| Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) was an
influential figure in India's nonviolent and successful fight for
freedom from British control.
Gandhi also pushed for better treatment of those who were
considered to be at the bottom of India's social ladder. These
people, known as the Untouchables, were renamed the Children of God
by Gandhi.
In his peaceful fight for better treatment of his country and
people, Mohandas Gandhi, who was also known as Mahatma ("great
soul"), performed a great deal of self-sacrifice. Although his
methods of protest were non-violent, his civil disobedience was
often returned with prison sentences and physical abuse.
Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948.
That same year, India became an independent nation.
Following the teachings of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr.
promoted the use of civil disobedience and non-violent tactics to
bring about change in America. Just as India had gained its
independence with passive resistance, African Americans were also
able to use similar tactics to secure their guaranteed rights.
|
