He was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of
India during the Indian independence movement.
he developed a model to fight for
civil rights and freedom that he called satyagraha. He founded his
doctrine of nonviolent protest to achieve political and social progress based
upon ahimsa, or total nonviolence for which he is internationally renowned.
Gandhi
led India to its independence and inspired movements for civil rights and
freedom across the world.
After
earning a degree in law in 1891 from the University College London, Gandhi
settled in South Africa to practice law, following some unsuccessful attempts
to establish practice in India. Gandhi first employed non-violent civil
disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian
community's struggle for civil rights.
After
his return to India in 1915, he set about organising peasants, farmers, and
urban labourers to protest excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming
leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide
campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and
ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, but
above all for achieving Swaraj—the independence of India from foreign
domination.
He
was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and
India.
Gandhi
strove to practice non-violence and truth in all situations, and advocated that
others do the same.
Gandhi
was assassinated on 30 January 1948, by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist who
felt Gandhi was sympathetic to Muslims. January 30 is hence observed as
Martyrs' Day in India.
