wasn’t in favor of dividing India on the basis of religion.

•Later Pakistan was also segregated forming Bangladesh.

•No real significance of dividing the country.

Influential figure for others

•Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

•Deeply influenced by Gandhi while studying at the “Crozer Theological Seminary” in Pennsylvania.

•Used non violence approach during “American Civil Rights Movements” in 1964.

“From my background I gained my regulation Christian ideals and from Gandhi, I learned my operational technique.” ---- Martin Luther King Jr.

Influential Figure for Others

•Nelson Mandela

•Spent 28 years in prison for fighting white rule

before leading South Africa to multi racial

democracy as the country’s first black president in 1994.

“In the world driven by violence and strife, Gandhi's massage of peace and non-violence holds the key to human survival in 21st century.”

--- Nelson Mandela

Leaders influenced by Gandhi

Gandhi’s achievements

Work Cited

Chadha, Yogesh. Gandhi; a life. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1997.

Fischer, Louis, The life of Mahatma Gandhi: New York :Harper & Row publishers, 1983.

Wolpret, Stanley. Gandhi’s Passion: The life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Questions?????