MY FAVOURITE HERO
Many patriots revolted against the British rule in India and tried to free their motherland. This freedom struggle produced many heroes. Of them, I like Gandhiji the most. He is my favourite hero. To me, a hero is a person whom I should be able to admire and look on as a model. Nehru said, “He was like a powerful current of fresh air that made us stretch ourselves and take deep breaths”.
Gandhiji, the magic man of Asia, the apostle of non-violence and the preacher of truth, was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar. During the dark pre-independence days, Gandhiji emerged as a ray of light. This ray of light brightened India and led the Indians to light and freedom. Gandhiji was a man of great principles. He identified himself with the masses of India. He spoke and dresses like the masses and not like a master. This made him the true leader of the Indians. His life had been an experiment with truth. He loved and practiced truth. He used the weapons of love, truth and non-violence to free the country from the clutches of foreign imperialism. The more the British tried to oppress the Indians, the more he stuck to the principle of non-violence.
Gandhiji is one of the greatest men born on earth. He scarified a life of luxury for the sake of his motherland. Gandhiji’s fight for independence was to liberate the Indians from all form of oppression. He was a champion of the poor and downtrodden and treated all castes equally. He opposed the caste system prevailing in India and was not against any individual for his caste of colour. Gandhiji loved his friends and foes and respected all religion. He saw the hardship of the lower-caste people and the rural folk. He wanted the India to start her progress from the villages. He worked for, Hindu-Muslim unity, rural uplift, women’s liberation, adult education, promotion of cottage industries and removal of untouchability.
In the stormy days of the struggle for independence, Gandhiji suffered a lot and was imprisoned several times. But the freedom of the motherland remained throughout as his cherished goal. His life was a life of service, sacrifice, devotion and dedication. Gandhiji had no craze for power. He was hurt when India is divided. When the nation was celebrating her first independence day, Gandhiji was in the riot-affected areas, consoling the people. He was a model of simple life.
Gandhiji was a great saint, preacher, teacher, thinker, soldier and a champion of poor and the downtrodden. His life and mission has been an inspiration for people all over the world. He laid down his life for the national unity. He shed his own blood to make India stronger and powerful. His patriotism, self-sacrifice, courage and capacity to organize are all worthy of admiration. This saintly statesman, writer and orator still shines like a star on the horizon of the Indian history. He will always be remembered as a great patriot and his name will always be written in golden letters in the annals of Indian history.