Truls ove karlsen biography of mahatma gandhi

The conference, however, proved fruitless. The public outcry forced the British to amend the proposal. With his health failing, Gandhi was released after a month detainment in Gandhi played an active role in the negotiations, but he could not prevail in his hope for a unified India. Instead, the final plan called for the partition of the subcontinent along religious lines into two independent states—predominantly Hindu India and predominantly Muslim Pakistan.

Violence between Hindus and Muslims flared even before independence took effect on August 15, Afterwards, the killings multiplied. Gandhi toured riot-torn areas in an appeal for peace and fasted in an attempt to end the bloodshed. Some Hindus, however, increasingly viewed Gandhi as a traitor for expressing sympathy toward Muslims. InGandhi endured the passing of his father and shortly after that the death of his young baby.

A second son was born in India Kasturba gave birth to two more sons while living in South Africa, one in and one in Godse knelt before the Mahatma before pulling out a semiautomatic pistol and shooting him three times at point-blank range. The violent act took the life of a pacifist who spent his life preaching nonviolence. Godse and a co-conspirator were executed by hanging in November Additional conspirators were sentenced to life in prison.

Satyagraha remains one of the most potent philosophies in freedom struggles throughout the world today. Martin Luther King. Winston Churchill. Nelson Mandela. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! He only wanted to tell the people the story of his experiments with Truth, for Gandhi, was the supreme principle, which includes many other principles.

Realization of the Truth is the purpose of human life. Gandhi always strove to realize the Truth. He continuously tried to remove impurities in himself. He always tried to stick to the Truth as he knew and to apply the knowledge of the Truth to everyday life. He tried to apply the spiritual principles to the practical situations. He did it in the scientific spirit.

Sticking to the truth means Satyagraha. Gandhi therefore called his experiments as 'Experiments with Truth' or 'Experiments in the science of Satyagraha. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a man considered one of the great sages and prophets. They showered their love, respect and devotion on him in an unprecedented measure. They thronged his way to have a glimpse of him, to hear one world from his lips.

They applied on their foreheads the dust on the path he had trodden. For them, he was almost an incarnation of God, who had come to break the chains of their slavery. The whole world bowed to him in reverence. Even his opponents held him in great respect. Mohandas Gandhi was, however, not a great scholar, nor was he a great warrior.

He was not born with exceptional faculties. Neither was he a good orator, nor a great writer. He did not claim anything exclusively divine in him. He did not claim being a prophet or having superhuman powers. He considered himself an average man with average abilities. Born in a middle class Bania family in an obscure princely State in a corner of India, he was a mediocre student, shy and nervous.

He could not muster courage to speak in public. His first attempt at legal practice miserably failed. But he was a humble seeker of Truth. He was a man with exceptional sincerity, honesty and truthfulness. For him, understanding meant action. Once any principle appealed to him, he immediately began to translate that in practice. He did not flinch from taking risks and did not mind confessing mistakes.

No opposition, scorn or ridicule could affect him. Truth was his sole guiding star. He was ever-growing; hence he was often found inconsistent. He was not concerned with appearing to be consistent. He preferred to be consistent only with the light within. He sacrificed his all and identified himself with the poorest of the poor. He dressed like them, lived like them.

In the oppressed and the depressed people, he saw God. For him, they too were sparks of the divine light. They might not have anything else, but they too had a soul. For Gandhi, soul-force was the source of the greatest power. He strove to awaken the soul-force within himself and within his fellowmen. He was convinced that the potentialities of the soul-force have no limit.

He himself was a living example of this conviction. That is why this tiny and fragile man could mobilise the masses and defeat the mighty British empire. His eleven vows, his technique of Satyagraha, his constructive programme - all were meant to awaken and strengthen the soul-force. He awakened and aroused a nation from semi-consciousness.

It was a Herculean task. For, India was not a united country, it was a sub-continent. It was a society divided in different classes, castes and races, in people with different languages, religions and cultures. It was a society where almost half of the population i. Gandhi made the oppressed sections wake up and break their chains. He mobilised the people and united them to work for the cause of Swaraj, which gave them a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose.

Gandhi wanted to win Swaraj for the masses. For him, Swaraj did not mean replacement of White masters by brown masters. Swaraj meant self-rule by all. He said: "Real Swaraj will come, not by the acquisition of the authority by a few, but by the acquisition of the capacity by all to resist authority when it is abused. Development of such a capacity involved transformation of the individual.

Transformation of the individual and transformation of the society - they were not separate, unrelated things for Gandhi. Revolutionary social philosophies had concentrated on changing the society. On the other hand, spiritual seekers had concentrated on the inner change. Gandhi not only bridged the gap between these extremes, he fused them together.

