ETH/NAMM/0010

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an, “Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who became the leader of the nationalist movement against the British rule of India.” Gandhi is well known for his non-violent approach and resistance for India’s movement for independence. Part of Gandhi’s influence was his experience in South Africa during the years of 1893-1914. The most well-known event was when while travelling on a train to Pietermaritzburg, Gandhi was arrested removed for travelling in a Whites only wagon: “As Gandhi refused to comply with the order, a White police officer pushed him out of the train, and his luggage was tossed out on to the platform.” This experience heightened Gandhi’s experience of racism and social oppression, igniting an integral spark in his fight against oppression of Indians.
However, Gandhi is not only a pivotal figure to Indian history but as well as that of South Africa, with particular regards to Durban and the Indian community in South Africa. Part of this acknowledgment is shown by the Gandhi Centenary Park in Chatsworth Town Centre, Durban: “The park was named in memory of the centenary of Mohandas (Mohatma) Karamchand Gandhi’s arrival in South Africa, and a bust of the great man, including plaques inscribed with some of his most well-known expressions, was erected to mark the event.”
References
‘Gandhi Centenary Park,’ Available from: https://www.sa-venues.com/attractionskzn/gandhi-centenary-park.php accessed 19 April 2021.
‘Mahatma Gandhi,’ Available from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi accessed 20 Apr. 21
‘Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.’ Available from: https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/mohandas-karamchand-gandhi accessed 20 Apr. 21