Mahatma Ghandi, a Hero

Mahatma Gandhi

For me, a hero is someone who tries to make the world a better place.
Christopher Paolini said, “Without fear there cannot be courage.” I agree there has to be fear before there is courage. Gandhi turned his fear into courage and decided to try to make the world a better place and as a result India gained its independence. It took conquering his fears and being a courageous hero in a peaceful way to be the leader of Indian nationalism during British rule. Gandhi fought for Indian rights.

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was given the holy name Mahatma which means Great Soul. He was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India. In 1888, he sailed to England to study at the University College London and then the University of London where he studied Law. In 1893, he accepted a job in South Africa and in 1903 Gandhi opened a law firm in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1906, Gandhi had his first protest in South Africa against anti-Indian laws and two years later he was imprisoned. In 1914, he returned to India where he became leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) supporting a plan using nonviolence to get independence. He was jailed from 1922 until 1924 for conspiracy. He was jailed again in 1930 for breaking India’s Salt Laws. In 1932, Gandhi started his famous “fast unto death” to protest British support of a new Indian constitution which gave India’s lowest classes, the “untouchables”, their separate political representation. Gandhi believed this would unfairly divide India's social classes and he believed in equality. In 1942, Gandhi began the nationwide “Quit India” movement. Five years later, India became independent from the British. Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic on January 30, 1948 in Birla House in Delhi while at a prayer meeting.

Early in his life, after seeing the misery of millions of his countrymen, thousands of them dying from starvation, Gandhi gave up all his money and spent his life helping the poor and the oppressed. He was the leader of the Indian nationalist group against the British rule and is commonly known as the father of his country. His strategy of a non-violent protest to get political and social progress has influenced many people.

His program of peaceful non-cooperation with the British included boycotts of their goods and institutions which lead to arrests of thousands. In 1945, the British government began negotiations which ended with the formation of the two new independent states of India and Pakistan divided along religious lines. Gandhi was opposed to partition and fasted to try to bring harmony in Calcutta and Delhi.

Ghandi once said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” This is exactly what he did. He made positive changes around him using peaceful ways. He also said, “I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.” He did change his present; he changed what was happening during his life. He devoted his life to helping his countrymen gain independence and be treated as equals. This is why I believe Gandhi is a hero; he made the world a better place by being courageous, brave, a leader and a believer in being able to make a difference.