Mahatma Gandhi, a follower of non-violence and a messenger of truth, was born on 2nd October, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, and he belonged to an affluent family. He was a good student with a shy nature. As he grew up, he went to England to study law and soon became a barrister. When he returned to India, he began practising law at the Bombay High Court.

Thereafter, he went to South Africa to practise law. However, he was not interested in the legal profession. He joined hands with the natives of that region and started a non-violent movement called Satyagraha, in order to fight against the oppression of the Europeans. Soon, he returned to India and joined the struggle for India’s Independence against the British.

Seeing the miserable plight of his fellow Indian brothers and sisters, he started the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Quit India Movement to revolt against British rule in India. He underwent a lot of suffering and made sacrifices to uproot the British from the Indian soil. He had a non-violent approach towards India’s fight for freedom from British rule.

Mahatma Gandhi was a noble soul who believed in simplicity. He propagated the use of Swadeshi (domestic) goods among the people and boycotted the use of foreign items. He was a secular preacher and treated people of different communities with equal respect. He used to wear simple clothes and encouraged the use of handspun fibres such as jute and khadi made with the help of the spinning wheel.

He was a man of strong conviction and played a crucial role in the struggle for India’s Independence. He was imprisoned several times but his love for India’s freedom remained his cherished goal. His birthday, 2nd October, is celebrated as ‘Gandhi Jayanti’, to offer homage to the veteran for his significant role in social and political reform towards India’s struggle for Independence. He is fondly remembered as the “Father of the Nation” in India for his undying efforts towards India’s fight for freedom.