Legends Born on October 2nd

October 2nd has always been one of the most remarkable day for every Indian, as it marks the birthday of two legendary personalities Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. Both have made a humongous contribution to the country and achieved the status of being the father of the nation and second Prime Minister of India respectively. On their birthday let us walk through their life and get a zest of their contribution toward our country which has aided India to enhance its standard to give us an improved society today.   

Mahatma Gandhi

We are aware of the fact that our beloved ‘Bapu’ was born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 2nd October 1869 at Porbandar, Gujarat in the present day. He was born into a highly religious family and his mother was a devoted practitioner of Vaishnavism influenced by Jainism, this has greatly influenced our Bapu to incline towards nonviolence. In his childhood, Gandhiji was a very shy and tight-lipped kid who never had any enthusiasm in sports or other activities, but, his only interest was indulging in reading books especially the Indian classics- stories of Shravana and king Harishchandra had a great impact on him. In his autobiography, he has written, "It haunted me and I must have acted Harishchandra to myself times without number." 

Being married at a tender age of 13, to Kasturba Gandhi, he witnessed greater sorrow at a young age. At 16, Gandhiji lost his father and his firstborn. The two consecutive deaths tormented him but he overcame it and completed his higher secondary in Ahmedabad and in January 1888 he enrolled in Samaldas College in Bhavnagar State to pursue his higher education. But, soon he discontinued and returned back home. After obtaining valuable advice from his near ones, Gandhiji determined to pursue Law in London. Initially, he faced opposition from his family on him leaving the country for higher studies but, they later gave in consider a better future. In the mid-1891, he returned to India after graduating in law and set up a law practice in Bombay. Soon an Indian firm sent him to its office in South Africa where he resided for 20 years along with his wife and children. 

As an Indian immigrant, Gandhiji faced a lot of discrimination which sparked him to begin his revolt. But, Gandhiji’s revolt was different from others who were fighting for their right. He chose the passive way to oppose and introduced the concept of satyagraha by rebelling against the authorities. In 1906, the Transvaal government had passed an ordinance regarding the registration of its Indian population and Gandhiji had led the campaign of civil disobedience that had lasted for the next eight years. At its final stage in 1913, most of the Indians living in South Africa were imprisoned some were even shot to death. Later, as they received high pressure from the British and Indian government South Africa government stepped down to compromise with Gandhiji and General Jan Christian Smuts and agreed to give recognition for Indian marriages, the abolition of the poll tax for Indians, and many more constrains. 

Returned to Serve Motherland

After World War I, Gandhiji left South Africa and returned to India. In 1919, he launched an organized campaign of passive resistance as a reply to Parliament’s passage of the Rowlatt Acts. But, he stepped back after the violence broke out. Gandhiji then began to stress the importance of the country’s economic independence and vouched for the manufacture of Khaddar as a measure to replace fabrics imported from Britain. He transformed the independence movement into nonviolent revolt by boycotting, British manufacturers, and institutions representing British influence in India. He had joined Indian National Congress Party in March 1922 he was arrested by the British authorities and was sentenced to six years imprisonment. Later he refrained from politics for a few years but when the colonial government has induced tax on the salt he bounced back with ‘Salt Sathyagraha’ However, in 1931 he announced retirement from his political life and resigned from the Congress Party. 

In 1947, as the country obtained his independence, part of it demanded separation thus India and Pakistan were split into two dominions. Though Gandhiji opposed it strongly, he gave it for the partition with the hope that Hindus and Muslims would be in peace post that. Later, in 1948, he went on yet another hunger strike to achieve peace in the city of Delhi. After winding up his fast on his way to an evening prayer meeting in Delhi he was shot by Nathuram Godse. Gandhiji’s body was cremated on the banks of the Jumna River. 

Lal Bahadur Shastri

Shastriji sharing the same date of birth with Gandhiji was his follower and also a member of Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement that was revolting against British rule in India. Shastriji was born in 1904 in Mughalsarai in a Kayastha Hindu family. He went to Kashi Vidyapitha, a nationalist university, and obtained the title of Shastri which refers to the learned of scriptures. After which he returned to politics and gradually gained stronger positions in the Indian National Congress Party of the United Provinces which is present Uttar Pradesh.

Later, in 1937 and 1946 he has been elected to the legislature of the United Provinces. After the country getting its independence Shastriji became the minister for home affairs and transport in Uttar Pradesh. In 1952, he was elected to the central Indian legislature and became Union Minister for railways and transport. Post three years, the deteriorating health of Jawaharlal Nehru led Shastrji to the minister and Nehru’s death made him the country’s Prime Minister in June 1964. 

However, his role in the 1965 outbreak with our neighbor Pakistan on the dispute of Kashmir made him prominent. After the distress, he had signed a peace treaty with the then President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan and on 11th January 1966, he died due to cardiac arrest.