Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated across the country on October 2 each year. The day is also celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence (ahimsa), as Gandhiji led the nation to freedom through his non-violent civil disobedience movements.
Gandhiji’s leadership has inspired many people over the generations, as he was the decisive force in giving India Independence after 200 years of oppressive British colonial rule. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, a year after India’s Independence. The day of Gandhiji’s assassination is celebrated in India as National Martyrs’ Day.
1) Nobel Peace Prize:
Mahatma Gandhi was nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize – in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and 1948, a few days before his assassination, but was never given the honour.
2)Origin of the Title ‘Mahatma’:
The poet Rabindranath Tagore gave Gandhiji the title of Mahatma. Tagore said that Gandhi would stop at the thresholds of the huts and speak to the people in their language. Tagore mentioned that Gandhi felt that all Indians were his flesh and blood. That is why he was given the name “Mahatma”.
3) Relics:
The relics of Mahatma Gandhi are kept in the Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai.
4) A football Enthusiast:
Gandhi was a football enthusiast, and during his stay in South Africa, he founded two football clubs, which were inspired by the writings of Henry Thoreau and Leo Tolstoi and were called Passive Resisters.
5) Nutritionist Bapu?:
Bapu created a diet plan for one of his political opponents, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and suggested that Bose eat leafy greens and avoid starches. This plan emerged as part of Gandhi’s love for experimenting with food and diet.
6) Lasting Impression:
Vallabhai Patel was playing bridge in a club in Ahmedabad when he first heard Gandhi’s speech and was immediately inspired by it. Patel left his law firm and dedicated himself to the Satyagraha cause. Bapu’s personality was so great that he left an immediate and lasting impression on people.
7) Revival of Accents:
One of Gandhi’s first teachers was an Irishman. Therefore, Gandhi had an Irish accent while he spoke English.
8) Symbolism of Love:
Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral procession was 8 kilometres long, symbolic of the love he received from the people of India.
9) Role During Boer War:
During the Boer War, Mahatma Gandhi served in the army.
10) Early Marriage:
Gandhi married his 14-year-old Kasturba Gandhi in 1882 at the age of 13. The death of her first child made him a strong opponent of child marriage.
11) A Mediocre Student?:
Gandhi was not the best student. Although he was known for being very ethical and having a good command of English, he was considered a mediocre student in mathematics and poor in geography. He also had terrible handwriting that embarrassed him.
12) Inspiration:
Gandhi’s civil disobedience was inspired by the American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, whose famous essay “Civil Disobedience” he read in prison.
13) Letter to Hitler:
Gandhi wrote a letter to Hitler addressing him “Dear friend” and begging him to put an end to the war. Hitler never responded.
14) Person of the Year:
In 1930, Gandhi became the first and only Indian (so far) to receive the title of “Person of the Year”.
