2006-09-23 15:25:22 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of satyagraha and ahimsa are becoming more popular with the youth of today, said veteran Gandhians Monday as the nation marked the birth of non-violence as a means of resistance advocated by Gandhi in South Africa 100 years ago.
"The day is a sweet reminder of a great movement that is still relevant for any civilisation. I think the 21st century belongs to this ideology, and people especially youngsters must follow the path of the Mahatma to fight corruption and injustice," said veteran Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande.
The concept of satyagraha or truthful passive resistance, took its birth at the Empire Theatre in Johannesburg on Sep 11, 1906. The meeting was convened to oppose a proposed new legislation on the Indian community in South Africa.
"The ideology that gave us independence is gaining popularity among youngsters and it's certainly a positive indication," Deshpande said, referring to a recent survey that found 76 percent youngsters in India consider Gandhi as their icon.
Deshpande, also a Rajya Sabha member, said that from cinematic themes to special educational courses, Gandhi's teachings were making a comeback.
"It seems the country is set for a transformation on the lines of Gandhian theories. And the centenary celebration will act as a catalyst to remind us to strengthen our commitment for a better tomorrow," she added.
K.K. Mukhopadhya, a Gandhian and former director of the Gandhi Bhawan in Delhi University, said: "Gandhi's popularity is on the rise. From cinema to dedicated courses in colleges, Gandhiji is covering new grounds and the response is quite encouraging."
According to Delhi University authorities, a 100-mark examination paper termed "Understanding Gandhi" in the second year of the BA programme had fetched excellent response from students. Plans are afoot to rope in actors who have played Gandhi in films and theatre to make the course more appealing for students.
Several cultural programmes and exhibitions were organised to mark the day in the national capital.
The Gandhi Museum held an exhibition on satyagraha, including portraits and write-ups on the life of the Mahatma in South Africa, the Dandi March and the Quit India Movement.
Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni released three books - "Satyagraha", "Friends of Gandhi" and "Satyagraha" - on the occasion.
Anil Dutta Mishra, deputy director of the museum, said: "We have also arranged for special lectures for the public to understand Gandhi better."
The Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti here exhibited rare photographs of Mahatma and his struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
Sabita Singh, director of the organisation, said that they have planned year-long special cultural programmes in different parts of the country to commemorate the historic event.
"The year 1906 may rightly be described as a turning point in the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. It was in this year when he experienced a deep spiritual awakening within and dedicated himself to the service of humanity. We hope the centenary celebration will awaken many such souls," she said.
2006-09-23 15:37:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
He died when I was a little child so probably in the 50 s . He was a great spiritual leader and lover of peace. He got a nobel prize. He began the anti aparthied thing in S Africa, but he started it with the Indian Population. He has written some of the most insightful books about mankind ever written. there is a movie about him that you can probably get on DVD. He had the answers. Tried to unite india and helped liberate them from the Brittish. I am not really sure if he got that nobel as I think of it. He started the change of oppressive gov. through mass non-violent methods, Dr King used his methods which Ghandi started after receiving revelation regarding the turn the other cheek scriptural referance. He believed that what was not said was also important in what Jesus said. Jesus did not say to run but to stand and take the hurtful actions and to be firm about your belief to the point of death without being violent. The Arabs need one such as him.
2006-09-23 22:38:40 · answer #2 · answered by icheeknows 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Early 1900's.
I am impressed by the message of peace no matter what and his discipline in religion.
I went to India last summer for a month and went to a museum dedicated to Ghandi....it was amazing.
2006-09-23 22:29:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
he was a lawyer who partially through practices of non-violence and fasting was able to liberate India from British rule. Promoted religious and ethical tolerance, lived like a commoner, and eventually won the Nobel Peace Prize. Was mourned by pretty much everyone in the world when he was assassinated.
2006-09-23 22:31:14 · answer #4 · answered by Bushit 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He lived most of his life in India, although he did live a while in South Africa as a young lawyer. He died, was assassinated, in 1947, I believe during Ramadan. I think he was about 65 when he was killed.
His credo was non-violent civil disobedience. He almost single handedly forced the British out of India.
2006-09-23 22:36:15 · answer #5 · answered by nonjoo 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
From the late 1800s to the 1940s when a Hindu assassinated him.I was impressed by his ability not to catch cold wearing that diaper.
2006-09-23 22:31:43 · answer #6 · answered by AngelsFan 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Mohandas Gandhi (1869 - 1948) otherwise known as Mahatma ('Great-Soul'), Gandhi was leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule and is widely considered the father of his country. During his political career, he won wide approval for his doctrine of non-violent protest to achieve political and social progress.
Racial intolerance there saw him evicted from train carriages, barred from hotels and beaten up. He became more assertive, and began educating fellow Indians in South Africa on their rights. In 1894 he opposed a bill that would deprive Indians of their right to vote, and rapidly became a proficient political activist. While unable to stop the bill, he succeeded in attracting widespread attention to his cause.
While in South Africa, Gandhi developed the satyagraha ('devotion to truth'), a new non-violent way to redress wrongs. The campaign lasted over seven years, and in 1913 hundreds of people went to jail - and thousands of striking Indian miners faced imprisonment and injury - for the cause. Eventually the South African government, under British and Indian pressure, agreed to a compromise solution, and peace was restored.
Gandhi returned to India in 1914. Then in 1919, British plans to intern people suspected of sedition prompted him to announce a new satyagraha. The result shook the subcontinent, and indirectly led to the Amritsar Massacre, in which nearly 400 Indians were killed by British forces.
By 1920, Gandhi dominated Indian politics. He transformed the Indian National Congress, and his programme of peaceful non co-operation with the British included boycotts of British goods and institutions, leading to arrests of thousands of the satyagrahis - all cheerfully lining up for prison, for defying British laws.
In March 1922, however, he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment. He was released after two years, but by then the political landscape had changed dramatically. The Congress Party had split and Hindu-Muslim unity had disintegrated.
Gandhi's political influence was minimal for some years, until the Calcutta Congress in December 1928, where he demanded dominion status for India, and threatened a nation-wide campaign for complete independence. In 1931 he attended the Round Table Conference, in London, as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress, but resigned from the party in 1934 in protest at its use of non-violence as a political expedient.
The new Labour Government in Britain from 1945 brought negotiations, and these culminated in the Mountbatten Plan of June 1947, and the formation of the two new dominions of India and Pakistan in mid-August.
The country, however, was split. Killings and riots raged between Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi's appeals for calm were ignored, and so he began fasting. This stopped the riots in Calcutta in September, and in Delhi in January 1948 - but only days later, Gandhi was shot dead in Delhi by Nathuram Godse, a young Hindu fanatic.
2006-09-23 22:36:46 · answer #7 · answered by shepardj2005 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He lived in the early twentieth century.
I am impressed by his spirituality, commitment to God and nonviolence, and his desire to truly help all people. I have a great deal of admiration for Mahatma Gandhi and count him amongst one of my heros.
My other heros other than Mahatma Gandhi are Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. All lived in the twentieth century and all had a commitment to God, spirituality, nonviolence, and a true desire to help all people. They were all spiritual humanitarians.
2006-09-24 02:31:54 · answer #8 · answered by gabriel_zachary 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Gandhi lived in the early 20th century. What impressed me about him was his intelligence and discipline.
2006-09-23 22:28:54 · answer #9 · answered by a_delphic_oracle 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He brought down the British Empire in India without firing one bullet.
2006-09-23 22:27:17 · answer #10 · answered by Kevin 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