7 Little known facts about Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi or ‘Gandhiji’ as he is fondly referred to by us all is not an unknown name at all. As years go by, we will always remember him for his struggles against the British and how he was a catalyst in freeing India from British rule. Whether you joined Zippy opinion to take surveys for money or even just read the interesting blogs, or even just win the contests, you are always welcome to talk to us and state your opinion loud and clear, as long as it is not discriminatory in nature. Without any further ado, let’s delve deep into some lesser-known facts about Mahatma Gandhi.

#1 Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 5 times 🎖️

Not once, not twice, not three times but 5 TIMES! That’s how iconic of a symbol the father of the nation is. He was nominated in multiple years – 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and, finally, a few days before he was murdered in January 1948. However, oddly enough, he was never bestowed with the award, which leaves a lot of people flabbergasted, including us at Zippy Opinion, one of the best paid survey sites in the world. When an enquiry was made, the committee published in an article that the reason he didn’t win the award was because he was ‘too patriotic’ or ‘too nationalistic’.

#2 He had an Irish accent while speaking English 🗣️

Wait a minute! This doesn’t make any sense! You have so many questions, we’re sure. Most importantly- ‘Why?’

Well, Gandhiji was Indian. He studied and worked as a lawyer in South Africa. So he should have a South African accent, right? But there’s actually a pretty good reason for this. His first English teacher was an Irish person by origin. And that’s how he picked up the Irish accent.

#3 His funeral procession was 8 kilometers long! 🤯

Mahatma Gandhi is no common man, but he believed he was just like everyone else. But after he was murdered in January 1948, you can be super sure that everyone in the country would want to pay their respects to him for freeing us from the British. The funeral procession was 8 kilometers long! This was due to thousands that came to pay their final respects to him. And this was waaay back in 1948. We can’ image how long the queue would’ve been had there been social and digital media like in today’s world!

#4 Mahatma Gandhi served in the British army during the Boer War 🤔

We’re sure you’ve heard of the freedom fighting and personal life phases of Gandhiji. But how many of you actually heard of the fact that he served in the British army! That’s something 99% of you don’t know! To the 1% that do know, kudos to you! But here’s the thing. Even when he donned a British army uniform back in 1899, he was not in combat. It would be incorrect to say he served the British forces. Gandhi was never employed by the British forces. He had only raised a voluntary ambulance corps consisting purely of non-combatants to render medical aid to British troops. His intention was still helping and aiding people.

#5 Steve Jobs’ round glasses were a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi 🍎

The late co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, wore a round pair of spectacles as a tribute to the father of India. It just goes to show you that while he was respected and adored all over India, his actions for peace doesn’t go unnoticed even in inspiring some major personalities and celebrities in the world even today.

#6 Gandhiji and Tolstoy interacted with each other through letters 📬

“Love is the only way to rescue humanity from all ills.”

This was one of the exchanges between Gandhiji and Tolstoy which perfectly sums up their letter interactions on love, violence, and the truth of the human spirit. Mahatma Gandhi commanded a great deal of respect from all his international correspondents. They were so moved that they kept in touch with him till either his or their sad demise.

Mahatma Gandhi even set up a small colony, Tolstoy Farm at an 1100 acre site, 21 miles from Johannesburg, South Africa for his colleagues in the Satyagraha struggle.

#7 Great Britain released a stamp honouring Mahatma Gandhi 👏

Although he fought against the British during their rule in India, the British actually acknowledged him and his actions of protest for freedom and non-violence. 21 years after his death, the British released a stamp to honour him.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog. Even though many many decades have passed, the father of the nation cannot and will not be forgotten by any Indian in the world. His advocacy for non-violence, freedom, kindness and love shall forever be embedded in our hearts. If you have any thoughts on this blog, please feel free to leave a comment below. If you think people you love and cherish in your life would think this is an interesting read, then go ahead and share it.