One of the significant incidents which shaped Mohandas to Mahatma Gandhi happened in South Africa. While riding on the train with his first class ticket, a white English passenger refused to let him sit in the first class cabin. When he protested, he was thrown out of the train at the next station. Mahatma Gandhi has just experienced, first hand, the racial and color discrimination of Indians in South Africa. This unfairness treatment made him thinking about fighting for the human right of Indians in South Africa.
This originally only short-term assignment brought Gandhi to stay in South Africa for 21 years (1893 � 1914). While there, Gandhi met his life long friend Jawarharlal Nehru who later became the first Prime Minister of India. Together they worked towards the rights for Indians with non-violent method of pretests and strikes. He had become invincible to face the South African government. He feared noting except God.
Gandhi became the recognized leader of South Africa�s Indian community. Gandhi was arrested many times, however his actions brought some reforms. Gandhi organized the first non-violent campaign in protesting against the proposed Asiatic Ordinance and Compulsory Registration of Asiatics. He also helped campaign against nullification of marriages not celebrated according to Christian rights. He launched a non-violent camgain by leading 2000 Indian miners across the Transcvaal border.
The transformation from the ordinary Mohandas to Mahatma began in South African. Gandhi was not a nature born calmer. He had his violent nature as well. He once fought with his wife about doing unclean jobs. By 1903, he changed his dietary habits and begun to lead a life of considerable discipline and self-restraint including celibacy.
- Mahatma Gandhi
This website is created by Sue Franz as a class assignment for MG648, "Leadership" of Master of Management Program at Aquinas College.