Martyr day; Honour to the Mahatma

About Martyr day

• On January 30 each year, India celebrates Martyr’s day or Shaheed diwas as a tribute to the sacrifices and contributions of spiritual leaders for the independence of India. 
• On January 30, 1948, Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Godse, Nathuram Ghodse had shot Mahatma Gandhi thrice in his chest and stomach.
• In Mahatma Gandhi’s dying moment, people say the last word uttered by him was ‘hey ram’. 
• The reason Nathuram Ghodse assassinated the spiritual leader was that he was angry with the spiritual leader, he believed that Gandhi was liable for the partition of India and Pakistan which led to the loss of thousands of lives after the independence of India in 1948.
• Hence, January 30 is devoted to Gandhi as 30 January is the day he was assassinated.
• On Martyr’s day, that’s 30 January, the President of India, the vice president of India, the prime minister of India and also the defense minister of India, and therefore the three Service chiefs; Indian Air Force, Indian Army, and Indian Navy lay garlands manufactured from multi-color flowers at his samadhi which is at Raj Ghat in Delhi.
• On January 30, 2021, at 11 am, a two-minute silence was observed everywhere in the country.

Mahatma Gandhi

• Apart from being a freedom fighter and the leader in the freedom movement of India, Gandhi was a lawyer, social activist, politician, and writer too.
• Mahatma Gandhi; Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi the son of Putlibai was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India.
• Gandhi is taken into account because of the father of the nation.
• After his study in England, Gandhi visited the Republic of South Africa where he spent almost two decades and returned to India from 1896 to 1915. In South Africa, he was exposed to racial discrimination. He also fought in the Republic of South Africa for the liberty and rights of the citizen before
• After leaving Africa, Gandhi visited England together with his family for a few months and returned to India in 1915.
• After coming to India in 1915, he traveled through India to grasp the situations in India.

Major Movements of Mahatma Gandhi for the liberty of India 

• Champaran Satyagraha – Indigo cultivators of the Champaran district of Bihar went miserable under the Tinkathia system, during this system, cultivators were forced to cultivate Indigo and were forced to sell them at cheap price. With the cruel atmospheric conditions, things of farmers became worse. At Champaran, Gandhi launched demonstrations and strikes against the landlords. The Satyagraha was successful as all the strains of the cultivators were accepted 
• Non-Cooperation Movement – due to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre the Non-Cooperation Movement was launched by Gandhi in 1920. Gandhi convinced the freedom fighters and folks to begin the movement in an exceedingly peaceful way. As the movement gained momentum, people started boycotting the products and establishments of the British government.
• Civil – Disobedience movement – Gandhi initiated the movement in March 1930 when his eleven demands were rejected by the British government. Gandhi started the movement with the Dandi march. Under this movement students left college, people resigned from the government offices and boycotted foreign products followed by communal burning of foreign clothes, products, and non-payment of taxes.
• Quit India Movement –  To get rid of British rule from India, during the Second World War on 8 August 1942, Gandhi initiated the Quit India Movement. The members of the Indian National Congress were imprisoned without trial after the ‘Do or Die’ speech delivered by Gandhi. Even after the imprisonment of INC, the protest continued nationwide. The British government, by the tip of the Second World War, made it clear that they might folk over the powers to India.

 Quick fun facts about Gandhi 

• Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize 5 times.
• Gandhi was responsible for the Civil Rights movement in 12 countries.
• Gandhi’s funeral procession was 8 kilometers long.
• Great Britain released a stamp honoring him.
• In 1930, Gandhi was the Time Magazine Man of the Year.

Conclusion –

January 30 is celebrated as Martyr’s day every year dedicated to the sacrifice and contribution of Mahatma Gandhi. It had been the identical day January 30, when Gandhi was shot in his chest and stomach 3 times by Nathuram Ghodse, as he was angry as Gandhi was responsible for the partition of India and Pakistan and plenty of people lost their lives because of the partition. The high officials of the Indian government just like the president, vice president, prime minister, defense minister, and also the three Service Chiefs( Army, Navy, Air Force) lay Garlands of multi-color flowers at his samadhi at Raj Ghat. Silence of two minutes is observed nationwide.

By Sanket Sawant