Despite many agreements and disagreements, Mahatma Gandhi is still relevant today. His birth anniversary is on 2nd October. Thousands of books have been written and are being written on him. Chairs are established in his name in many universities across the country and the world. It was Gandhi who fought hard against the British, British officers bowed to his demands many times and after India became independent, the same British government even issued a postage stamp in Gandhi's honour.
Even today, when our PM or ministers go on foreign tours, they install his statue somewhere. Do not forget to garland the already installed statue. It would be called Gandhi's greatness that the heads of state who had come to the recently concluded G-20 summit together went to Gandhi's mausoleum to pay homage to him. Know 5 stories related to Mahatma Gandhi which are enough to describe his entire life.
Azad Hind Fauj soldiers and Hindu-Muslim tea
It is a common thing that Gandhiji did not like the style of movement of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Gandhi wanted freedom through non-violence and Subhash wanted freedom by any means. The story goes like this that some soldiers of Azad Hind Fauj were kept captive in the Red Fort of Delhi. One day Gandhiji came to meet him. Then the lovers of freedom told him that Hindu-Muslim tea is made here.
Well, it seems that Hindu tea has arrived and Muslim tea is coming. Gandhi was shocked and asked then what do you people do? The devotees of Azad Hind Fauj said that we mix both in a big vessel and then divide and drink. Gandhiji was shocked and then in a conversation he asked the then Viceroy Wavell to leave from here. We will solve our problems ourselves because Hindu-Muslim unity cannot come under you. After returning from Red Fort, Gandhi said that Subhash Babu is a nationalist leader. He has erased the difference between Hindu and Muslim. I salute him.
Charkha Sangha, old mother and a copper coin
Gandhiji was on a tour of the country with the intention of collecting funds for the Charkha Sangh. In this sequence he reached Odisha. A large number of people had gathered to listen to him. When the speech ended, an old mother moved towards him. People stopped her but she started insisting that she had to meet Gandhiji. She somehow reached the stage near Gandhiji. The mother, wrapped in a torn dhoti, touched Gandhi's feet, opened the knot of the dhoti and placed a copper coin on his hand. Gandhiji's eyes became moist with reverence for his old mother. When Jamnalal Bajaj, treasurer of the Charkha Sangh present there, asked for the coin from Gandhiji, he flatly refused.
Bajaj laughed and said that I have checks worth thousands of rupees lying with me and you are expressing disbelief in me over a single coin. On this Gandhiji said that this coin is very valuable because a mother has given her entire wealth. Those who have lakhs give only a thousand or two thousand. This is the supreme example of that mother's kindness. I want to keep it with me for a while and feel the responsibility that that mother has shown us. That’s it, nothing else.
When Gandhi reached the meeting place by bicycle
Gandhiji used to live in Sabarmati Ashram in those days. Some people from the neighboring village came and requested him to address a meeting organized in their village. He agreed. The organizers said that they will bring a motor vehicle to take you to the meeting venue, you should be ready. Gandhiji got ready as per the scheduled time but the motor was not found. The time of the meeting was fixed at four o'clock. Gandhiji silently took the bicycle and reached the meeting place. On the other hand, the youth reached the ashram with the motor vehicle. He was disappointed when he did not find Gandhiji and went back to the village.
He saw that Gandhiji was addressing the meeting. When the meeting ended, the young man approached him and told that he had gone to the ashram but did not meet him. When Gandhiji told him that you were late as per the scheduled time of the meeting but I did not want to be late. It would have been inappropriate for people to wait for me in the car. So I came to the meeting place by bicycle. This was Gandhi's commitment to time and love for the people.
Why did Gandhi, who wore suits and boots, wear only dhoti?
It was 15th April 1917. When Gandhi returned from South Africa and came to meet the farmers of Motihari. At that time he was wearing shirt, dhoti, towel, watch, leather shoes and cap. The farmers informed him about the atrocities being committed by the British. He told that the British did not allow lower caste people working in the fields to wear shoes. Gandhi was hurt and gave up the shoe. After a few days, Kasturba was telling the women about cleanliness etc. A woman told them that she had only one dhoti, then how could she concentrate on cleanliness. When Gandhiji came to know about this incident, he took off his robe and gave it to that woman and took a vow to never wear a robe again. In this way, giving up things one by one, he started wearing only a dhoti, so that he could feel the pain of the common people.
Impact of Raja Harishchandra play on Gandhi
Gandhi went to see the play Raja Harishchandra in his childhood. Some of his friends were also with him. When Gandhi saw that King Harishchandra gave up everything to keep his promise, whereas if he had wanted, he would not have lost anything. After all, he was a king but he kept his promise. This play had an impact on Balman and this impact was seen on Gandhiji's entire life. He always kept fighting for the truth. It's about school days. The spelling was wrong in his copy. Even when the teacher asked him to write correctly after looking at the copy of the child sitting next door, Gandhi refused. Who is an inspiring example of his courage, truth and honesty.
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