Final answer:
Mahatma Gandhi showed kindness towards the untouchables by publicly associating with them, advocating for their rights, integrating them into society, and improving their living conditions through non-violent means.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mahatma Gandhi's kindness and efforts towards the upliftment of the untouchable community, whom he referred to as Harijans or 'children of God', manifested in various ways.
He actively worked to eradicate the social ostracism and discrimination faced by the untouchables by advocating for their rights and integrating them into society. His approach included:
Publicly eating with untouchables to break the social stigma associated with them.
Opening temples and public wells to untouchables that were previously restricted.
Starting ashrams, like the Sabarmati Ashram, where untouchables were treated equally and educated.
Launching campaigns to clean neighborhoods where untouchables lived, improving their living conditions.
Through his non-violent civil disobedience campaigns, Gandhi aimed to achieve not just the independence of India but also social reform, believing in ahimsa or non-injury to all living beings. His initiatives spurred significant changes in India and inspired movements around the world.