Although short in stature, he stood for towering ideals, among them political liberty, social justice, and religious tolerance. "In an age of empire and military might," writes Johanna McGeary of TIME magazine, "he proved that the powerless had power and that force of arms would not forever prevail against force of spirit" (McGeary 1). His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, but he was known popularly as Mahatma, or "Great Soul." Mark Shepard, a journalist specializing in Gandhi's life and method of nonviolence, describes the title of "Mahatma" as "somewhere between a saint and a Messiah," and in many respects, that description fits Gandhi well (Shepard 1). Considered the founding father of modern India, Gandhi not only helped bring about India's independence, but also inspired countless people around the world to struggle nonviolently for their own freedom. He remains to this day the greatest advocate of nonviolent protest the world has ever seen. Since his death, numerous democratic and anti-racist activists, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, have applied his principle of Satyagraha, or "truth force," with great success. All told, Gandhi was and forever will be India's "Great Soul"--a blazing testament to the indomitable power of truth, love, and faith.…
