long essay writing of Gandhi's childhood and education
Answers
Answer:
The full name of Gandhiji is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He is also known as the Father of the Nation.
He is the apostle of Peace, Truth and Non-violence. He was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar in Gujarat.
Gandhiji matriculated in 1887 and in the same year he was sent to London for the study of law. After studying law for 4 years, he sailed back home in 1891 and started practice at Mumbai (Bombay).
In 1893 he was invited by an Indian firm to fight a legal battle in South Africa. Although his case was over,’ he continued to stay in South Africa for 20 years. Gandhiji experienced a series of insulting events disgracing Indians in Africa and his political feelings were awakened. He started struggle for political rights and gave up his lucrative legal practice. He founded the National Indian Congress in 1894.
In 1903 he shifted to Transvaal and had educational experiences on the Tolstoy Farm he established after corresponding with Leo Tolstoy. The Tolstoy Farm was just like a family, where Gandhiji occupied the place of the father. He helped the children in all-round development. Training of heart and building of character were also emphasised.
The children between 6 to 16 devoted two-thirds of their time to theory and one-third to practical work. Dignity of labor through manual work and physical exercise were included in the academic program. Learning by doing was the guiding principle. English was taught as a subject of study but the medium of instruction was the mother-tongue.
In January 1915 Gandhiji returned to India and actively joined Indian politics. The massacre of Jallianwalla Bagh (1919) was the turning point in his life. He started the non-violent non-cooperation movement in 1920. It created a popular upsurge. He was the undisputed leader of the struggle for independence for three decades. Gandhiji did his utmost for Hindu-Muslim unity. He devoted himself to the upliftment of the villages and the masses and the abolition of untouchability.
In 1930 Gandhiji started the Civil Disobedience Movement. He took the famous oath “to protest against the Government’s salt law.” In 1942, Gandhiji started the Quit India Movement. In 1946, the fires of communal frenzy broke out and Gandhiji did his best for communal peace and amity.
On 15th August 1947 India became independent with the partition of India into two nations. On January 30, 1948, as he was walking to his daily prayer meeting in Delhi, he was fatally shot. He died with the name of God in his lips. Throughout his life Gandhiji experimented with Truth and Non-violence.
Though Gandhiji was primarily a politician and social reformer, he had made remarkable contribution to the field of education. The educational experiments which he tried in Africa were further continued at Sabarmati and Sevagram. The Sabarmati Ashrama (founded May 1915) had adults, women and children as inmates.
Every work of daily routine was done by the inmates. Bapuji was the guiding force. The children in the Ashrama school, which Gandhiji established as a model, had to perform both theoretical and practical work. There was a regular prayer meeting in the evening. Discussions were held about the content and method of education in the school.
The inmates of the Ashrama had to observe many rules:
(a) Truth speaking;
(b) Non-violence;
(c) Non-attachment;
(d) Celibacy;
(e) Poverty;
(f) Non-untouchability.
They had to use only Swadeshi articles. Everyone had to wear “Khaddar”. A spirit of fearlessness was inculcated among the inmates. Gandhiji founded the Sevagram Ashram near Wardha in April 1933. It was here that he conceived the idea of his new system of education which is commonly known as Buniyadi Shiksha — Basic Education. A practical shape was given to the scheme in 1937. Some people think that the scheme of Basic Education is identical with the educational philosophy of Gandhiji. But this is not true. The scheme of Basic Education is a plan or programme of education. It is just a part of his total educational philosophy.
Hope it helps............