A House of a Mahatma

The crowds that congregated in Gandhi Ashram on Ashram Road in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Oct. 2, had just left the ashram complex. However, many people from different walks of life continued to flock to the ashram. They paid a visit to Gandhi's museum and house on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti -- Gandhi's birthday.

The enthusiastic visitors were not only from Ahmedabad, but also from other Indian cities like Delhi, who came with families. The passion of the visitors is no surprise considering the non- violent struggle Gandhi had led to set India free from British occupation.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on Oct. 2, 1869 in the harbor town of Porbandar, Gujarat. He pursued studies in law at University College in London, England, which brought him to Durban, South Africa in 1893, where an Indian firm employed him as a legal adviser.

The unjust and discriminatory treatment he experienced in South Africa because of his skin color spurred him to fight against injustice. His political ideology developed and he was influenced by the writings of Thoreau, Tolstoy and Ruskin. Gandhi launched the satyagraha movement (non-violent resistance) against the discrimination of colored people. Because of his ceaseless struggle, he spent much time in and out of prison.

Gandhi returned to India at age 45 after the South African government granted his demands to recognize Indian marriages and abolish the tax poll imposed on them.

In 1917, Gandhi established the ashram, meaning a place of peace and knowledge in Sanskrit, by the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad. Today, Gandhi's house is much like it was then. But, most of his belongings in the house were moved to Delhi.

Gandhi fought relentlessly against the British that occupied India. He became a populist leader and satyagraha spread throughout India. He organized a non-cooperation campaign, where Indians in public office resigned, government agencies were boycotted and people blocked the street by squatting even though the police beat them.

In order to make Indians economically independent, he completely boycotted British goods and began to use a spinning wheel to make his own cloth. In the house, visitors can see the room where Gandhi used to make hand-spun cotton cloth known as khadi.

With his wife Kasturba, Gandhi led a spiritual and ascetic life by praying, fasting, and meditating. He refused earthly possessions, wearing only a dhoti and shawl of the lowliest Indian, lived as vegetarian and drank only goat's milk. The Maharaja of Gondal, one of kingdoms in Gujarat, revered him as a saint or a mahatma (a great soul). People called him "Bapu" (father).

At the age of 61, Gandhi called on the Indians to refuse to pay taxes, particularly on salt, levied by the British colonial government. He led a 165-mile march in 24 days from Ahmedabad to Dandi, on the Gujarat Coast, and produced salt from seawater.

Gandhi earliest followers were India's lowest caste the "untouchables" whom he called Harijans, meaning children of God. When he was imprisoned in 1932, he began to fast unto death to protest against the treatment of Harijans. After six days of fasting, he obtained an accord that improved the status of the "untouchables". Carrying on his struggle, he traveled across India, teaching ahimsa (non-violence) -- a way of life implicit in Hindu doctrine.

Gandhi was not only concerned about human rights issues in British-ruled India. One of the museum's collections displays a letter he wrote to Adolf Hitler requesting him to end the war.

When Britain finally granted India independence in 1947, India was separated into two states, India and Pakistan. Unrest followed the separation and Gandhi, who did not claim to adhere to any religion, appealed to the Hindus and Muslims to live together peacefully. He fasted until the conflict ceased.

Gandhi's life ended on Jan. 30, 1948 when Nathuram Godsen, a fanatic Hindu, assassinated him when Gandhi was on his way to an evening prayer meeting. India honors him as the Father of the Nation and his birth anniversary is a national holiday. Gandhi's teachings have been spread beyond India making him one of the greatest leaders the world has ever had. -- Wahyuni Kamah