Issue date: 02 Oct, 2019
NOTABLE FIGURES. 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF MAHATMA GANDHI
Each year, on the 2 October, India celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Gandhi, who was born on this day in 1869 in Porbandar. This year therefore marks 150 years since his birth and so Correos is dedicating a stamp to this illustrious man.
The stamp depicts a watercolour portrait of Gandhi with his characteristic glasses and gentle smile. Behind him is the Indian flag. In the foreground are the silhouettes of four women dressed in brightly-coloured traditional Indian saris.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian activist and lawyer, known for fighting for the rights of the Indian people. His methods included passive resistance and non-violence. Son of the prime minister of Porbandar and Putlibai, he was educated in respect and tolerance.
His moniker Mahatma, meaning ‘large soul’, was given to him by the Indian poet Tagore.
It was in South Africa where he worked as a lawyer that he experienced racial discrimination both directly and towards the Indian people. He became aware that he was drafting a law that would prohibit Indian citizens from voting. This was when his fight for the civil rights of the Indian people in Africa started, and he founded the Indian National Congress party with which they started to protest against discrimination and inequality. His form of protest was one of non-violence and passive resistance.
He returned to India in 1915 where he was already well-known for his struggle. He exchanged his western clothes for Indian dress, adopting the traditional Indian customs and style. In February 1919, he fought alongside Great Britain in the First World War. However, he quickly went on to lead the opposition against the British after hearing about the Rowlatt Acts. Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned on various occasions throughout his life for the protests he organised. After the Second World War, India was divided between the Hindus and the Muslims, causing serious conflict that Gandhi tried to stop, which eventually led to his assassination in 1948.
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