Gandhi

Gandhi`s early days, or how he became Mahatma Gandhi
His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He was born on 2nd October 1869 at Sudamapuri. His father`s name was Karamchand, his mother`s Putlibai. Gandhi was the last of six children and the favorite child of his mother. He studied in his native place.
Gandhi is arguably one of the most influential people of the 20th century. He was not just a political leader, but a social reformer and a spiritual teacher too.
The great man was an ordinary boy. Gandhi smoked, ate meat, lied and was bad in studies as a young boy. However, he regretted all his wrong doings and tried to make it up.
At the age of thirteen - while still at school -, he married Kasturbai. He continued his studies and went to college. On a friend`s suggestion, he decided to study law in England, leaving his wife and children. As a young man, Gandhi loved the English way of life. Then a firm of Kathiawar offered to send him to Africa for helping them in a legal case. In South Africa, Gandhi found that the white people treated native Africans as less than human. Once while traveling in a train.
After England, Gandhi came back to India. Gandhi built his life. Gandhi was ordered by a railway officer to shift to the van-compartment with the other dark people. Mission on the two words called “Truth and Non-violence”. Gandhi’s teachings are as relevant today as ever. Every growing child should be acquainted with his life and time, his struggles to shape himself and his politics that so changed the way the world looks at things. Happy birthday!

- ASHWINI