My Experiments with Bapu

Mahatma Gandhi

Born more than three decades after he breath his last on January 30, 1948, I had only known him through school text books or through people s admiration and prejudices. The repetitive  visibility of his iconic picture on every currency note and text-book made me remember his face more than anybody else face in this world. He was omnipresent and omnipotent. With my nascent and tender mind it did not take long for me to like this great man without understanding what he preached and practised. On every Independence Day and Republic Day speech in my school, I religiously added stuffs of his contribution to Indian saga of freedom. His name resonated with the words truth and non-violence. That was my first impression of this man. I was growing then.

Having won Best in Academics at class seven during my schooling, I got  "The Story of My Experiments With Truth" (Gandhiji Autobiography) as prize. Seeing its weight and number of pages I decided to showcase it in Almirah rather than to read it. Also i thought why to read it when I already know ample about this personality. With all the internal persuasion i decided to keep away from the book. After I completed my tenth standard board examination I became a part of a group in school that considered itself as  super Intellectuals. Being a part of this group gave me an attitude to despise and disapprove everything that was considered right and moral by the society. We disapproved a lot of things that made sense to majority of our classmates. I had my own logic to disregard the norms. Having passed just tenth standard I thought I know all and all ( How stupid i was !). When you are in your teens you like everything that is new - New songs, new movies, new fashion, new friends, new ideologies, new heroes, new clothes. Gandhiji was too old to fit. We adored Shaheed Bhagat Singh more than Gandhiji. We often debated on Gandhiji s himalayan mistakes to make our stand stronger. Being different and having an eccentric point of view was in vogue. We were a part of that culture, that attitude.  I started disliking Gandhiji as easily as i started liking him during my primary school days. But I was still growing.

Today I have lived 30 years on earth. I know a little about this world and things hapenning around. But I surely know less than what I thought i knew when I passed my Matric examination.  I have crossed my teens and my high libido has made way for patience and maturity. Today  I have the sobriety to understand this great man of history. I understand his philosophy that became the foundation stone of our struggle for Independence. I understand the power of truth and non-violence. Today I know what guts it takes to practise truth and non-violence. Today I know what is forgiveness and why Gandhiji told that it is the attribute of strong to forgive.  Today I understand his immense leadership quality and art of persuasion. Today I understand his secular ideology and his respect for religions of the world ; His quest for Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammad. Today I know its not everybody s cup of tea to understand and interpret Gandhiji. You need that kind of maturity and depth to understand and admire the man you see endorsed on every currency note of our country.

Famous Quotes by Gandhiji

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

“A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.”

“Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.”

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

“An ounce of patience is worth more than a tonne of preaching.”

“Change yourself – you are in control.”

“See the good in people and help them.”

“Without action, you aren’t going anywhere.”

“Take care of this moment.”

“Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self.”

“Continue to grow and evolve.”

“A no uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ uttered merely to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.”

“Glory lies in the attempt to reach one’s goal and not in reaching it.”

"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.”

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

“A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

Image Source: Google