We generally interpret Gandhi in form of Mahatma Gandhi, the status which he got in his fifties, but in order to get true perspective of Gandhiji it is very necessary to analyze him first in form of 'Mohan Das' rather as Mahatma Gandhi. When Gandhi formally entered freedom movement of India in 1914, in fact it was his second innings of life and at that time he was become a man of 'salvation' and 'asceticism' was very high in his life and thereafter he started to be called as Mahatma Gandhi amongst the people. This was time when Gandhiji changed his dress, food habit and several ways of spending his life. When we start studying Gandhi, not as Mahatma rather as Mohan Das Gandhi, we find, there were some factors which made Mohan Das, a Mahatma Gandhi. The thorough observation of life of Mohan Das , particularly in South Africa gives us a real perspective of Gandhi; it guides us how Gandhi became a persona after studying many thought provoking religious and philosophical books. His patience interaction with the bitter elements of civil society, his humble and subservient gesture all the time whether in England, in South Africa or while meeting with the leaders of Indian national congress during his arrival in India on 3 occasions in between 1899 and 1904. We come to know how Gandhi was attracted towards the theosophy, his activeness and strictness towards morality as a professional barrister in South Africa.
2. His whole spending of 22 years life in South Africa tells us how Gandhi tackled the bitter condition of Indians living there in Natal and Transvaal, South Africa. How he made an organization to suppress the misbehavior happening with the Indians there and he continuously fought them with his gentle persuasion of Satyagrah and also how he maintained his moral and ethics while doing his profession.
3. While Knowing about Mohan Das, we come to find that the making of Mahatma basically had its origin in his early family life and parental samskar, school life, his barrister ship study in England and his 22 year long spending of professional and public life in South Africa.
4. When we start analyze him as a Mohan Das, we find, during childhood Gandhiji had a deep influence of Family samskar over him. He nurtured a deep faith for his religion Hinduism and its several rituals and its deities, which he specially observed from his mother, who was a very devout religious lady, fasting around 4 months in a year. Mohan Das developed a supreme kind of service spirit in him by nursing his ailing father. In early childhood, Gandhiji had deep influence of Sharwan kumar and Raja Harishchandra over him, which he knew while watching a play over them. Sharvan Kumar is a mythological character who carried his ailing mother and father over his shoulders, that 'play' gave Mohan Das a strong yearning for serving his ailing father and Raja Harishchandra play gave him insight that never speak a lie and without compromise always go with the truth. His faith in Hinduism gave him the importance of non vegetarianism and teaching of Budha enlightened him to make his firm belief in compassion and non violence.
5. Mohandas had deep effect of his family over him for not taking non vegetarian foods, liquor etc. Though once he tasted these things under the influence of his school friend and elder brother, but latter on he was deeply pained for his act. He took a vow, not to touch them ever in his life and since then he never have this in his entire life.
6. Gandhiji's basic philosophy which we know 'truth and non violence', 'Satyagrah', 'spending simple life', 'self reliance', 'community work', 'fighting exploitation in descent way', 'always courteous behavior with the authorities', 'his faith in naturotherapy', 'his insight regarding food intake'. These all perceptions, convictions and ideologies were not developed in any intellectual laboratory or under the influence of any big ideologies. He simply took his entire idioms from his family, parents, religion, sacred books which provided him a strong bond with vegetarianism, teetotalism, theism, cleanliness and very patient interaction with the fellow companions. But it does not mean Gandhi had no intellectual intercourse in his public life. To my mind all notable principles and ideologies of Gandhiji viz. Satyagrah, truth and nonviolence, importance of physical labor were his own intellectual outcomes, which he utilized in his public life, both in South Africa and during freedom struggle period in India. Since Gandhi had inbuilt religious leniency, so he took keen interest in reading many religious books during his England days, latter on he was influenced by theosophy and read many books over them.
