Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest man of the 20th century; he was respected by the whole world. The greatest scientists, Einstein, said that the coming generation would not easily believe that such a man ever lived on the earth. The greatest thing about him was that he was a human to the core and has a loving heart for the poor and the homeless. He felt for all and wished well to the entire humanity.

Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) was born in Porbandar, in the Kathiawar region of Gujarat on 2nd October, 1869. He received his early education at home. His father was then advised to send his son to England for higher studies.

In England, Gandhiji qualified for the bar. But on his return from England he did not succeed as a lawyer. So he went to South Africa. There he found that his countrymen were suffering under cruel laws. He led a protest movement successfully. His movement was entirely non-violent.

Returning to India in 1916, he threw himself into politics. He started the non-violent, non-cooperation movements, He was sent to Jail many times and thousands of his country-men followed him. A long agitation finally forced the British Government to grant independence to India on 15th August, 1947, but India was divided into India and Pakistan. This caused untold sufferings to life and property on both sides of the border. But the Father of the Nation—Bapu as he was called-was not in Delhi to rejoice. He was in distant Naokhali in East Bengal trying to bring peace among the Hindus and Muslims there.

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Mahatma Gandhi lived a splendid long life. He achieved the greatest of his wishes-the freedom of India. He also wished to see India prosperous but God willed it otherwise Three bullets from a misguided young man finished his glorious career. He met a martyr’s death, for he was pleading for Hindu-Muslim unity and this was not acceptable to certain self-interested and short­sighted people.

Mahatma Gandhi has set a standard before us. He has shown that great heights can be reached by man. By his life and later death he has served his mother country, and he has served humanity no less. He has shown the world the true way to peace.