Gandhi as a Prophet in Todays World - Essay Example

Gandhi had been armed with the proper skills and techniques.

While in South Africa, he began a campaign in 1907 against laws that forced Indians to register if they wanted to continue living in the country. Around 3,000 Indians took to the streets and publicly burnt their registration cards.

Gandhi led Indians in the salt march of 1930 which is just one of the examples of his non-violence stance, or satyagraha as he called it. The British Government had imposed a Salt Tax and prevented them from making their own. Gandhi proposed a 240 Mile march from Ahmedabad to Dandi. This was later dubbed the Salt March.

DOWNS

Gandhi faced a lot of opposition from the same people he sought freedom for. After he fought for the withdrawal of compulsory registration for Indians, he was attacked and almost beaten to death. It is important to note at this juncture that his life was taken by a fellow Indian who was not convinced that he (Gandhi) had the better of Indians in his heart.

It was very difficult for people to embrace his non-violence tactics mainly because they lacked the vision and the self-control that he possessed. For instance, after the Noakhali massacre where Hindus were killed, beaten and their property burnt it would take a supernatural effort for one not to consider retaliating. Preaching non-violence was easy but getting people to accept was the difficult part.

CONCLUSION

Gandhi because of his selfless acts and stance on non-violence is in today’s world considered a prophet. His way of thinking was above the average man and the way he gave himself to the people of India was an extraordinary act.

His acts have been lauded by men of equal extraordinary achievements, for instance, Albert Einstein. He said that Gandhi's great contribution was his determination to moralize politics- a profession that has for decades been branded a “dirty game”. He insisted that one can apply the same moral values (love, truth, and non-violence) to any sphere of life be it politics, business, or industry. "It is perfectly possible," as Gandhi said, "for an individual to adopt this way of life without having to wait for others to do so." He was simply the perfect example of the change that you want to see. Words easily uttered but difficult to live by.