Toward the end of his life, Gandhi was asked by many, from India and the rest of the world, whether he felt a great sense of accomplishment when India became free from British rule. His response was that he felt himself to be failure because his mission was not to rid India of the British but to remove the hatred one community feels toward the other, as in the hatred between Muslims and Hindus.It was then he came up with the statement “Be the change you want the world to be”.
And, as was his usual practice, he launched himself on the magnificent crusade of ridding himself and his own mind of hatred toward others;he was especially wont to point out that because of our intense loyalty to our own class, caste, race what have you,it is important to devote this effort toward other races and classes.
A man of introspection, self awareness and a man of action. A great moral force the likes of which the world has never known as Einstein has said.
On this holy day for Christians, it will do us good to remember that the lesson of Easter is one Gandhi had learnt and applied. Would that our leaders absorb some of that lesson!