Gandhi was thus both a saint and a social revolutionary. For Gandhi, unity of life was great truth. His principle of non-violence stemmed from this conviction. Non-violence was not a matter of policy for him; it was a matter of faith. He applied the doctrine to all the departments of individual and social life and in so doing revolutionized the truls ove karlsen biography of mahatma gandhi, made it dynamic and creative.

He believed that a true civilization could be built on the basis of such non-violence only. He rejected the modern civilization. For him, it was a disease and a curse. This civilization leads to violence, conflicts, corruption, injustices, exploitation, oppression, mistrust and a process of dehumanisation. It has led the world to a deep crisis.

The earth's resources are being cornered by a handful of people without any concern for others and for the coming generations. The conventional energy sources are getting depleted. Forests are being destroyed. Air, water, soil-everything has been polluted. We are living under the shadow of nuclear war and environmental disasters. Thinking men the world over are looking to Gandhi to find a way out of this crisis and to build an alternative model of sustainable development.

Gandhi knew that the earth has enough to satisfy everybody's need but not anybody's greed. He had called for the replacement of greed with love. Gandhi is, therefore, now a source of inspiration and a reference book for all those fighting against racial discrimination, oppression, domination, wars, nuclear energy, environmental degradation, lack of freedom and human rights- for all those who are fighting for a better world, a better quality of life.

Gandhi is, therefore, no longer an individual. He is a symbol of all that is the best and the most enduring in the human tradition. And he is also a symbol of the alternative in all areas of life-agriculture, industry, technology, education, health, economy, political organisations, etc. He is a man of the future - a future that has to be shaped if the human race has to survive and progress on the path of evolution.

We hereby give a short version compiled from his Autobiography. We cover the period of his life from to He was the youngest child of his parents, Karamchand and Putlibai.

Truls ove karlsen biography of mahatma gandhi: In December , the

Gandhi belonged to the Modh Bania community. They were originally grocers. Mohan's father. Kathiawar then had about small States. Court intrigues were the order of the day. At times, Gandhis became their victim. Uttamchand's house was once surrounded and shelled by the State troops. Karamchand was once arrested. However, their courage and wisdom earned them respect.

Karamchand even became a member of the Rajashanik Court, a powerful agency to solve disputes among the States. Karamchand had little education, but had shrewdness of judgment and practical knowledge acquired through experience. He had little inclination to amass wealth and left little for his children. He used to say that "My children are my wealth'.

He married four times, had two daughters by the first two marriages and one daughter and three sons by his fourth marriage. Putlibai, his fourth wife, was younger to him by 25 years. She was not much educated but was well-informed about practical matters. Ladies at the palace used to value her advice. She was deeply religious and superstitious and had strong will-power.

She used to visit the temple daily and regularly kept difficult vows. Mohan loved his mother. He used to accompany her to the Haveli Vaishnav temple. Mohan had a great devotion for his father and he often used to be present at the discussions about the State problems. Gandhis had Parsi and Muslim friends and Jain monks used to make regular visit.

Mohan thus had occasion to hear discussions about religious matters also. Being the youngest, he was the darling of the household. Mohan attended Primary School at Porbandar. When he was seven, his family moved to Rajkot. He was a mediocre student, was shy and avoided any company. He read little besides the text books and had no love for outdoor games.

He had no love for outdoor games. However, he was truthful, honest, sensitive and was alert about his character. Plays about Shravan and Harishchandra made a deep impression on him. They taught him to be truthful at any cost and to serve his parents with devotion. He was married along with his brother and cousin for the sake of economy and convenience.

He was only 13 then. He enjoyed the festivities of the marriage. Kasturbai, his wife, was of the same age. She was illiterate but strong-willed. His jealousy and immature efforts to make her an ideal wife led to many quarrels. He wanted to teach her but found no time. His experience later made him a strong critic of child-marriages.

Mohan joined High School at Rajkot. He was liked by the truls ove karlsen biographies of mahatma gandhi and often received prizes. But he neglected physical training and hand-writing. Habit of taking long walks made up for the first neglect, but he had to repent later for the neglect of handwriting. He was devoted to his father and considered it his duty to nurse him during his illness.

In the High-School, he made friends with one Sheikh Mehtab, a bad character. He stuck to the friendship despite warnings from family-members. He wanted to reform Mehtab but failed. Mehtab induced him to meat-eating, saying that it made one strong and that the British were ruling India because they were meat-eaters. Mohan was frail and used to be afraid even to go out alone in the dark.

The argument appealed to him. Later, he realized that lying to his parents was worse than not eating meat, and abandoned the experiment. Mehtab once sent him to a brothel, but God's grace saved him. He induced Mohan to smoking. This once led to stealing. But all this became unbearable for Mohan. He confessed his guilt to his father, who did not rebuke him but wept silently.

