Mahatma Gandhi's life is so much entwined with the
Indian freedom movement that rarely do people endeavor to acquaint
themselves with other facets of his eventful life. We provide below some
interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi:
The Birth of 'Mahatma'
Mahatma Gandhi was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the title
'Mahatma' was accorded to him much later. Mahatma literally translates
to 'great soul' in Sanskrit. Even though opinion is ambivalent as to how
Gandhi came to be known as Mahatma, people generally believe that noted
poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore bestowed the title of 'Mahatma'
on Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi and the Boer War
Despite his lifelong pursuit of nonviolence, Gandhi found himself
embroiled in a war at an early stage of his life, albeit in a
humanitarian role. During his stay in South Africa the Second Boer War
broke out and Gandhi organized a volunteer medial unit of free Indians
and indentured laborers called the Indian Ambulance Corps. This unit
provided exemplary medical service to wounded black South Africans and
post -war Gandhi became a decorated sergeant of the Corps.
The Gandhi Statue in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa was the
place where Gandhi was shoved out a train 1893 after refusing to move
from the first class to a third class coach while holding a first class
ticket. This unsavory incident proved to be landmark event in Gandhi's
life as he made it a mission to protest such incidents of racial abuse.
The downtown of Pietermaritzburg city now hosts a commemorative statue
of Mahatma Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi and the Nobel Prize
It is indeed a sad irony that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest exponent of
peace and nonviolence, was never deemed eligible for the Nobel Peace
Prize. After four previous nominations, Gandhi was chosen for the Prize
in 1948, but because of his unfortunate assassination the Nobel
Committee had to shelve their plans and the Peace Prize was not awarded
that year.
Mahatma Gandhi and the Time Magazine
Time Magazine, the famous U.S. publication, named Mahatma Gandhi the
Man of the Year in 1930. In 1999 the magazine declared Mahatma the
runner-up to noted scientist Albert Einstein as the "Person of the
Century".
