Debunking the Myths of Mahatma Gandhi
Early Life and Career
Contrary to the myth of humble origins, Gandhi was not born into poverty. His father served as the dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar and later Rajkot, positioning the family within the elite. As a young man, he was a mediocre student who married at the age of 13. His adolescence was marked by rebellion against his strict upbringing, including petty thieving, smoking, and eating meat. Although he wanted to become a surgeon, his family pressured him to study law. He spoke very little English until he was 18, with his main language being Gujarati.
After struggling to find work as a lawyer in India—a profession in which he was not particularly successful due to his stage fright—he moved to South Africa. His initial political engagement was as a member of the London Vegetarian Society, not in a grander political arena.
The Genesis of "Satyagraha"
His time in South Africa was transformative. Upon arriving, he was subjected to racial discrimination, including being thrown off a first-class train compartment and barred from hotels "for Europeans only." These humiliations, as described in the Encyclopedia Britannica, were the catalyst for his political awakening. Instead of leaving as planned, he decided to stay after learning of a bill that would disenfranchise Indians. It was in Johannesburg, South Africa—not India—that he launched his first civil disobedience campaign, known as "Satyagraha." This pivotal moment laid the groundwork for his future actions.
Challenging Common Perceptions
Gandhi's life was marked by danger, and he was nearly lynched in Durban in 1897, decades before his assassination in 1948. Perhaps most surprisingly, he was not an absolute pacifist or anti-British. He organized a volunteer corps of 11,000 Indians to defend the British colony of Natal during the Boer War. His views and actions were complex, defying the simplified narrative often presented.
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