Those tears cleaned Mohan's heart and taught him a lesson in nonviolence. Mohan's father died when Mohan was He had nursed him daily. But at the time of his death, Mohan was with his wife. He always felt ashamed for this lapse. Mohan passed the matriculation examination in He attended the College at Bhavnagar, but left after the first term.

At that time, the idea of his going to England for studying law came up. Mohan was fascinated. He made up his mind and overcame resistance from the family-members. He took the vow not to touch wine, women and meat at the instance of his mother to remove her fears. He then sailed from Bombay in Septemberleaving behind his wife and a son. The caste elders were against his going to England.

They excommunicated him from the caste. Gandhi reached England by the end of September Everything was strange to him. He was shy and diffident, could not speak English fluently and was ignorant of British manners. Naturally, loneliness and homesickness gripped him. Gandhi became a vegetarian for life. It was difficult to get vegetarian food.

Friends persuaded him to break the vow of vegetarianism but he stuck to it. He began searching vegetarian restaurants and found one ultimately. He purchased Salt's book 'Plea for Vegetarianism', read it and became vegetarian out of conviction. He studied other literature and joined the Vegetarian Society. He came in contact with the leaders of that radical cult, became a member of the Society's Executive Committee and contributed articles to the Society's paper.

He even started a Vegetarian club in his locality and became its Secretary. This experience gave him some training in organising and conducting Institutions. Experiments about diet became a life-long passion for him. For a brief period, Gandhi tried to become 'The English Gentleman' to overcome lack of confidence and to make up for the 'fad' of vegetarianism.

He wanted to become fit for the British elite society. He got clothes stitched from an expensive and fashionable firm, purchased an expensive hat and an evening suit and learnt to wear the tie. He became very careful about his appearance. He even joined a dancing class, but could not go on for more than three weeks. He purchased a violin and started learning to play it.

He engaged a tutor to give lessons in elocution. But all this was for a brief period of three months only. His conscience awakened him. He realised that he was not going to spend his whole life in England; he should rather concentrate on his studies and not waste his brother's money. He then became very careful about his expenses. Gandhi also started the study of religions.

Before that, he had not even read the Gita. Now he read it in the English translation. Gita and The New Testament made a deep impression on him. The principles of renunciation and non-violence appealed to him greatly.

Truls ove karlsen biography of mahatma gandhi: Biography; Biology; Biomedicine; Biopolitics;

He continued the study of religions throughout his life. Bar examinations were easy. He therefore studied for and passed the London matriculation examination. Becoming a Barrister meant attending at least six dinners in each of the twelve terms and giving an easy examination. Gandhi, however, studied sincerely, read all the prescribed books, passed his examination and was called to the bar in June He then sailed for home.

Gandhi's three year's stay in England was a period of deep turmoil for him. Before that, he knew little of the world. Now he was exposed to the fast-changing world and to several radical movements like Socialism, Anarchism, Atheism etc. He started taking part in public work. Many of his ideas germinated during this period. Gandhi returned to India as a Barrister, but he knew nothing about the Indian law.

Truls ove karlsen biography of mahatma gandhi: Gandhi, Mahatma Gangaji Garborg,

Lawyers used to pay commissions to touts to get cases. Gandhi did not like this. Besides, he was shy and an occasion to argue in the Court unnerved him. He became a disappointed and dejected 'Bridles Barrister'. Gandhi eagerly agreed and sailed for South Africa in April The small Indian community in South Africa was facing many problems at that time.

It consisted mainly of indentured labourers and traders. The indentured labourers were taken there by the European landlords as there was acute labour shortage in South Africa. The condition of these labourers was like slaves. During around 40, labourers were sent from India. Many of them settled there after their agreement periods were completed and started farming or business.

The Europeans did not like it. They did not want free Indians in South Africa. They also found it difficult to face competition from Indian traders. Therefore the White Rulers imposed many restrictions and heavy taxes on the Indians. They were not given citizenship rights, like right to vote. They were treated like dirt and constantly humiliated.

All Indians were called 'coolies'. The newspapers carried out the propaganda that the Indians were dirty and uncivilized. The Indians could not travel in the railways and could not enter hotels meant for Europeans. They were hated and radically discriminated in all matters by the dominant White community. Right since his arrival, Gandhi began to feel the pinch of racial discrimination in South Africa.

Indian community was ignorant and divided and therefore unable to fight it. In connection with his case, Gandhi had to travel to Pretoria. He was travelling in the first class, but a White passenger and railway officials asked him to leave the first class compartment. Gandhi refused, whereupon he was thrown out along with his luggage.

