705 words essay on the Leader of All Time. Who knows not the Mahatma who is a universally acknowledged leader? Who is not enchanted when he smiles with wide-open mouth showing his overflowing love for humanity?
A highly magnetic personality, he was loved by the meek and the humble, by the aristocratic and the common people, by the literate and the illiterate, by the pious and the impious. He returned love for love and love for even hatred. He did not harbor enmity towards anyone and his golden heart forgave even his enemies. Leaders were there in many countries, leaders who changed political history, leaders who brought about social reforms, leaders who lived true to the teachings of saints, leaders who were God-like, but never was there a leader, who was a personification of simplicity, who day in and day out thought of the poor and worked untiringly for their cause. His dream of a casteless society is still a dream unfulfilled. In fact, after the death of Mahatma Gandhi, the number of castes has increased to an unimaginable level and we fight on the basis of caste, creed and religion. Is this the way we should pay our tribute to a leader nonpareil?
He envisioned a Ram Raja. But this land of brutal men and women is far different from the Ram Raja of kind, generous and noble people he envisioned. We are straying far away from his ideals.
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Gandhiji was so simple that he was always found wearing a loincloth. He once saw a poor farmer and as he had no good clothes he was wearing a loincloth. Moved by the poverty of the farmer that day he vowed to wear only a loincloth. And from that day he wore nothing but a loincloth. Even when he went abroad many times he used to wear only a loincloth though he might use a shawl to protect himself from the cold sometimes.
Once he was dragged out of a compartment of a train when he was traveling with an Englishman, a co-passenger. The Englishman was proud of his bright complexion, was Droid that he was far superior to the Indian, Gandhi, and he thought it was beneath his dignity to travel with an Indian. Soon Gandhi was pulled out of the train. Out on the platform Gandhi lay shivering in the cold. That day he took a vow to fight against racism, against the insolent British.
Gandhiji started a movement for political freedom from the imperialistic British, who ill-treated Indians. His call for agitations against the British inspired the people of India and thousands participated in the freedom struggle. The British police brutally lath charged the Indians, who rebelled against the British. Many who took part in the agitations were arrested, put in prison for many years. Jawaharlal Nehru, Patel, Rajah, Rajendra Prasad, Kaman raja and many other leaders suffered imprisonment. Gandhiji was put in prison many times as he undertook agitation after agitation against the British policies. His was a non-violent struggle against the British. He often fasted for several days to express his 3pposition to the arrogant British.
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The entire India rose in support of Gandhiji. Gandhiji was utterly unselfish. His whole life was a saga of sacrifices for the poor. He hated the distinctions among the people belonging to one caste and another. He had a special love for the ‘untouchables’ whom he called ‘Harridans’, who were dear to Lord Vishnu. The caste of ‘untouchables’ is the bane of India. Among human beings no one is an untouchable. Everyone is equal before God. Gandhiji collected a special fund for the cause of improving the economic and social condition of the Harridans.
He brought out a journal titled ‘Harriman.’ He was a great thinker. His writings constitute several volumes. He wrote in English, Hindi and Gujarat, his mother tongue. Some of his articles are prescribed in textbooks. His autobiography titled ‘Experiments in Truth’ is a great book. In that unique autobiography he confesses his mistakes and failings, he explains how he lived true to his conscience. According to him Truth is God, Honesty is God. His life was an open book. When Gandhi was shot dead by a religious fanatic, a great man said that men like Gandhiji are rarely born.