Whenever anyone mentions the word leader, I would think of a powerful figure, one of authority. Whenever they say the word "great" before the word "leader", I would immediately think of
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, aslo known as, Mahatma Gandhi (which means Great Soul). I must agree that he is indeed a great soul, as he led a NON-violent campaign in an attempt to give civil rights to Indians. He also led the Dandi Salt March to protest about the British-imposed salt tax.

More about this great leader include leading nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, but above all achieving Swaraj—the independence of India from foreign domination. Now, do you also think that he is was a great leader?! He should obviously be recognised as one of the world's greatest (dead) leaders.

The fact that he fasted in jail when he was caught by the British is an even better reason to believe that Gandhi was a great leader; he actually fasted in his jail cell as a form of self-purification and social protest. He once actually fasted for 20+ days when he was very very old, this would mean that after his fast, he was terribly weak. He was bedridden for a few days.

He also swore to speak the Truth and only the Truth. He was so strongly attached to the Truth that even once, when his friend told him to eat meat so he could be as strong as the British and he ate meat, he confessed to his parents voluntarily that he ate meat! His Hindu and Truth practices went hand-in-hand and he grew up to be a famous and great leader, his campaigns never involved any violence. He told his followers never to adopt the ways of violence to solve problems.

After reading all this, I am sure that you feel Gandhi was a great leader... But now, for his minus points which I sometimes cannot understand.

He wanted to practice Brahmacharya. Brahmacharya is a good thing, but the actions he made that led him to practice it are quite strange:

When Gandhi was 16 his father became very ill. Being very devoted to his parents, he attended to his father at all times during his illness. However, one night, Gandhi's uncle came to relieve Gandhi for a while. He retired to his bedroom where carnal desires overcame him and he made love to his wife. Shortly afterward a servant came to report that Gandhi's father had just died. Gandhi felt tremendous guilt and never could forgive himself. He came to refer to this event as "double shame." The incident had significant influence in Gandhi becoming celibate at the age of 36, while still married. (Definition: A celibate is someone who abstains from sexual relations; or stays unmarried for religious reasons) So, Gandhi had sex when he was not supposed to, this might not be a big blow to his campaigns but nevertheless, it will affect what the later generations think of Gandhi.

All in all, I feel that Gandhi, despite his impulsive action (mentioned in the paragraph before this), I feel that his non-violence campaigns were carried out very well and he succeeded in making India an independent country.

This is the end of my blog-post for this assignment. And by the way, Gandhi was assasinated in the end. The assasin, Nathuram Godse, and his accomplice were found, convicted and executed on the 15th of November.
Gandhi's last words were believed to be "Oh God". Long live the Great Leader of India, Mahatma Gandhi.