My Science School

               Gandhiji went to London to pursue his studies in law and to become a solicitor. The main problem he faced was food. Gandhiji was a vegetarian and he had a tough time finding proper food. Even the vegetarian food he got was tasteless. He was in effect starving and very reluctant to ask his landlady for extra rations of bread. Like any other Indian student who was studying abroad, Gandhiji was homesick, too.

               English was an alien language for him. The English ways of dressing and etiquette appeared strange to Gandhiji. He was influenced by Henry Salt’s writing and he joined the vegetarian society. He was also nominated to its executive committee. Some of the vegetarians he met were members of the Theosophical Society. This organization, founded in 1875, to expand the horizon of universal brotherhood, had a great influence on him.

          Gandhiji had qualified for college education after his matriculation in 1887. His father had been a Diwan in Porbandar and everybody in the family was expecting Gandhiji too, to become a Diwan. At that time, a degree in law was a must to occupy this coveted post.

          A family friend advised Gandhiji to pursue his study of law in England. This kindled a keen interest in Gandhiji, but there were a lot of hurdles in taking up studies in a foreign land. Foremost among them was the question of money. His family was not financially sound at that time. But this problem was solved when Gandhiji’s elder brother made arrangements for monetary support.

          His mother was very particular about keeping his religious purity in food and other habits and he even had to take an oath to remain a strict vegetarian in England and to keep his morals. The community to which he belonged also opposed Gandhiji’s journey to a foreign land and he was later declared an outcaste.

                  In any case, he set out on his journey on September 4th,1888. 

                    Can you believe that there existed a time in India when child marriages were so common? Gandhi was himself a victim of this practice. It may seem curious now, that most of the time these marriages took place without the children knowing they were entering a new life. After marriage, these children would be happy to get a new playmate! Kasturbai Makhanji, later known as Kasturba Gandhi and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi got married in the year 1883.

                   Due to his marriage, he lost a year at school, but he later made up for this. Life was a little bit confusing for both of them in the beginning. Young Mohandas often tried to control his wife with strict rules, but that didn’t work well. In his later life, Kasturba became an ardent supporter of Gandhiji’s public life. 

 

           

 

 

                   Gandhiji treasured the marvellous benefits obtained from reading. He came to know about many great characters in Indian mythology through reading. Among them were some who won his admiration like Raja Harishchandra, a virtuous king who went through harsh tests, yet never deviated from the truth. He was also motivated by the story of Prahlad, the boy prince who showed his father the greatness of God. Such great characters had an over-whelming influence on young Gandhi. There is no doubt that these heroes had a great role to play in moulding Gandhiji’s principles like truth and honesty. 

 

 

 

Gandhiji’s life as a student began at Rajkot where he studied the basics of arithmetic, history, geography and the Gujarati language. As a student, he did not show exceptional merit. He did not excel in the play-ground either. He was a boy who adored long walks rather than playing games. He matriculated from the Bombay University in 1887.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gandhiji’s honesty finds mention in the pages of history. Once, during his school days, an inspector visited his school. The children were dictated five English words. His teacher encouraged young Mohandas to copy from his fellow student a word he had miss pelt. He refused to do this, despite inviting the displeasure of his own teacher. Thus, though he was an ordinary student he had strongly embraced high values.

 

 

 

       

 

   

 

   Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, on 2nd October, 1869. His parents were Karamchand Gandhi and Putlibai. His father worked as a prime minister in Porbandar and in Rajkot.

               Putlibai was a deeply religious woman. She was also a vegetarian as per tradition and used to fast to cleanse herself of the craving for food. Neither fancy clothes nor jewellery attracted her. At the same time, she was a woman of great common sense and was well informed about all matters of state. She left a strong impression on young Mohandas and he had great admiration for his mother. She treated all living creatures equally and respected them all. Putlibai valued the opinions of others. Now, it is clear that she laid the foundation for the values Gandhiji upheld. She was a role model for his life and principles.

 

          It is the idea of non-violence that made India’s struggle for freedom unique in history. Gandhiji taught us that one is blessed to possess non-violence or ahimsa, in the midst of violence. He objected to violence, because it perpetuates hatred. Yet to him, non-violence was not akin to cowardice. He showed the world that non-violence is not a weapon of the weak; on the other hand, it is a weapon that can be tried to express a higher form of courage.

          Gandhiji was the first leader in history to use the idea of non-violence to fight such a mighty power. It’s no wonder that Gandhiji’s methods inspired many leaders like Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela.