Essay on mahatma gandhi and africa in 700 words
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Gandhiji went to London in England for studying law after his matriculation. After completing the degree he returned to Gujarat and started practicing law. He was hired to take care of the legal affairs of a client, which led him to go to South Africa. British were ruling South Africa too.
In 1893 Gandhiji landed in South Africa. On the complaint of a white man against a colored man sitting with him, he was asked to go out of the 1st class compartment in spite of having a valid ticket. Gandhiji understood the severity of the racial discrimination against blacks. Gandhiji continued to do his professional duty as well as fight for the rights of the Indians there. After 3 years, Gandhji returned to India to seek help from leaders of the Indian National Congress. Then he went back to South Africa with a number of Indians from India. A mob attacked them but Gandhiji kept cool and peace. British government stopped South African government from stopping Indians from voting rights.
In 1899 during the Boer war Gandhiji helped recruitment of Indians for fighting for British government. Anti-Indian philosophy of the government continued still. Gandhiji firmly believed that supporting and staying with the government will change its attitude. He continued living there with his family protesting in peaceful non-violent mode.
Gandhiji returned to India with his family in 1901 and started a law firm in Mumbai. South African Indians needed his help to fight against racist atrocities. He returned to South Africa again in 1902. From a normal person he changed into a peace crusader there. He lead a model life of celibacy with discipline. His adopted a new diet and followed Bhagavad Gita. He was influenced by John Ruskin. He trained people in non-violence and Satyagraha. What it meant was the unacceptable laws were broken peacefully. They went to jails in masses. They organized strikes and protests. They did non-cooperation ie., stopped the economic activity for the government.
In 1906 he organized a satyagraha protest against Indian immigrants. Next year, he organized another one against the Blacks Act, the compulsory registration for Asians in South Africa. Two years later he was jailed for two months for organizing the protests and again in 1909 for 3 months. He then travelled to England to get support from Indians in England. In 1913 he led a campaign and a protest against the law which could annul marriages not performed in the Christian way. He lead nearly two thousand Indians. He was arrested and released in expectation of a compromise.
General Smuts could not fight or argue logically with him. He recognized their faults and wrongs in treating colored people in a bad way. Gandhiji’s ways are honored. Indians in South Africa were treated better by the law. Gandhiji made them look at Indians in the humanitarian way. Finally, in 2014 after being with South Africans for 21 years, Gandhiji returned to India. The cruelty in treatment of colored people reduced, but racist Pretoria regime continued for many decades.
He was widely recognized as an ambassador of peace and a man of self-respect and courage, by the British. Gandhiji’s deeds there are recognized even today. Nelson Mandela had followed Gandhiji’s philosophy and ways. Gandhiji turned from a lawyer to savior of Indian community. Durban, Pretoria, Johannesburg were places of importance during his tenure. The house he lived in South Africa is declared as a cultural heritage center.