Gandhi and his use of Styagraha (non-violent protest).

Essay by critic3434University, Master'sA+, May 2003

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Resistance comes in many forms and has been proven throughout time. Non-violent resistance in the world is the best way to reach peaceful resolution. The modern leader of non-violent resistance is Mohandes Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi a revolutionary leader defined how to go about non-violent resistance in his actions and many of his writings. He uses these applications against British imperialistic rule in South Africa and British colonization in India. Gandhi's studies of non-violent conflicts come from his knowledge of his body and his belief in non-violent protests and religious tolerance. He uses three different tactics to come by these struggles they are called satyagraha, swaraj and swadeshi. His tactics have pioneered the way for many resistance movements to be held in the future.

Mohandes K. Gandhi was born in 1869 in Western India. Gandhi's parents arranged a marriage at the young age of 13 to Kasturbai Makanji. In 1888 Gandhi went to London, England to study law.

He stayed in England until 1891 when he was admitted to the bar. He traveled to South Africa where he found racial discrimination against Indians. He worked endlessly for equal rights for Indian citizens. He then came up with the concept of satyagraha a passive resistance against injustice. In 1915 he returned to India with his wife and children where he further practiced his passive resistance against British imperialism.

Gandhi's belief in non-violent resistance is summed up in his explanation of the word "Satyagraha," "Truth (Satya) implies love and firmness (Agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force." (Gandhi p.65). His other forms of resistance are the swaraj, the idea of self-rule, and swadeshi the idea of control over one's land pioneered his new ideals of non-violent resistance. Gandhi's communities were a place where he could live in a small...