Gandhi first gained popular support from the people because of his attempts at fighting for the rights of the minorities and his idea of convincing his enemy rather than through the use of violence. Also, he started a project where people of different religions lived together in peace and harmony. Gandhi's popularity also arose due to the fact that he did not see himself as different or higher class than the rest of the people in India, who were poor. Instead, he wanted to live like most of the people in India and he started travelling in third-class wagons. This earned him the support and respect of the Indians, who felt close to him. He then became the leader of the Indian Campaign for Home-Rule.
GENERATION OF INDIA'S ECONOMY
He encouraged the people to boycott British products and produce their own Indian clothes and buy local products, in an attempt to generate India's economy and relieve poverty, as he believed that imports from Britain to India destroyed India's industries. In his attempt, traditional village industries such as hand-spinning and weaving were encouraged to increase access to sanitation and eradicate the doctrine of untouchability. This was the first step to India's independence from the British.
A MAJOR STRIKE
Another major step towards the gaining of India's independence was Gandhi's call for a major strike for one whole day. The whole nation went on strike. Nothing worked on that day. There was no traffic, factories came to a halt, mails could not be transported, and telegraph lines were not working. That was when the British realized the power that Gandhi had over the people in India.
THE
SALT MARCH
In 1930, Gandhi led the 200 kilometres Salt March to the Gujarat Coast of the Arabian Sea to produce salt by evaporation of saltwater to protest against the British monopoly of salt production and implementation of taxes on salt. This was also an important event which led to the ensuring of India's independence. The British ordered the soldiers to prevent the people from going into the salt factories and in doing so, violence was used against the protestors. But none of the protestors used violence and the media all over the world talked about Gandhi, the leader behind the protests and supported him.
INDEPENDENCE FOR INDIA
In 1947, India finally regained its independence after the breakout of the Second World War, whereby Britain did not have the power to keep India as a colony. Gandhi's contributions to India and the people of India are vast and immeasurable and he truly is a great man, who was able to unite the people of India, restore their sense of self-respect and prestige and release their energies in the cause of the nation's political struggle and social reform.
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