Gandhi
Jayanti is celebrated across India on October 2 to mark the birth anniversary
of Mahatma Gandhi. This year, India will celebrate the 151st birth
anniversary of ‘Bapu’ on Friday.

The
occasion is marked by people honouring Mahatma Gandhi’s contributions towards
India’s freedom struggle, while also remembering his ideals and philosophy. 

Born on
October 2, 1869, in Gujarat’s Porbanda, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi went on to
become the ‘Father of the Nation’ as he led India’s freedom movement against
the British Empire while firmly sticking to his ideals of non-violence.

He led the
Dandi Salt March in 1930 and launched the Quit India Movement in 1942. He also
pioneered the philosophy of ‘Satyagraha’, a form of nonviolent resistance which
he used in South Africa and during India’s freedom movement.

His journey from a lawyer in South Africa to the leader of a nation and a global icon of non-violence have inspired millions across the world. 

On June 15,
2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 2 as the
International Day of Non-Violence, calling upon nations to inculcate his message
of non-violence.

According
to a statement by the UN, the resolution reaffirms “the universal
relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure
a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.

The Prime
Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government launched the Swachh Bharat
mission in 2014 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti to make India open-defacation
free and raise awareness about sanitation practices.

At a rally
in Bihar’s Champaran, the Prime Minister called the campaign ‘Satyagraha se
Swachhagrah’, referencing Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha launched on
April 10, 1916.

Here are a
few timeless quotes from Mahatma Gandhi:

·      If we could change ourselves, the
tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so
does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what
others do.

·      A man is but a product of his
thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.

·      The weak can never forgive.
Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.

·      If we are to teach real peace in
this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to
begin with the children.

·      Ahimsa is the highest duty. Even if
we cannot practice it in full, we must try to understand its spirit and refrain
as far as possible from violence.

·      My religion is based on truth and
non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realising him.

·      Hate the sin, love the sinner.

·      In a gentle way, you can shake the
world.

·      Earth provides enough to satisfy
every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.

·      You must not lose faith in humanity.
Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean
does not become dirty.