Impact of Mahatma Gandhi on the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior

Abstract

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest freedom fighters of India who with his philosophy of nonviolent satyagraha and ahimsa shaped the freedom struggle of India. Prior to his odyssey in India he also lived in South Africa and witnessed racial discrimination against non-whites and Indian population. He stood up against injustice and racial oppression there and started non violent movement there and as an act of defiance against apartheid rule he formed the Natal Indian Congress in 1894 A.D..  He continued his struggle in South Africa from 1893 to 1914 and became the mass leader of South African Indian community. He returned to India in 1915 A.D. and joined the freedom struggle and within few years he became the face of the mass movement. Under his leadership not only educated and elite people joined the struggle for Indian independence but also the marginalized section of society like peasants, workers, and women played an active role. He was not only a freedom fighter but also a great social reformer. He raised his voice against the evils of casteism, untouchability, gender discrimination and advocated measures for their uplifting.  His struggle inspired many of his contemporaries around the world and his method of non-violence was seen as the most effective weapon to combat draconian laws all around the world. One of the people whom Gandhi influenced considerably was Martin Luther King Junior and he referred to Gandhi as “the little brown saint.” In this paper we will assess the struggles of Martin Luther and how Gandhi’s ideas helped him in combating the evils of racial discrimination and social injustice meted out to the people of color in America.