do you know mahatma gandhi?

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of Satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. 'Mahatma Gandhi' (Sanskrit: mahatma or "Great Soul") is an epithet given by Rabindranath Tagore. He is also known as Bapu (Gujarati:bapu or "Father"). In India, he is officially accorded the honour of Father of the Nation. 2 October, his birthday, is commemorated each year as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday. On 15 June 2007, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution declaring 2 October to be the "International Day of Non-Violence".Gandhi first employed non-violent civil disobedience in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's struggle for civil rights. Upon his return to India, he organized poor farmers and labourers to protest oppressive taxation and widespread discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for the alleviation of poverty, for the liberation of women, for brotherhood amongst different religious and ethnic groups, for an end to untouchability and caste discrimination, and for the economic self-sufficiency of India, but above all for Swaraj—the independence of India from foreign domination. Gandhi famously led Indians first in the disobedience of the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 kilometers (249 miles) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in an open call for the British to Quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, on numerous occasions, in both South Africa and India.Gandhi practiced non-violence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others do the same. He lived simply, organizing an ashram that was self-sufficient in its needs. Making his own clothes—the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with yarn he hand spun on a charkha—he lived on a simple vegetarian diet; he also undertook long fasts as forms of both self-purification and social protest.