Mahatma Gandhi fasted to protest castes. So what?

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More than eighty years ago, an Indian lawyer with big dreams put himself on the line, risking poor health and even death, to bring equality to his country. So what?

Many people around the world recognize the name of Mohandas Gandhi. He struggled for decades against British imperial rule to bring independence and equality to his native India. On September 16, 1932, he began a fast to protest the use of the caste system by the British in their voting laws. Even though the caste system had long been an established part of Indian society, Gandhi recognized it as a threat to the freedom and equality that he wished for his country. In announcing his fast, he referred to it as a "fast unto death," showing his willingness to sacrifice everything he could to help his fellowmen.

By the year 1932, Gandhi had an established reputation across the British empire. He had been arrested many times and shown that he was not opposed to hardship to fight for what he believed in. His example and philosophy of nonviolent noncooperation would be adopted by many of the world's influential figures, including Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. By showing the world that peaceful protest could accomplish what armed rebellion could not, Gandhi revolutionized the world's views on revolution. Perhaps he has helped shaped your views on how to accomplish your goals and given you the inspiration to work for a better world

His tactics are still used today by those hoping to effect change in the world. Recently, the so-called "Arab Spring" uprisings used new technologies such as Twitter and Facebook to organize protests in the vane of Gandhi's work. His example forms a blueprint for all those who look for a better world and see its seeds around them.

So what? That's what.