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Hinduism has played a big role throughout history, from the great leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, to former presidents and governors like Devan Nair or Tharman Shanmugaratnam. But probably one of the greatest and most common figures of this religion was the famous peace-maker, Mohandas Karamchand Ghandi. From the times of his poor childhood, to the Non-cooperation movement of 1920, Ghandi stood up for what HE believed was right. That's why I chose Mohandas Ghandi as a person who has touched many lives. What happened to telling how you came across Ghandi as a topic for your speech?????

Ghandi was born on October 2, 1869, into a family of merchants. His childhood was very vague and little is known about him, but it is certain that he grew up into a poor family. When he was only 13 yrs. old his mother and father set up his marriage (which was the custom in their religion) to 14 yr. old Kasturbai Makhanji. They had their first child when they were only 15, but it died shortly after.

He chose to lead a very simple and easy lifestyle. He wore a cheap, one piece garment called a dhoti, held a fast to help self purification and social protest, and didn't believe in reading the newspaper because he said that "the tumultuous state of world affairs caused him more confusion than his own inner unrest."

The Non-cooperation movement really was just an unsuccessful attempt to persuade the British government of India to grant self- government. It started from the massacre at Amritsar in April 1919, when the British killed several hundred Indians, and also from the fact that the government did not take action against those responsible. Ghandi supported the movement by helping the Muslim campaign against the dismemberment of Turkey after WWl. He was also a main advocate during WWll and held many groups against Hitler but it did minor damage to the concentration camps and the people who supported him.

On a chilly winters night on January 30, 1948, Ghandi was taking his nightly walks around the Birla House in New Delhi when he was shot in the chest 3 times before staggering and then collapsing to the ground. The assasinator was Nathuram Godse, another Hindu with grudges against him. Ghandi's death was regarded as an international catastrophe. Religious violence soon spread into India and Pakistan, and the teachings of Ghandi came to inspire non-violent movements in other countries too. Most people didn't believe or really understand what he was trying to accomplish from all of his speeches and protests, but he understood and he tried his best to communicate and tell that to the world. What he really was trying to accomplish is to show the world that there are other ways to solve issues other than violence, but most people didn't care or listen. But some people did care and some people listened and helped him share his thoughts and experiences with others. I really think Ghandi was a caring and loving person. That is why I chose him to write about for the Woodmen speech as a person who has touched many lives.