7. In between his stay in England and S. Africa he read' kingdom of God', written by Leo Tolstoy which gave Mohan Das a greatest amount of intellectual satisfaction. The book 'Unto the Last', written by Ruskin was one of the most influential books which molded not only the way of thinking rather the way of action by Mohan Das. This book inspired Gandhi to such extent that he completely changed his life style and work style both. This book was the factor which compelled Gandhi to establish his Ashram in Phoenix , South Africa, where all inhabitants in Ashram have had to render physical work like horticulture, hut making, carpentering, scavenging as well as rendering mental work like teaching, journalism and etc. Gandhiji translated this book in his mother tongue Gujrati named SARVODAYA. The importance of manual and physical labor became one of the founding tools of Gandhian ideologies.
8. Another perspective of Gandhism, which one can know through his earlier part of life which were spent in England, South Africa and almost while travelling many part of India. During this time he came in contact with innumerable white Christians; most of them tried to influence Christianity upon Gandhi, even they gave many literature of Christianity to him, but Gandhiji's conviction for his own religion Hinduism and Indian philosophy was so strong that he never ever even think to come under their influence, though he did not disobey to read those literature given to him by his Christian friends, but he never got influenced by those and he meekly used to say them I don't find any special in these literature, after all they all have indulgence in worldly life. But Gandhiji used to like the gentleness and courteous nature of English people and he learnt that art of performing gentle and mild behavior from them.
Despite the rude nature of Protease people in South Africa, Gandhiji won over them with his quality of 'forgiveness' and gentle attitude. Gandhiji learnt the art of not reacting vehemently. Gandhiji faced humiliation on many occasion in S Africa, (of which throwing him from first class is also one of the example) and also once in Rajkot, when he went to met a office sahib in order to do some work of his brother, the officer get him out from there, Gandhi felt demoralized but he dod not react over this rather showed his protest very mildly. He wrote petition and urged the officer. Same way on many occasion people made attack over Mohan Das in S. Africa, but Gandhi tolerated them very patiently and pursued the whole issue with calm and composure. Once a time came when a top police officers used to be very friendly to Mohan Das; whenever Mohan Das had any problem, this officer despite having an apartheid approach, always came forward to help Gandhiji
9. It is very necessary to know that how Mohan Das became a man of simplicity. It is to be noted here that despite a huge influence of family samskar over Gandhiji, he was not so orthodox or conventional kind of Hindu. When he was set to go England to study Barrister ship course, there was a strong protest from his family, though not from his parents, but from his kith and kin and caste group. They said that crossing sea is a sin in Hinduism and second English people used to eat Meat and drink wine, which we can not allow you to do. But Gandhiji did not get perturbed; he patiently faced them, but did not cancel his study voyage to England. Only his mother kept condition that in any circumstances, you have not to take resort of wine and meat, since then Mohan Das could not see her mother alive, because when he returned to India after completing his study , he knew that his mother was no more, but Mohan Das maintain that vow of not eating meat and drink wine throughout his life. The fact is that in England, in search of vegetarian restaurant, Mohan Das used to walk even miles, many times slept without dinner. On many occasions Gandhiji felt disturbed while visiting some pilgrimage centre. Once he visited Vishwanath temple at Varanasi, but he was shocked to see dirtiness over there. Once He visited Kali Mandir at Kolkata, what he saw there, animals were butchered down there and there was stream of blood, he was deeply shocked to see this orthodoxy of Hinduism. It is very significant to know that despite being a devout Hindu, Gandhiji demolished one of its established institutions, that was untouchability, which was going on for thousands of years. For abolishing this trend, Gandhi did not demonstrate any reactionary or revolutionary approach; he just started to do scavenging work and what he found that houses of untouchables, specially their latrines were cleaner than the latrines of non untouchables. Gandhi was the first man in the whole history of India who decisively attacked untouchably and termed untouchables , the true followers of the God
10. In England, the dress style of Mohan Das was not Indian one; he was completely westernized by attire there. After becoming barrister Gandhiji used to wear frock suit in South Africa. He strictly maintained this dress-up almost until his coming in India in 1915. Second thing is that though Gandhiji had a deep cleanliness sense. He always preferred a good home with all ventilation and furniture outfit. Many times during the travelling time, he did not prefer to halt at the railway stations; rather he used to hire big hotels to stay. Gandhiji was very fond of clean and facilitated place to live in. when Gandhi started to spend community life and he always had a ashram, first he established it in phoenix near Johannesburg followed by Sabarmati ashram in Ahemdabad and Vardha ashram. In between he established ashram at bhitiharwa in champaran, Bihar, where he fought in the interest of indigo farmers. These all ashram had high degree of cleanliness, ventilation. For travelling purpose Gandhiji from very his first voyage to England, preferred first class in ship as well as in trains. In first year of his sojourn to South Africa, Gandhiji was travelling in the first class of train, which haunted white TTE of that compartment and he said him to go out to other non first class coach.
