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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi also known as the ‘Father of the nation’, was a social
reformer and a freedom warrior who worked hard to free Bharat from the hands of the
British Raj. His belief was based on the principles of ‘Ahimsa’ (non-violence).
October 2nd is celebrated to honor him in the name of Gandhi Jayanti, as the entire
country is indebted to his efforts.
Rabindranath Tagore was the first person who used the word  ‘Mahatma’ for Gandhiji.
Meaning of word ‘Mahatma’ in a Sanskrit " Great soul’. His great thoughts and
ideologies made people honour him for calling him ‘Mahatma Gandhi’. And just like
the title bestowed upon him, his sacrifices for the country and his struggles to
make his beliefs a reality is a matter of great pride for Indians all over the
world.He was raised in a Hindu family and ate simple vegetarian food. His father
Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi was the Dewan of Porbandar State. In South Africa, he
was the first to start a nonviolent protest movement, it made him different from
other protesters. Mahatma Gandhi also created the concept of Satyagraha which is a
nonviolent way of protesting injustice. He spent 20 years of his life in South
Africa fighting for discrimination. His ideology of ‘Ahimsa’ meaning not to injure
anyone was highly appreciated and was also followed by many great personalities
around the globe. He became the person who could not be defeated under any
circumstances. Mahatma Gandhi started the ‘Khadi Movement’ to push the use of
fibers like khadi or jute. ‘Khadi Movement was part of the greatest movement, the
“Non-co-operation Movement” which encouraged the use of Indian goods and stopped
the use of foreign goods. Mahatma Gandhi was a strong supporter of agriculture and
motivated people to do agricultural works. He inspired Indian people for manual
labor and said that they should arrange all the resources ownself for living a
simple life and becoming self-dependent. He started weaving cotton clothes through
the use of Charkha in order to avoid the use of foreign goods and promote the use
of Swadeshi goods among Indians.  In those days of the struggle for Indian
Independence, Gandhiji suffered and was imprisoned several times with his
followers, but freedom of his motherland remained his main goal. Even after getting
in prison, he never used the path of violence. Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution to
various social issues could never be ignored. His drive against ‘untouchability’
during his imprisonment in the Yerwada Jail, where he went on fast against the age-
old evil of ‘untouchability’ in society, had greatly helped the community’s
upliftment in the modern era. He also advocated the importance of education,
cleanliness, health and equality in society. These qualities made him a man with a
great soul and justified his journey from Gandhi to Mahatma. He guided many freedom
struggles and found the “Quit India Movement.” The Quit India Movement was a great
success. His death was the greatest storm to the forces of peace and democracy. His
death left a great vacuum in the life of the nation.Mahatma Gandhi was the man who
majorly contributed to the independence of India from British rule. He spent his
entire life serving his country and its people, and the international arena was the
face of Indian leadership. He was a man of ethics, values, and discipline who
motivates and encourages young people worldwide even today. Gandhi Ji was also
famous for his firm discipline. He always professed the importance of self-
discipline in life. He believed that it helps achieve bigger goals, which he also
implemented in the way he promoted his ideologies of Ahimsa. As he showed through
his own life,  hard discipline can help in meeting any goal in life, as long as we
strive to stick to it and dedicate ourselves to it. These qualities made him a
great leader who is revered and respected even now, decades after his passing. And
his fame and respect for his ideologies still resonate not only in India but across
the world as well.