Mahatma Gandhi the architect of Bharatha Desh

“The talents and capabilities hidden in Gandhi’s character surfaced when obstacles and difficulties were before him in Africa. He could see with his own eyes how the other Indians who had migrated to South Africa were undergoing hardships and harassments from the British.”

By Dharma Hewamadduma

(October 02, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mahatma Gandhi’s life and spiritual wisdom may be a light for the leaders who need urgent solutions for all dilemmas of the peoples of many Asian and African countries who had been subjected to spiritual degeneration and social degradation through centuries due to foreign domination. Gandhi’s great character is a guidance for most of the rulers of those states who blindly followed their Western counterparts paying scant attention to the culture, heritage and identity of their own lands and as a result are now left stranded losing the grip of their reins of ruling the masses.


Mahatma Gandhi liberated his motherland and its innocent masses from the shackles of British imperialism without any kind of war and unaided by any allied neighbour and this made the British to bow down before Indian National Movement led by him which resulted in ringing the death knell to the colonial rulers and giving a severe blow to the British economy.

Since then he became a spirit that inspired the hearts of every person born and yet to be born in the region.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born at Porbandar, a small town in Kathiyawar, West India, on October 2, 1869. This could be considered a great event as his birth took place after a long period of absence of great personalities, such as, Lord Buddha and Emperor Dharma-Asoka. There is a big difference between Mahathma and others personalities which are found in world history. Warriors like Samudra Gupta, Akbar, Aurangzib wrote their names in history due to their warmanship and the expansion of their rule over the subcontinent. Names of Harsha Deva and Sha Jehan became famous as they had contributed to literature and arts also built up artistic monuments. Rabeendra Nath Thagore became a legend due to his service to music and literature, Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekananda became well known due to their service to the religion and improvement of moral conduct of the people.

Mahathma Gandhi’s mission cannot be confined to a particular field. He had the bravery of Lord Nelson or Starlin, patriotism of Mazini & Garibaldi, statesmanship of Winston Churchil or Loyd George, farsighted political vision of Lenin and Mao-Te-Tun, liberal-mindedness of Abraham Lyncoln or Martin Luther King, spirituality of Ramakrishna Paramahansa or Swami Vivekananda. He is universally accepted as a combination of all these qualities.

"Generations to come....... will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth", once the greatest scientist Albert Einstein said about Gandhi.

When Mahathma Gandhi was born in 1869 colonial rule was well established in India. Gandhi was brought up in a religious environment and having his early education in a primary school and later in a high school he passed his matriculation examination as the custom of the day, entered into a child marriage with Kasturi Bai at the age of 13 and later in 1888, went to England for higher studies. He had to make a vow to the mother that he would abstain from liquor, meat and misbehaving with women, before he was given permission by the mother to go overseas. During his 5 year stay in U.K. he was determined to stick to those promises. Although he had to suffer severely from coldness he didn’t consume liquor or meat. But he entirely sustained himself on vegetarian diets and milk.

In U.K. he had the opportunity of reading "The light of Asia" and also Bhagawath Geetha and was able to learn the Buddhist Philosopby and Hindu Philosophy. Later it helped him to mould his life according to spirituality. New testament of the Holy Bible and also the Islam doctrine attracted his mind.

Although be returned from U.K. as a barrister-at-law his character was not crude enough to face the intrigues, schemes and competitions which prevailed in Indian society at that time. Therefore he decided to go to South Africa to find his fortune.

The talents and capabilities hidden in Gandhi’s character surfaced when obstacles and difficulties were before him in Africa. He could see with his own eyes how the other Indians who had migrated to South Africa were undergoing hardships and harassments from the British. They were humiliated as coolies by the British. Gandhi was shocked when he experienced this situation. In addition to this he was insulted and removed from the railway compartment he was travelling in; the 1st class compartment. At that time Indians were not allowed even to walk on certain roads.

Although he was disgusted over this situation he was not discouraged but determined to fight for the human rights of his brother human beings. He started to consolidate the Indian people in South Africa and pushed them to a national movement in order to mould their lives and achieve success. He cultivated in them simplicity, perseverance and the dedication to the movement; to wash one’s own clothes, to cut their hair by himself, to help mothers, children and patients, printing publications, to make ornaments and handicraft items, are some of the activities he commenced to give inspiration to in the national movement. Instead of wearing Western costumes he appealed to his followers to wear Indian costumes. Doing what he preached he set an example to his followers, is a noble quality Gandhi had in his character. As a result of all these activities "Sathya Graha" was born in South Africa. For the justifiable causes to make use of power of justice is the meaning of the term, "Sathya Graha".

Consolidating and uniting Maratha Janatha in South Africa he took all steps to protect the rights of Indians who lived there. He had to go to jail several times and undergo several hardships created by the British, but due to these activities for the sake of mankind he was given the title of ‘Mahatma’ and his reputation spread not only in Africa and India but also in Europe and America. Due to the chain of uprisings and protests he obtained the inspiration and strength to lead the national movement in India in later years.

