Mohandas K. Gandhi

My hero is Mohandas K. Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was a great, peaceful man who born in Porbandar, India. He was a leader in Indian civil rights in South Africa, and in the Indian independence movement against Britain.

Gandhi went to study law at London University in 1888, and came back to India in 1891 to start a law firm. The firm failed, but he started another business which was closed down, because he bad-mouthed an officer. Luckily he was offered a year-long contract in South Africa, by an Indian law firm, which he graciously accepted.

In South Africa, Gandhi saw much discrimination, with much of it directed at him. He was moved from first-class to third-class on a train, kicked out of hotels, and even beaten. These events caused a major turning point in Gandhi’s life. Instead of giving up and going back home, Gandhi stayed and founded the Natal Indian Congress. Unfortunately, the government made a law that no one could the Congress. The law led to a 7-year long protest, where many people were jailed, beaten, and even shot. Other countries started to notice South Africa’s harsh ways to deal with the protests, which forced South Africa’s general to negotiate a treaty with Gandhi.

Gandhi left South Africa to go back to India in 1915. There he and millions of his followers protested against British rule in India for over 20 years. Gandhi and his followers forced the British out in 1946, without using any violence. On January 30, 1948, Gandhi was walking to prayer meeting, and was shot with 3 bullets.

Even though he has passed on, his unsurpassable legacy and his unforgettable actions still live on. He is my hero because he was a man who never used violence to achieve his goals, and he had an unbreakable will. This is why Mohandas K. Gandhi is my hero.