On the platform of Maritzburg station. It was a severely cold night. Gandhi spent the night shivering and thinking furiously. He ultimately made up his mind to stay in South Africa, fight the racial discrimination and suffer hardships. It was a historic decision. It transformed Gandhi. He had also to travel some distance by a stage-coach. During this travel also, he was insulted and beaten.

On reaching Pretoria, Gandhi called a meeting of the local Indians. There he learnt a lot about the condition of Indians. It was there that he made his first Public Speech and suggested formation of an association. He offered his services for the cause. Gandhi later settled the case, for which he had come, through arbitration. He then decided to return home.

But at the farewell party, he came to know about a bill to restrict Indian franchise. Gandhi thought that it had grave implications. The people then pressed him to stay for some time. He agreed. Gandhi's first major fight had started. He addressed meetings petitioned to the legislative assembly, conducted a signature campaign. He also started regular legal practice there and soon became a successful and leading Lawyer.

For sustained agitations, a permanent organisation was needed and the Natal Indian Congress was born.

Truls ove karlsen biography of mahatma gandhi: Mahatma Gandhi's teaching of non- violence

Despite facing challenges, such as adjusting to a new culture and overcoming financial difficulties, Gandhi managed to pass his examinations. His time in London was significant, as he joined the London Vegetarian Society and began to form the ethical underpinnings of his later political campaigns. Mahatma Gandhi was deeply rooted in Hinduism, drawing inspiration from the Hindu god Vishnu and other religious texts like the Bhagavad Gita.

However, his approach to religion was broad and inclusive, embracing ideas and values from various faiths, including Christianity and Islam, emphasizing the universal search for truth. This eclectic approach allowed him to develop a personal philosophy that stressed the importance of truth, non-violence ahimsaand self-discipline. Gandhi believed in living a simple life, minimizing possessions, and being self-sufficient.

He also advocated for the equality of all human beings, irrespective of caste or religion, and placed great emphasis on the power of civil disobedience as a way to achieve social and political goals. His beliefs were not just theoretical; they were practical principles that guided his actions and campaigns against British rule in India.

His commitment to non-violence and truth was also not just a personal choice but a political strategy that proved effective against British rule. His unique approach to civil disobedience and non-violent protest influenced not only the course of Indian history but also civil rights movements around the world. Among his notable achievements was the successful challenge against British salt taxes through the Salt March ofwhich galvanized the Indian population against the British government.

Gandhi was instrumental in the discussions that led to Indian independence inalthough he was deeply pained by the partition that followed. His methods of peaceful resistance have inspired countless individuals and movements, including Martin Luther King Jr. He went there to work as a legal representative for an Indian firm. Initially, Gandhi planned to stay in South Africa for a year, but the discrimination and injustice he witnessed against the Indian community there changed his path entirely.

He faced racism firsthand when he was thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg station for refusing to move from a first-class carriage, which was reserved for white passengers. This incident was crucial, marking the beginning of his fight against racial segregation and discrimination. Gandhi decided to stay in South Africa to fight for the rights of the Indian community, organizing the Natal Indian Congress in to combat the unjust laws against Indians.

His work in South Africa lasted for about 21 years, during which he developed and refined his principles of non-violent protest and civil disobedience. In response, Gandhi organized a mass protest meeting and declared that Indians would defy the law and suffer the consequences rather than submit to it. This was the beginning of the Satyagraha movement in South Africa, which aimed at asserting the truth through non-violent resistance.

This philosophy was deeply influenced by his religious beliefs and his experiences in South Africa. He believed that the moral high ground could compel oppressors to change their ways without resorting to violence. Gandhi argued that through peaceful non-compliance and willingness to accept the consequences of defiance, one could achieve justice.

This form of protest was not just about resisting unjust laws but doing so in a way that adhered to a strict code of non-violence and truth, or Satyagraha. His readings of various religious texts and the works of thinkers like Henry David Thoreau also contributed to his philosophy. Upon returning to India in mid, he set up a law practice in Bombay, but met with little success.

He soon accepted a position with an Indian firm that sent him to its office in South Africa. Along with his wife, Kasturbai, and their children, Gandhi remained in South Africa for nearly 20 years. Did you know? The march resulted in the arrest of nearly 60, people, including Gandhi himself. Gandhi was appalled by the discrimination he experienced as an Indian immigrant in South Africa.

When a European magistrate in Durban asked him to take off his turban, he refused and left the courtroom. On a train voyage to Pretoria, he was thrown out of a first-class railway compartment and beaten up by a white stagecoach driver after refusing to give up his seat for a European passenger. Inafter the Transvaal government passed an ordinance regarding the registration of its Indian population, Gandhi led a campaign of civil disobedience that would last for the next eight years.