After he returned to India in 1915 he was given the leadership of the national movement already formed against the British by national leaders like Gokale, Metha, Benergi, Thilak etc. In 1916 on the occasion of opening of Hindu University in Benares, while delivering the inaugural speech to the princes and other important people of the society, he addressed thus, "Till You wear such valuable ornaments with pride and vanity people of Bharatha Desh will not get the liberation. Therefore at least now give up those ornaments and rise up for the freedom movement".

Removing the fear of the masses, activating patriotism in them he moved into all corners of India while organizing Sathyagraha and strikes, thus shaking the British empire.

Like a miracle done by a Rsi, he inspired all Indians with patriotism within a few years which did not last even after independence in 1947, enabling the Indians to keep-their identity, among all other nations in the world. They rose up against the misdeeds of the British. He united all forces such as farmers, workers and other masses who were burdened with various taxes, levies and other infringements enforced by the British.

Waves of protest and Sathyagraha spread all throughout the country, Gandhi himself started Upawasa (fasting) for three days. During these protests thousands of innocent civilians were massacred and wounded by the British forces at Jaliyan Valabarg in Amrithsar in 1919. This day is considered the "darkest day" of British rule in India. With this incident Mahatma Gandhi felt the necessity to send the British out of India and gain "Swarajya".

Since then national movement flared rapidly under his leadership. Schools were closed, the titles and honours offered by the British were cast back to them. Villagers who were engaged in occupation in towns went back to the villages, creating utter confusion in urban areas. Enraged masses set fire to clothes imported from England and some threw them away. Sound of "CREEN" generated from the spinning wheel, like a ‘manthram’ uttered to drive away the British from India.

Even the women in India threw away their purdah. Women in India who were in the backyard of their homes joined the mass protest campaigns while singing liberation songs

(Vimukti Gee) composed by patriotic and revolutionary poets. Through publications, such as "Nawajeewan", "Nawa Bharath", Gandhi was able to take such freedom loving people towards a non violent movement - Sathyagraha. Thousands of innocent people were under English law. Even sent to jail. Thousands of innocent people were prosecuted. Mahatma Gandhi was sent to the jail several times during this struggle. It is not an exaggeration if somebody says that he was more in prison than at home, while engaged in these campaigns. Scared by the united effort of the Hindus and the Muslims, British planned to destroy that unity but Mahatma Gandhi took all precautions to protect that unity. He looked at the entire masses of Bharata with love and compassion without any difference and also fought against the caste system and the violence against women in India.

As a result of waves of violence, agitations at the end of many rounds of discussions and negotiations, the British were compelled to grant independence to India. Although in 1947 India gained independence with the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi he refused to accept any posts in the new government. This is one of the great and rare qualities of a leader in history.

As a result of the ‘divide and rule policy’ of the British, Pakistan was created, carving out ancient India on the occasion of granting independence to India. This paved the way to many clashes between the Hindus and Muslims in many parts of both countries. Mahatma Ghandi who had sacrificed his time, property and energy for the Indian national movement to achieve independence, at this moment decided to sacrifice everything to work against communalism among Hindus and Muslims. Unfortunately this provoked some extremist groups among Hindus. They felt that they could not hurt and take revenge from the Muslims for the harassment incurred by them to their brethren who lived in Pakistan.

Thirtieth day of January 1948 dawned. Mahatma Gandhi was participating at a Bhajan festival in front of Birla Mandhir when a young assassin named Goad Se came towards him and shot at his chest, felling a great human being who had sweated and spread immense love and compassion. Within a moment the heart which had been a ‘Maha Athma’ with purity and kindness became silent.

"Babuji is not with us. The light illuminated is extinguished, But that light even in future will illuminate the world. It will illuminate for centuries. The light that helped us to get over our sins and directed us to the correct path and it will give strength to the heart of all human beings in this world," said Sri Jawaharlal Nehru when he announced the news of Mahatma’s death over the radio to the world. Although he passed away at a time when millions of people had been liberated from bondage, even the other countries which were under foreign domination were able to taste the sweetness of independence. Mahatma Gandhi became great not only due to his dedication to the national movement but also due to his contribution to the present development of Nawa Bharatha.

Instead of alien education he introduced national education, instead of foreign goods he introduced indigenous industries, instead of foreign technology which has been moulded with Western thinking, he introduced patriotism suited to the local environment, instead of Western sophisticated culture he introduced religious culture with a religious background and instead of military suppression he introduced non -violence and instead of arms struggles he introduced the Sathyagraha movement, instead of globalization and alignment with powerful nations he introduced self sufficiency and the welfare state and instead of calamity among races and castes and tribes and malicious competition, he introduced the way of thinking with love and compassion and unity among Indians as brethrens of one country. Thus Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi became "Mahatma Gandhi".

-Sri Lanka Guardian