"It is the province of knowledge to speak. And it is the privilege of wisdom to listen." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Gandhi

"If we are to receive self-government, we shall have to take it. [...]  Look at the history of the British Empire and the British nation; freedom loving as it is, it will not be a party to give freedom to a people who will not take it themselves.”
Gandhi, present in the inauguration of the Banaras Hindu University, 
in a very important speech in 1916. 

 Gandhi could not finish the speech, because the audience became very vibrant and enthusiastic. The Indian people had found their hero, the necessary leader to conquer independence. These words mean the beginning of the long struggle that culminated in the independence of India.

During the speech, Gandhi praised the importance of the Indian culture and necessity of education reforms. He also showed concern about the poor and the unfair wealth distribution.

These words and this date mark the beginning of the journey that changed the subcontinent of India.






There’s hardly anyone who hasn’t heard of Mohandas Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi whose image is one of the most recognized in history. As a twentieth century political and spiritual leader, Gandhi’s most inspirational message was of nonviolent protest which he announced to the world with his now famous words:

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” 

This frail looking man that wore only a white piece of cloth wrapped around the lower part of his body is credited as being the pioneer of “Satyagraha” that has now become a popular form of protest in India and other Asian countries. He lived a simple life and led by example the way to campaign for democracy and human rights which was instrumental in helping India gain its independence from the British in 1947.
Further reading

The Forgotten Woman: The Untold Story of Kastur, Wife of Mahatma Gandhi. Zark Mountain. 1998. 314pp. David Hardiman.

Gandhi in His Time and Ours: The Global Legacy of His Ideas. Columbia University Press. 2003. 338pp. Joseph Lelyveld.

Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India. Alfred A. Knopf. 2011. 448pp. Eleanor Morton.

The Women in Gandhi's Life. New York: Dodd and Mead. 1953. B. R. Nanda.

Three Statesmen Gokhale, Gandhi, and Nehru. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 2004. G. B. Singh.

Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. 2004. 355pp. Stanley Wolpert.

Gandhi's Passion: The Life & Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. Oxford University Press. 2001. 308pp.