Mahatma Gandhi Death Anniversary: Fondly known as Bapu, Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of our Nation. He has been a strong pillar in India's movement for freedom and independence. Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar town of Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi adopted a non-violent resistance and was at the forefront of the freedom struggle against colonial British rule. This led to India finally achieving its independence in 1947. His unwavering belief in 'Swaraj' (self-governance) and 'Ahimsa' (non-violence) won him accolades across the world.
On January 30, 1948, he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse at Gandhi Smriti in the Birla House during his evening prayers. In memory of this great freedom fighter, the day is observed as Martyr's Day or Shaheed Diwas. On this day, the central government has instructed the states and union territories to observe two minutes of silence at 11 am to pay tribute to the leader and fighters who lost their lives during the freedom struggle.
It has been 75 years since Mahatma Gandhi departed the world, yet he continues to inspire generations. His wisdom and his principles of life have inspired countless people. On Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary, take a look at some inspiring quotes from Bapu:
- Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.
- Man's nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been known to yield to the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature.
- There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supercedes all other courts.
- You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
- It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.
- A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.
- All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take.
- God demands nothing less than complete self-surrender as the price for the only real freedom that is worth having.
- If a man reaches the heart of his own religion, he has reached the heart of the others too. There is only one God, and there are many paths to him.
- I know, to banish anger altogether from one's breast is a difficult task. It cannot be achieved through pure personal effort. It can be done only by God's grace.
