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Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 1869-1948 - Page 2

© Mary Lou Derksen

However much a man Mohondas believed himself to be, he was still a boy at school. He found a friend of whom both his parents and wife disapproved. He tried to convince them that he wanted the friendship to influence the boy for good. It seldom works that way, and this relationship followed the more common pattern.

Putlibai made sure her household ate no meat. But the friend appealed to Mohondas' reasonableness. "The reason the English can rule over us is because they are strong; they are strong from eating meat. If everyone ate meat, India would soon overthrow British' rule." Finally Mohondas saw the logic of that, and the boys snuck off to eat goat meat his friend provided. Mohondas immediately got ill from eating the tough meat, but for several months he continued to eat meat on the few occasions his friend could arrange it. But before long, Mohondas' conscience bothered him to such a degree that he refused to eat any more meat.

He also wrote a letter to his father telling about his stealing to buy cigarettes, asking forgiveness, and promising never to steal again. His father did not lose his temper as expected; instead, he tore up the letter, scattering the pieces. To Mohondas, this was his first notable lesson in unconditional love and non-violence.

Soon after, Mohondas' father died while Mohondas was having intercourse with a very pregnant wife. The baby died soon after birth; Mohondas blamed this on his own behavior for the rest of his life.

Following high school, Mohondas spent one semester at a near-by college, but found it too difficult. He was readily persuaded to go to London, where the pursuit of law was easier. Putlibai allowed it only after Mohondas took a vow to not touch wine, meat, or women. His brother accompanied him to Bombay, where they were urged to wait a few more months, because the sea was too rough during the summer monsoon season. While they waited, the head of their caste in Bombay heard about the planned trip, and forbade it on grounds that it was impossible to practice Hinduism there. Mohondas insisted that because of his vows he would be fine and was going. The clan ordered him to be treated as an outcaste from that day. Technically that meant even his family could not speak to him, but only the caste members in Bombay practiced this ostracism.

Mohondas kept his vow during the next three years in London. Even though he was easily admitted to the bar at the end of that time, he found it difficult to get work in India, partly because of his fear of speaking up and arguing a case, which had not been required to pass the bar. When offered a job in South Africa, he jumped at the chance, and was soon embroiled in his first non-violent protest-the beginning of a lifelong way of life that would eventually free India from English rule.

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