After returning to India, he set about reforming it. His campaign in India started from Champaran, a small place in the state of Bihar. There he fought for the rights of Indigo farmers. He upheld the principles of Swaraj (self rule), Swadeshi (self sufficiency) and Satyagraha (truth as a medium of protest). He instructed the people not to wear foreign clothes or use foreign goods. He told them to make their own clothes using handlooms and the cloth that they wore was known as Khadi. Even Gandhi made his own clothes by using a Charkha (spinning wheel), which became the symbol of prosperity and integrity of India. Gandhi created a number of Ashrams or communities where men, women and children from all backgrounds and nationalities came to learn from his daily example on how to make non-violence and love the basis of their lives. One of the ashrams was the Sabarmati Ashram in the state of Gujarat. He understood the problems of the untouchables who were thrown out of society. He called these people “Harijans” or “people of the lord”. Wherever he went, he collected money for the Harijans. He traveled in the third class of the trains, which were dirty and meant for the low caste Indians. When someone asked him why, he simply said, “Because there is no fourth.” Gandhi faced many challenges towards the end of his life. In 1930, the British government levied tax on salt, which was the primary ingredient of every household’s meal. Gandhi collected some followers and marched to a small, coastal town of Dandi, situated near the Arabian Sea, 240 miles away, where he proposed to produce salt from the sea water. Thousands of people joined the march on the way. This was known as the DANDI MARCH. Gandhi was arrested after this incident. But this did not hinder his courage. He started the NON-CO-OPERATION MOVEMENT. N...