Gandhiji once accepted the first class complementary offer for making voyage with his family to South Africa by his client's ship. Gandhiji continued to prefer first class journey till he was asked by his political guru Gopal Krishna Gokhale to travel in third class while travelling in India, then you will acquire a real perspective of India and Indian common people.
1914 onwards Gandhiji continuously travelled in third class compartment with lots of hardship and suffocation. T his initiative provided Gandhi a broad perspective and orientation regarding Indian citizenry.
11. It has been an apparent fact about Mahatma Gandhi that he was not a hypocrite, what he did , it was through his enlightened instinct. He never show off anything. The livings of Mahatma Gandhi says us that unless you are really a good man, a sensitive man, a clean heart man, a principled person, a very patient and non reactive person, a very trust full person, you are good to none. The thing is that after doing course of Barristership when Mohan Das returned back to India, he could not settle professionally in Rajkot court and then he shifted to Mumbai. There he came to know that lawyers find their clients and cases through giving commissions to the agent, Gandhiji denied to do this. Not only that on some occasion he could not finish his case which were referred to him. Gandhiji knew it very early that his profession of law is a very ticklish one but he has to earn his livelihood. In the meantime the circumstances send him South Africa, when an Indian origin Muslim Sheth called him to South Africa who was an acquaintant to his elder brother; the call was for counseling his one legal case, being fought agains another Indian Muslim merchant. After doing his one year assignment there, when Mohan Das was prepared to returned to India, one new development took place. Mohan Das read small news in the corner of a local newspaper there that Indians would be barred from the legislative council of Natal. It forced Gandhiji to stay there. He said to his country fellowman there that he is ready to help out Indian there by forming an organization and protesting against it; but he told them that he needs cases for his practice to earn his bread. This was the time when Gandhi consolidated his professional life and ultimately became attorney in Supreme Court of South Africa there. But Gandhiji as he says in his autobiography that he used to take only those cases where his client was supposed to be upright and second he used to take fee neither more nor less. A time came when Mohan Das became a full public activist there.
12. One very significant features of Mohan Das' personality was that his pubic activism was coincided with a role of media communicator also. When Mohan Das after going to South Africa returned first time to India in 1899, he travel around India, first he met with Congress people and the contemporary stalwarts of the Congress like Gokhale and Tilak and he also joined one congress session held at kolkata there. He talked them about the plight of Indians in South Africa. For this purpose Gandhi met with many newspaper editors at Calcutta. Some newspaper carried his long interview over this issue. Once an editor of Kolkatan newspaper made Gandhi waiting for more than 2 hour, then Gandhi thought this man has all power in this office, not in other places. He knew the importance of Media in social cause and rendering public work.
13. When Gandhiji's fight for protecting the interest of Indians was at peak in S Africa, he launched a journal from there named ' Indian opinion'. This journal has its own press established at Phoenix Ashram. When, Gandhi came to India to fight freedom struggle. In his series of satyagrah struggle, Gandhiji utilized Media everywhere in order to spread the satyagrah and cause of the non violence movement. As we know, from Champaran Gandhiji started his series of movement which had only one tool that was his 'truth and non violence'. Since then Gandhi participated in Kheda kisan satyagrah, Ahemdabad Mill worker strike, civil disobedience movement. But Gandhiji understood it very well that his vision and mission of satyagrah, non violence and persuasive leadership can have no goal achievement unless he had have his own journal and newspaper. Gandhiji started two periodicals 'navjivan' and 'Young Indian'. Both of these publications have circulation of above 40000. It acted as a major weapon of Gandhiji.
