Mahatma Gandhi or Gandhi are popularly termed names of Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a famous political and spiritual leader of India who inspired the whole world by showing how the violence can be defeated by non violence. Mr. Gandhi participated and led the Indian freedom struggle against English and succeeded by his path of truth and non violence. His ideology of non violence was adapted and followed by nelson Mandela and martin Luther king Jr. and several other reformists and leaders across the world.
Louis Fischer, an American writer had spent a good amount of time with Mahatma Gandhi, watched Gandhi closely and has portrayed Gandhi, his life and principles in his book “The life of mahatma Gandhi”. This book provides a complete account of Gandhi, his thoughts, ideology, working style, personal and public life. Gandhi was born in Porbandar, a small town in Gujarat state of India on 2nd October of 1869. His father karamchand Gandhi was a Prime minister of a small princely state in Porbandar while mother Putlibai was a house wife. Gandhi was married to kasturbai when both bride and groom were 13 years old. Fisher has beautifully portrayed the state of mind of a thirteen year old boy who is married with another teenager girl. The jealousy, competition, feelings and maintaining the traditional values all the things have been portrayed in the book. Smaller incidents have also been taken into account by the writer which is otherwise not possible for the readers to know about the Gandhi.
Gandhi studied law in England, returned to India and planned to practice in Bombay high court but could not get any success. He left for South Africa and on way to Pretoria faced one of the most unfortunate situations of his life. This was the first time when he experienced racism by the white people and after this unfortunate incident he started a campaign and opposed the racist policies of government. He mobilized Indians and others who were suffering in the hands of whites and refused to obey several rules and policies which supported racism and caused problems to black people. By the efforts of Gandhi the government changed several rules and Gandhi became a known figure in Africa and India. Gandhi stayed for almost twenty years in South Africa and after that returned to India in 1914-15 to do something for his motherland.
Fisher has mentioned how Gandhi disliked the glitter and pomp of Hindu religion and how he exercised the Brahmcharya in his personal life. Gandhi always believed in the simplicity for himself, he lived his life like an ascetic and devoted his life to serve the needy people and humanity. The principles of truth and non violence were always followed by Gandhi irrespective of a number of odd circumstances. He fought the freedom war against the most powerful country without a single arm and on the basis of truth and non violence only.
Gandhi and his principles are liked, believed and followed by a large number of people on the other hand there are a number of people who has difference of opinion and do not like Gandhi. One person of this category has killed the Gandhi on 30th January, 1948 but Gandhi is still alive in the million hearts and his ideology is necessary and would be followed in the interest of humanity.
Works Cited
Byrne, Donn. Mahatma Gandhi: the man and his message. Hyderabad: Orient Longman Limited, 1984.
Fischer, Louis. The life of Mahatma Gandhi. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
"History." bbc. 30 October 2011
