Reflection #3 - Gandhi: Hindu and Activist

A man who believed in equal rights. A man who saved his race, his religion and his country. Mahatma Gandhi.
His idea of Hinduism was that faith and belief conquered all. It was the most important aspect of his life; to conquer faith and belief. Being a huge supporter of non-violence, he spread ways of what he thought was the right thing, which resulted in impact's that changed the lives of many. During the salt action in 1930, his advice was not to fight back. This alone would have the people go crazy, giving up their lives so helplessly - but Gandhi's ways have achieved him so much more. His aim was never to publicise one religion over the other, but to spread awareness of equality. Over the years, his actions have won him many followers who came to him for advice, but there were others on the contrary. We all know Hinduism is one religion of its kind; a religion where the acceptance of other beliefs is almost encouraged. Gandhi believed and most importantly, followed out this characteristic of Hinduism as he did not differentiate the Muslims from the Hindu's. He helped them both equally, and was willing to crown the Muslim leader, the new leader of the new India after she gained independence from the British in 1947. In the end, problems and disputes led to extreme's of controversy and rights. The day Pakistan and India were formed in independence, each flag was raised on their mast - both but Gandhi's. In the same idea of Hinduism, Gandhi failed to choose one over the other, leaving a flag-less mast standing proud beneath the howling wind. Through the hardship he must have gone though, and through his achievements, Gandhi will never be forgotten, as is his famous spinning wheel on the Indian flag.

“Action expresses priorities.” That quote itself is legendary in a way that it almost manages to sum up Gandhi in just 3 powerful and striking words. Through decades of how work and achievements, Gandhi had never gone against his beliefs once. Instead, he never failed to focus on one thing - his goal. His priorities SHOULD have been his family and friends; the ones closest to him, yet he pushed them away, nilated them, and treated like like one of the others politically. Like the scene where he kicked his wife out of the house for not wanting to do work she would never have done in her earlier days. Not to mention the part where his son rebeled against him in the most malicious manner, because he simply felt he wasn't getting enough attention, from the now politically powerful and popular man, also known as his dad. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made in order to get closer to the thing you want most - even to the extremes, like this particular recount. Through the decades that have passed, and time has gone on and on, the actions of Mahatma Gandhi never failed his people nor himself, setting priorities straight and never falling off track