14. Gandhiji by profession was a barrister, by heart a Spiritual person, by mind a persuasive person who can even win his opponent through satyagrah , by soul a God fearing person, by principle a man of moral, by body, worshipper of labour, by style, a self reliant person, by Public activist, a journalist, by living, an ascetic person who preferred ashram life, by therapist a hydropath, by dietetics, fruit and nut eater, by wealth, believer in trusteeship, by faith Hindu, but by philosophy, always believed in religious harmony, by behavior gentle and English etiquettes, saying all the time thank you. As a social person,he always trusted over his companions and co-workers.
15. One of the significant characters of Gandhiji was his collection quality. Gandhiji rendered his whole public life with the help of public collection. Gandhiji experimented this method of financing first when he established 'Indian Natal congress' to fight out the plight of Indian there. For running this organization the financial need were decided to fulfill through membership subscription. Latter on Gandhi found many contributors who financed him enormously. In this way Gandhiji operated many movement in India. Whenever his ashram had any scarcity of money, someone came and contributed his ashram very liberally. Throughout his life Gandhiji was said to be big fundraiser for public cause. Gandhi writes in his autobiography that Madan Mohan Malviya was great fund raiser, who had connection with many princely states and he collected amount of funds for many noble cause of the society, he founded Banaras Hindu University, he established Krishna temple at Mathura. But Gandhiji write I was not far behind to Madan Mohan Malvia in this regard.
16. Though Gandhiji never articulated this point that English is necessary in contemporary arena. But Gandhi spent his 25 years of his life in an English environment. His initial academic, intellectual and professional nurturing in English made him very close to English people. He knew the English style of interaction and socialite tendencies. This way ,Gandhi ji had innumerable friends among English and white Christians. This gave Gandhi an international taste in his personality. He had no communication problem with any Governors and Viceroys of British empire
17. Some peculiar thing that Gandhi had; uptill 1920 Gandhiji was in a way very loyal to British empire. When he returned first time in India from S.Africa, he prepared a welcome portrait in favor of British Empire. In 1914 Gandhiji visited London direct from S. Africa to meet Gokhale, There he involve himself in recruiting personnel for helping British army. When he came India, he still had respect for British Empire. Gandhiji had categoricaly written this in his book. But when Gandhi thought India needs real freedom and then he gave his full mandate to liberate India.
19. Once Gandhiji organized a meeting for Hindu- Muslim unity in Bombay, he was very surprised to see the presence of the participants, there were low gathering in contrast to the gathering organised on other issues. Gandhi says in his book, '' it is great irony that the biased sensational things attracts people in large numbers from both side, but constructive idea and efforts have no takers in the society. What a great sentence Gandhi writes in his book, which has more relevany now.
20. It would be folly to understand that Gandhi ji was merely an activist, he was full of intellectualism have an original thought which were churned out from several religious philosophy which had root in Indian philosophy and society. Not to say the world of today which is facing the major problems, all could be treated chronically by the Gandhian philosophy. His truth and non violence is just antipathy to all kind of political and group violence. His satyagrah formula promotes demonstration and protest in democratic manner. His theory of 'trusteeship' is just antipathy to capitalism and all kind of greed for the property. His 'cleanliness 'vision asks people to contribute time and labor for cleaning of both personal and public places. His 'simple life' gives message for checking extravaganza, detraction for luxuries. His principle of 'celibacy' is in fact purification of mind and soul. His concept of 'basic education' gives us a concept of purposeful education for both ethical and professional health of the student. His concept of 'swadeshi' in fact gives the strength to the domestic manufacturing industry. His approach to media was to use it as a weapon of change and opinion making. His drive against 'untouchability 'gives us a vision to social equality. His concept of 'pray' give to surrender owns self before the almighty. His dedication to the service to the mankind gives us insight of service of humanity. His concept of financing public service gives us impression that it should not have conspicuous nature, it must be open and having transparency both. The whole public life career of Gandhiji tells us what community service is called about, done with honesty, sincerity and concern and without any hypocrisy and political motives.
