My Science School

            Gandhiji raised an ambulance corps during the Boer War. The corps comprised of 1,100 volunteers, out of them, 300 were free Indians and the rest were bonded labourers. It was a heterogeneous group that included barristers, accountants, artisans and workers. They were used as stretcher bearers. Indians were of great support to the British. The service they delivered in the Battle of Spion Kop was laudable.

            It was Gandhi’s mission to instigate in them the essence of service mindedness to their oppressors. In the Zulu campaign also, Gandhiji helped the government by organizing another Indian ambulance corps. They had to parade up to 64 kilometres a day to nurse a chain of beaten and injured Zulus. Many Indian leaders were awarded the Queen’s South Africa medal for their selfless service in the Boer War. 

 

 

 

        Do you know who the Boers are? ‘Boer’ is the Dutch word for farmer. It was used to designate the progenies of the Dutch speaking settlers of the Eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century.

          Boer War was fought between the British and Boers. This war was a symbol of the imperialistic greed of the British over its colonies. The British decided to mine gold and diamonds in the land of Boers. The Boers became so offended by this decision, that they declared a war against the British. Eventually, the Boers lost the war against the British.

          Surprisingly, the Indians in South Africa, along with Gandhiji, supported the British, during the war, though they sympathized with the condition of the Boers.

          This was because they believed that only then could they survive or earn their rights in the territory of Britain. The services provided by the Indians in the Warfield were appreciated by the British officers. 

            Gandhiji while living in a place called Natal in South Africa, founded an organization known as the Natal Indian Congress. He was a tireless secretary of the congress. The prime aim of the congress was to unify Indians and make them aware of their rights. They struggled against the discrimination Indians faced at the hands of British. The constitution of the organization was officially launched on 22nd August,1894.

            In its infant years, the Natal Indian Congress submitted many petitions for changes in the discriminatory laws. Gandhiji imparted a harmonious spirit in the diverse Indian community. He plied all the government offices, legislature and the media with logical statements of the grievances of the Indian community. Gandhiji and his organization stood for the cause of the upliftment of the Indian working class. Thus it became a burning issue in newspapers like ‘The Times of London’ and ‘Englishman’ of Calcutta. 

         

 

 

           Gandhiji got to know about the condition of Indians living there and soon, he experienced the horror of the conditions himself.

            One day, Gandhiji was on a business trip from Durban to Pretoria. He purchased a first class ticket. Soon after Gandhi settled into the first-class carriage, a European passenger on that train complained to the conductor that an Indian was on board. This white man was very reluctant to share his compartment with Gandhiji. Gandhiji was told to move out of the compartment. He was pushed out of the train by the railway officials, along with his luggage.

            Gandhiji spent the whole night in the station, shivering in the cold. He then took the firm decision to fight against racial discrimination. This journey was a turning point in the life of Gandhiji.

 

            Racial discrimination was common in the then South African society. Thousands of people were denied their basic rights on the basis of their skin colour. Indians migrated to South Africa to work in the British plantations and farms. The driving force behind their migration was mainly monetary benefits, but the condition of the Indians was very poor compared to their lives in India. They had to struggle to get a meager amount of money and even a loaf of bread.

            But some of them were able to overcome these struggles and become as successful as the whites and they became a source of fear for the whites. The whites tried hard to exterminate the Indians in many ways. Various laws were introduced to attack the Indians and to curtail their fundamental rights. This racial segregation in a way touched every aspect of their life. Indians were given the status of ‘coolies’. Merchants were mocked as coolie merchants. For pretty long years, coloured people could ride only in third class cars on South African trains.

 

               After his return from London, Gandhiji hunted for a job. He moved to Bombay, hoping to build up a career, but he could not find success there as a lawyer. Life became even more troublesome when he tried to be a part of a court case related to his brother, Laxmidas. That is when he received a job offer from an Indian business firm in South Africa named Dada Abdulla & Co. He had no choice other than to accept it.

               He started his journey to South Africa in April, 1893. This was a turning point in his life. He came to finish a single assignment, but was to stay there for twenty-one years.

               On reaching South Africa, he was horrified to realize the condition of Indians there. This was a time when many Indians in Africa were deprived of their fundamental rights, because of their skin colour. While practicing law, Gandhiji began to work for the Indians in South Africa. 

          In simple words, Gandhiji overcame these initial difficulties with sheer willpower. He made efforts to blend into the ways of English society.

          He tried to modify his attire. He even asked his brother to send him a gold watch and made changes in his hairstyle by parting it. Gandhiji also collected a top hat, evening suit and walking stick.

          Can you believe that in spite of his meager budget, he signed for dance lessons which he quit later, as he could not cope with them?

          He thought that mastering the violin was a better option, so he invested money in that. He even attended classes in public speaking.

          He also decided to take up the London matriculation exam with his studies. But the courses at University College London were not simple.

          Gandhiji finally passed his law examinations in January, 1891 and enrolled as a barrister. Thus his student years in London came to an end and he sailed for India on 12th June, 1891. 

               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.

          The life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a unique journey along the path of greatness. He courageously proclaimed that his life was his message. A simple man clad in a handwoven dhoti, he believed that the greatest weapon is one’s own character.

          Gandhiji lived in troubled times, when India’s social and political existence was crushed by the mighty British Empire. His clarity of vision and his mission ignited the minds of thousands of people.

 

          Under his leadership, the freedom struggle of India, for the first time, became a truly mass movement. He had no armies to command, yet the mightiest empire of the times was no match for his determined leadership, clear vision, and strength of character.

          True, Gandhiji was the greatest leader of modern India. Yet, to millions of people across the world, he was much more than that. To them, he was a saint whose values will have everlasting relevance. It’s no wonder that the whole world came to worship him as a great soul - a Mahatma.

          It was Rabindranath Tagore, the great poet, who first addressed him as ‘Mahatma’ and soon the whole world started using this name with great respect and affection. A truly befitting name for the father of our nation, who represents all that, is noble about our great heritage.