Film Lesson " Gandhi"

Mahatma Gandhi " The Great Soul" of India
-Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is affectionately called Bapu (Father of India). He helped India gain its independence through a series of non-violent acts. One of the greatest leaders in the world Gandhi has been a role model for Martin Luther King Jr, etc. Gandhi's legacy will forever be known for many generations to come.

Early Life Gandhi
-Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in present day Gujarat, Western India. His parents arranged a marriage between Kasturbai Makhanji and Gandhi when they were 13 and 14. In 1888, Gandhi went to London to study law.Gandhi's dream was to open a practice in Bombay but his attempt failed.Two years later, Gandhi was sent to South Africa and was shocked on what he found there.
- In the film it shows a young Gandhi traveling to South Africa by train. Gandhi purchased a first class ticket which is unusual for a person of his color. The British guard on the train refuses to let Gandhi sit first class and tells him to leave, Gandhi refuses and he is thrown out of the train. It was this racial attack and the European ignorance that opened Gandhi's eyes of the treatment the British had on the Indians.The British were very harsh towards the Indian people, they didn't allow any political rights.Gandhi saw his calling and began to fight for Indian independence.

Civil Disobedience
-Gandhi stayed in South Africa for about twenty years and was imprisoned many times. In the movie his supporters would riot for his freedom and Gandhi would fast because he did not believe in violence. He taught the Indian immigrants about civil disobedience in which they would not fight the British if they beat them.After years of struggle in South Africa, the British finally gave in to Gandhi's demands such the Indian culture practice's, abolished the poll tax, and established a Red Cross for them. Gandhi felt that his fight was not yet complete until all of India was free.

Return To India
- When Gandhi returned to India he was welcomed with open arms in 1915. The Indian people had heard about what Gandhi had done in South Africa and he became a symbol of freedom. On his arrival in the movie Gandhi wore prison clothes to show that Indians did not need to buy British made clothes that they could make their own. In 1902, the Amritsar Massacre took place, in which British soldiers shot a crowd of Indians in less than 10 minutes. It was an act of cowardice because the British felt their power slipping through their fingers.Many followed Gandhi's example and began to embrace their Indian culture more than the British. They stopped wearing western clothes and wore Indian clothes instead.

The Salt March
The British began to tax the salt in India which was a huge blow to the Indians. Instead of giving in, they began to boycott and refused to buy salt. During the infamous Salt March Act, led by Gandhi the Indians began to make their salt. In a scene from a movie the British soldiers began a raid in a market. They arrested and beat Indians who were caught either selling salt or buying salt.The Indians did not fight back instead they practiced more civil disobedience. Gandhi was arrested more and more but the British could not find an excuse to imprison him.

India's Independence
-The British were forced to give India's independence in 1947 because they were fighting a lost cause. The people of India rejoiced and Gandhi was their hero. He fought for most of his life so that his country could be free, he proved that there could be a war without any violence.Unfortunately India, was split by two religions Muslim and Hinduism. They could not work out their differences despite Gandhi's efforts. On January 30, 1948 Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse while Gandhi was about speak during a prayer meeting. Godse did not like the fact that Gandhi wanted Muslims to live in India and saw him as a traitor because he believed Gandhi favored Muslims more. The people of India were suffered the most saddness because their hero had fallen.

Extra Credit
-I don't believe India's Independence was all about Gandhi because the Indian people were sick of the way the British ran their country. Though of course the Indian people would have resulted in violence for their freedom. Gandhi gave them strenght to believe it could happen but it was the people who won the war. I think it would have happended anyway because during the time of India's independence the British had already entered World War II and they did not have the time or the money to waste on India.