21. Ghandhiji was extremely religious person, but not a pakhandi, he used religion to discipline himself. His God fearing nature has guided him to follow right ways, do better works and act in right direction.
22. Most heartening point is that Gandhi ji never created tyranny of any political party while doing his public work because he never wanted to take political credit of this. The service to nation and humanity was his prime objective, though after 1920 Gandhiji contributed a lot to the Congress party also.
2. His whole spending of 22 years life in South Africa tells us how Gandhi tackled the bitter condition of Indians living there in Natal and Transvaal, South Africa. How he made an organization to suppress the misbehavior happening with the Indians there and he continuously fought them with his gentle persuasion of Satyagrah and also how he maintained his moral and ethics while doing his profession.
3. While Knowing about Mohan Das, we come to find that the making of Mahatma basically had its origin in his early family life and parental samskar, school life, his barrister ship study in England and his 22 year long spending of professional and public life in South Africa.
4. When we start analyze him as a Mohan Das, we find, during childhood Gandhiji had a deep influence of Family samskar over him. He nurtured a deep faith for his religion Hinduism and its several rituals and its deities, which he specially observed from his mother, who was a very devout religious lady, fasting around 4 months in a year. Mohan Das developed a supreme kind of service spirit in him by nursing his ailing father. In early childhood, Gandhiji had deep influence of Sharwan kumar and Raja Harishchandra over him, which he knew while watching a play over them. Sharvan Kumar is a mythological character who carried his ailing mother and father over his shoulders, that 'play' gave Mohan Das a strong yearning for serving his ailing father and Raja Harishchandra play gave him insight that never speak a lie and without compromise always go with the truth. His faith in Hinduism gave him the importance of non vegetarianism and teaching of Budha enlightened him to make his firm belief in compassion and non violence.
5. Mohandas had deep effect of his family over him for not taking non vegetarian foods, liquor etc. Though once he tasted these things under the influence of his school friend and elder brother, but latter on he was deeply pained for his act. He took a vow, not to touch them ever in his life and since then he never have this in his entire life.
6. Gandhiji's basic philosophy which we know 'truth and non violence', 'Satyagrah', 'spending simple life', 'self reliance', 'community work', 'fighting exploitation in descent way', 'always courteous behavior with the authorities', 'his faith in naturotherapy', 'his insight regarding food intake'. These all perceptions, convictions and ideologies were not developed in any intellectual laboratory or under the influence of any big ideologies. He simply took his entire idioms from his family, parents, religion, sacred books which provided him a strong bond with vegetarianism, teetotalism, theism, cleanliness and very patient interaction with the fellow companions. But it does not mean Gandhi had no intellectual intercourse in his public life. To my mind all notable principles and ideologies of Gandhiji viz. Satyagrah, truth and nonviolence, importance of physical labor were his own intellectual outcomes, which he utilized in his public life, both in South Africa and during freedom struggle period in India. Since Gandhi had inbuilt religious leniency, so he took keen interest in reading many religious books during his England days, latter on he was influenced by theosophy and read many books over them.
7. In between his stay in England and S. Africa he read' kingdom of God', written by Leo Tolstoy which gave Mohan Das a greatest amount of intellectual satisfaction. The book 'Unto the Last', written by Ruskin was one of the most influential books which molded not only the way of thinking rather the way of action by Mohan Das. This book inspired Gandhi to such extent that he completely changed his life style and work style both. This book was the factor which compelled Gandhi to establish his Ashram in Phoenix , South Africa, where all inhabitants in Ashram have had to render physical work like horticulture, hut making, carpentering, scavenging as well as rendering mental work like teaching, journalism and etc. Gandhiji translated this book in his mother tongue Gujrati named SARVODAYA. The importance of manual and physical labor became one of the founding tools of Gandhian ideologies.
