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Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha Satyagraha, a word coined by the late Mahatma Gandhi, is a combination of the words satya (truth-love) and abraham (firmness / force ) or, unwavering search for the Truth. And, he believes that the only way to get the Truth is by Non-violence (or Love). Satyagraha implies a stanch, steadfast and unyielding search for the Truth using methods that do not include violence and aggression; it is a non-violence resistance against oppression. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 - 1948), who later became known as Mahatma Gandhi later in his adult life, was born in Porbandar in the present day state of Gujarat in India on October 2, 1869. He took up law at University College, London and was admitted to the British bar in 1891. Gandhi returned to India right after his graduation and attempted to establish a law practice in Bombay but without much success.
In 1893, an Indian firm with interests in South Africa retained him as legal adviser. He set out for Durban and soon found himself treated as a member of an inferior race. He was appalled at the treatments of Indian immigrants to South Africa; there were widespread denials of civil liberties and political rights to Indian immigrants. This was the beginning of Gandhi's political ideology which stretched and evolved until his untimely (and brutal) death in 1948. Gandhi devoted all his life to perfecting his Satyagraha technique, teaching it to his followers and applying it in every kind of conflict that he encountered, even domestic ones. With his phenomenal success he proved that Satyagraha is the most pragmatic and potent technique of conflict resolution and it is also the morally correct way of life.
By his own admission, he was influenced by the writings of Thoreau, Tolstoy and Ruskin. The three writers had advocated Non-cooperation of civilians against the government if it proved suppressive or tyrannical but unlike Gandhi, their thoughts found only in writing. The theories explored by these advocates were turned into a practical shape in Gandhi's approach. He first used it against the highly unruly administration of colonial Governments in Africa and later in his struggle for Independence in India. His Satyagraha was a call for all people to unite and work together to attain Peace not just for the people seeking it but also for the people holding it back from other people. His goal is to eradicate the root of every violence and conflict which he identifies as Untruth.
Gandhi believes and firmly advocates that the only (permanent and enduring) solution for conflict is Truth; and the only way to preserve Peace is to continually seek for the Truth by using his non-violent method Satyagraha. He emphasized that Satyagraha is the most potent method of ensuring an endurable Peace. Works Cited Gandhi: A Biography. Kamats Potpourri.
August 1997. 6 Feb 2008. < web >. Gandhi, M. K. Non-violent Resistance (Satyagraha). 1961. Nanda, B. R.
Mahatma Gandhi: A Biography. London: Oxford University Press, 1989.
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Research essay sample on Search For The Truth Mahatma Gandhi
