2nd October

Today, 2nd October, is the day when Late Gandhi was born. His birth anniversary is being celebrated all over the country (India). Gandhi, or respectfully addressed as Gandhiji, is termed as ‘Father of the nation’ by many patriotic Indians. He was most popular leader when struggle for freedom of India was in full force.
As a commemorative lecture to this leader, a leader of a political party in India, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has delivered a lecture. Today is declared as ‘non-violence day’ by UNO, as Gandhiji. was strong believer of achieving freedom and any goal by peaceful means, truth and non-violence.
He was born in 1869 and was assassinated on 30th Jan. 1948. Born and brought up in India, he went to study law in Britain, and then started his career as lawyer in South Africa, where discrimination on the basis of colour (of skin) was practiced. Being non-white he was discriminated against. So he staged silent protest and with that his public work started. After returning to India in 1915, he was invited to lead the political party Congress in their struggle for freedom.
While leading the people, he had mass following. Along with freedom movement he preached for self-sufficiency, simplicity, rural upliftment and many social reforms. He used to spin cotton yarn on his spinning wheel, and after getting it weaved by weavers, whatever cloth he got, he used to wear it. He argued that if people make their own cloth themselves, there would be no necessity to import cloth from UK, who were rulers and extracting huge profits and transferring to UK. People followed and thousands of people took to spinning their own yarn from cotton grown in their own fields. The handmade cloth thus produced is called ‘Khadi’. Today it is not connected to any struggle, but thousands of people get partial employment by spinning on small spinning wheel, weaving them. Many people, even today, wear cloths made of Khadi. Government offer subsidy (financial help by bearing some part of cost) for Khadi., in an attempt to support hand spinners and weavers,
When I was studying in High School, our principal was also follower of Gandhi, and used to wear Khadi. He also preached for Khadi, and insisted that the students who get scholarships, should spin and deliver at least some quantity of cotton yarn. This when collected would help in assisting other poor student to provide Khadi for wearing. I used to spin on my briefcase size spinning wheel for long. I was not very good at it but used to spin good quality yarn at good speed. I enjoyed doing it. I faintly remember we had arranged spinning competition also on 2nd October, several times.
This is my homage to Gandhi.