8. Another perspective of Gandhism, which one can know through his earlier part of life which were spent in England, South Africa and almost while travelling many part of India. During this time he came in contact with innumerable white Christians; most of them tried to influence Christianity upon Gandhi, even they gave many literature of Christianity to him, but Gandhiji's conviction for his own religion Hinduism and Indian philosophy was so strong that he never ever even think to come under their influence, though he did not disobey to read those literature given to him by his Christian friends, but he never got influenced by those and he meekly used to say them I don't find any special in these literature, after all they all have indulgence in worldly life. But Gandhiji used to like the gentleness and courteous nature of English people and he learnt that art of performing gentle and mild behavior from them.
Despite the rude nature of Protease people in South Africa, Gandhiji won over them with his quality of 'forgiveness' and gentle attitude. Gandhiji learnt the art of not reacting vehemently. Gandhiji faced humiliation on many occasion in S Africa, (of which throwing him from first class is also one of the example) and also once in Rajkot, when he went to met a office sahib in order to do some work of his brother, the officer get him out from there, Gandhi felt demoralized but he dod not react over this rather showed his protest very mildly. He wrote petition and urged the officer. Same way on many occasion people made attack over Mohan Das in S. Africa, but Gandhi tolerated them very patiently and pursued the whole issue with calm and composure. Once a time came when a top police officers used to be very friendly to Mohan Das; whenever Mohan Das had any problem, this officer despite having an apartheid approach, always came forward to help Gandhiji
9. It is very necessary to know that how Mohan Das became a man of simplicity. It is to be noted here that despite a huge influence of family samskar over Gandhiji, he was not so orthodox or conventional kind of Hindu. When he was set to go England to study Barrister ship course, there was a strong protest from his family, though not from his parents, but from his kith and kin and caste group. They said that crossing sea is a sin in Hinduism and second English people used to eat Meat and drink wine, which we can not allow you to do. But Gandhiji did not get perturbed; he patiently faced them, but did not cancel his study voyage to England. Only his mother kept condition that in any circumstances, you have not to take resort of wine and meat, since then Mohan Das could not see her mother alive, because when he returned to India after completing his study , he knew that his mother was no more, but Mohan Das maintain that vow of not eating meat and drink wine throughout his life. The fact is that in England, in search of vegetarian restaurant, Mohan Das used to walk even miles, many times slept without dinner. On many occasions Gandhiji felt disturbed while visiting some pilgrimage centre. Once he visited Vishwanath temple at Varanasi, but he was shocked to see dirtiness over there. Once He visited Kali Mandir at Kolkata, what he saw there, animals were butchered down there and there was stream of blood, he was deeply shocked to see this orthodoxy of Hinduism. It is very significant to know that despite being a devout Hindu, Gandhiji demolished one of its established institutions, that was untouchability, which was going on for thousands of years. For abolishing this trend, Gandhi did not demonstrate any reactionary or revolutionary approach; he just started to do scavenging work and what he found that houses of untouchables, specially their latrines were cleaner than the latrines of non untouchables. Gandhi was the first man in the whole history of India who decisively attacked untouchably and termed untouchables , the true followers of the God
10. In England, the dress style of Mohan Das was not Indian one; he was completely westernized by attire there. After becoming barrister Gandhiji used to wear frock suit in South Africa. He strictly maintained this dress-up almost until his coming in India in 1915. Second thing is that though Gandhiji had a deep cleanliness sense. He always preferred a good home with all ventilation and furniture outfit. Many times during the travelling time, he did not prefer to halt at the railway stations; rather he used to hire big hotels to stay. Gandhiji was very fond of clean and facilitated place to live in. when Gandhi started to spend community life and he always had a ashram, first he established it in phoenix near Johannesburg followed by Sabarmati ashram in Ahemdabad and Vardha ashram. In between he established ashram at bhitiharwa in champaran, Bihar, where he fought in the interest of indigo farmers. These all ashram had high degree of cleanliness, ventilation. For travelling purpose Gandhiji from very his first voyage to England, preferred first class in ship as well as in trains. In first year of his sojourn to South Africa, Gandhiji was travelling in the first class of train, which haunted white TTE of that compartment and he said him to go out to other non first class coach.
