Explanation: Nelson Mandela and Mohandas Gandhi were two of the most influential leaders in the 20th century, each fighting for the rights and freedoms of their people in their respective countries. Their movements were rooted in the desire to secure political power for the majority of the population, which was a central theme in their struggles.
Mohandas Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was a key figure in the Indian independence movement. He led a non-violent resistance against British colonial rule, advocating for the rights of Indians and the establishment of a self-governing nation. Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent civil disobedience, or Satyagraha, was instrumental in mobilizing the Indian masses and eventually leading to India's independence in 1947. His goal was to ensure that the Indian people, who were the majority, would have the political power to govern themselves and make decisions that affected their lives.
Nelson Mandela, on the other hand, was a prominent leader in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that favored the white minority over the black majority. Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his activism and was released in 1990. He continued his fight against apartheid and was instrumental in the negotiations that led to its eventual dismantling. Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994, marking a significant shift in political power from the white minority to the black majority. His efforts were aimed at securing political power for the majority of South Africans, who had been disenfranchised under apartheid.
Both leaders shared a common goal of ensuring that the majority of the population had a say in the governance of their countries. They fought against systems that disenfranchised the majority and sought to establish political systems where the majority could exercise their rights and have a voice in decision-making processes. Their movements were not primarily focused on economic policies or industrialization, nor were they concerned with gaining independence from the Soviet Union, as South Africa and India were under British colonial rule.
In summary, the similarity in the goals of Nelson Mandela and Mohandas Gandhi lies in their shared vision of securing political power for the majority of the people. This was a fundamental aspect of their respective movements, which aimed to end colonial rule and apartheid, and to establish self-governance and equal rights for the majority population.