Gandhiji was no emperor, not a military general, not a president nor a
prime minister. He was neither pacifist nor a cult guru. Who was Gandhi? If
anything, Mohandas K. Gandhi was a constant experimenter. His thoughts when
appeared in the form of talk or article became official words of action with the
masses of India.
He was a man who did what he said and led an exemplary
and a transparent life. Born in
Gujurat, fluent with Hindi and English, and residing in the minds of millions,
Gandhiji was able to unite India like none other. An adamant idealist,
courageous fighter, a deep thinker, and a great leader of men and ideas, it was
possible for him to do that because he identified himself with struggles and
pains of the common Indians. He quickly became the sole voice of the downtrodden
and the exploited. They completely believed that Gandhiji understood their
difficulties and would provide justice for them. Among Gandhiji's disciples were
kings, royal, untouchables, rich, poor, foreigners, and women. When this
selfless and pure man became leader of the nation, he gave a clear and
unambiguous direction to the Himalayan problems facing India. Most important of
them were poverty, religious conflict, exploitation, ignorance and colonization
by the British.
Gandhi was one of the humblest human
beings ever to walk the earth. Here are few quotes about him and the rest by him that you may appreciate:
Albert Einstein: Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.
Martin Luther King, Jr: Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony. We may ignore Gandhi at our own risk.
Nelson Mandela: He is the archetypal anticolonial revolutionary. His strategy of noncooperation, his assertion that we can be dominated only if we cooperate with our dominators, and his nonviolent resistance inspired anticolonial and antiracist movements internationally in our century.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - Mahatma Gandhi for millions of Indians - the
life and thoughts were two sides of the same coin - a life which was dedicated
for human liberation. In his life of truth and non-violence he
could melt the differences between individuals, countries and
continents.
" I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and
Non-Violence are as old as the hills. " , Mahatma wrote. But these words
derived their strength from the life of Mahatma who epitomized these values.
Mahatma's words came alive with the wisdom he found in confronting personal and
social problems and now for many they are not just the words but the power of
life. Mahatma's struggle was not against any individual but against the system
of operation.
Go Back | Go Top | Go Home |