Gandhiji once accepted the first class complementary offer for making voyage with his family to South Africa by his client's ship. Gandhiji continued to prefer first class journey till he was asked by his political guru Gopal Krishna Gokhale to travel in third class while travelling in India, then you will acquire a real perspective of India and Indian common people.
1914 onwards Gandhiji continuously travelled in third class compartment with lots of hardship and suffocation. T his initiative provided Gandhi a broad perspective and orientation regarding Indian citizenry.
11. It has been an apparent fact about Mahatma Gandhi that he was not a hypocrite, what he did , it was through his enlightened instinct. He never show off anything. The livings of Mahatma Gandhi says us that unless you are really a good man, a sensitive man, a clean heart man, a principled person, a very patient and non reactive person, a very trust full person, you are good to none. The thing is that after doing course of Barristership when Mohan Das returned back to India, he could not settle professionally in Rajkot court and then he shifted to Mumbai. There he came to know that lawyers find their clients and cases through giving commissions to the agent, Gandhiji denied to do this. Not only that on some occasion he could not finish his case which were referred to him. Gandhiji knew it very early that his profession of law is a very ticklish one but he has to earn his livelihood. In the meantime the circumstances send him South Africa, when an Indian origin Muslim Sheth called him to South Africa who was an acquaintant to his elder brother; the call was for counseling his one legal case, being fought agains another Indian Muslim merchant. After doing his one year assignment there, when Mohan Das was prepared to returned to India, one new development took place. Mohan Das read small news in the corner of a local newspaper there that Indians would be barred from the legislative council of Natal. It forced Gandhiji to stay there. He said to his country fellowman there that he is ready to help out Indian there by forming an organization and protesting against it; but he told them that he needs cases for his practice to earn his bread. This was the time when Gandhi consolidated his professional life and ultimately became attorney in Supreme Court of South Africa there. But Gandhiji as he says in his autobiography that he used to take only those cases where his client was supposed to be upright and second he used to take fee neither more nor less. A time came when Mohan Das became a full public activist there.
12. One very significant features of Mohan Das' personality was that his pubic activism was coincided with a role of media communicator also. When Mohan Das after going to South Africa returned first time to India in 1899, he travel around India, first he met with Congress people and the contemporary stalwarts of the Congress like Gokhale and Tilak and he also joined one congress session held at kolkata there. He talked them about the plight of Indians in South Africa. For this purpose Gandhi met with many newspaper editors at Calcutta. Some newspaper carried his long interview over this issue. Once an editor of Kolkatan newspaper made Gandhi waiting for more than 2 hour, then Gandhi thought this man has all power in this office, not in other places. He knew the importance of Media in social cause and rendering public work.
13. When Gandhiji's fight for protecting the interest of Indians was at peak in S Africa, he launched a journal from there named ' Indian opinion'. This journal has its own press established at Phoenix Ashram. When, Gandhi came to India to fight freedom struggle. In his series of satyagrah struggle, Gandhiji utilized Media everywhere in order to spread the satyagrah and cause of the non violence movement. As we know, from Champaran Gandhiji started his series of movement which had only one tool that was his 'truth and non violence'. Since then Gandhi participated in Kheda kisan satyagrah, Ahemdabad Mill worker strike, civil disobedience movement. But Gandhiji understood it very well that his vision and mission of satyagrah, non violence and persuasive leadership can have no goal achievement unless he had have his own journal and newspaper. Gandhiji started two periodicals 'navjivan' and 'Young Indian'. Both of these publications have circulation of above 40000. It acted as a major weapon of Gandhiji.
14. Gandhiji by profession was a barrister, by heart a Spiritual person, by mind a persuasive person who can even win his opponent through satyagrah , by soul a God fearing person, by principle a man of moral, by body, worshipper of labour, by style, a self reliant person, by Public activist, a journalist, by living, an ascetic person who preferred ashram life, by therapist a hydropath, by dietetics, fruit and nut eater, by wealth, believer in trusteeship, by faith Hindu, but by philosophy, always believed in religious harmony, by behavior gentle and English etiquettes, saying all the time thank you. As a social person,he always trusted over his companions and co-workers.
15. One of the significant characters of Gandhiji was his collection quality. Gandhiji rendered his whole public life with the help of public collection. Gandhiji experimented this method of financing first when he established 'Indian Natal congress' to fight out the plight of Indian there. For running this organization the financial need were decided to fulfill through membership subscription. Latter on Gandhi found many contributors who financed him enormously. In this way Gandhiji operated many movement in India. Whenever his ashram had any scarcity of money, someone came and contributed his ashram very liberally. Throughout his life Gandhiji was said to be big fundraiser for public cause. Gandhi writes in his autobiography that Madan Mohan Malviya was great fund raiser, who had connection with many princely states and he collected amount of funds for many noble cause of the society, he founded Banaras Hindu University, he established Krishna temple at Mathura. But Gandhiji write I was not far behind to Madan Mohan Malvia in this regard.
16. Though Gandhiji never articulated this point that English is necessary in contemporary arena. But Gandhi spent his 25 years of his life in an English environment. His initial academic, intellectual and professional nurturing in English made him very close to English people. He knew the English style of interaction and socialite tendencies. This way ,Gandhi ji had innumerable friends among English and white Christians. This gave Gandhi an international taste in his personality. He had no communication problem with any Governors and Viceroys of British empire
17. Some peculiar thing that Gandhi had; uptill 1920 Gandhiji was in a way very loyal to British empire. When he returned first time in India from S.Africa, he prepared a welcome portrait in favor of British Empire. In 1914 Gandhiji visited London direct from S. Africa to meet Gokhale, There he involve himself in recruiting personnel for helping British army. When he came India, he still had respect for British Empire. Gandhiji had categoricaly written this in his book. But when Gandhi thought India needs real freedom and then he gave his full mandate to liberate India.
19. Once Gandhiji organized a meeting for Hindu- Muslim unity in Bombay, he was very surprised to see the presence of the participants, there were low gathering in contrast to the gathering organised on other issues. Gandhi says in his book, '' it is great irony that the biased sensational things attracts people in large numbers from both side, but constructive idea and efforts have no takers in the society. What a great sentence Gandhi writes in his book, which has more relevany now.
20. It would be folly to understand that Gandhi ji was merely an activist, he was full of intellectualism have an original thought which were churned out from several religious philosophy which had root in Indian philosophy and society. Not to say the world of today which is facing the major problems, all could be treated chronically by the Gandhian philosophy. His truth and non violence is just antipathy to all kind of political and group violence. His satyagrah formula promotes demonstration and protest in democratic manner. His theory of 'trusteeship' is just antipathy to capitalism and all kind of greed for the property. His 'cleanliness 'vision asks people to contribute time and labor for cleaning of both personal and public places. His 'simple life' gives message for checking extravaganza, detraction for luxuries. His principle of 'celibacy' is in fact purification of mind and soul. His concept of 'basic education' gives us a concept of purposeful education for both ethical and professional health of the student. His concept of 'swadeshi' in fact gives the strength to the domestic manufacturing industry. His approach to media was to use it as a weapon of change and opinion making. His drive against 'untouchability 'gives us a vision to social equality. His concept of 'pray' give to surrender owns self before the almighty. His dedication to the service to the mankind gives us insight of service of humanity. His concept of financing public service gives us impression that it should not have conspicuous nature, it must be open and having transparency both. The whole public life career of Gandhiji tells us what community service is called about, done with honesty, sincerity and concern and without any hypocrisy and political motives.
21. Ghandhiji was extremely religious person, but not a pakhandi, he used religion to discipline himself. His God fearing nature has guided him to follow right ways, do better works and act in right direction.
22. Most heartening point is that Gandhi ji never created tyranny of any political party while doing his public work because he never wanted to take political credit of this. The service to nation and humanity was his prime objective, though after 1920 Gandhiji contributed a lot to the Congress party also.
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