Reading the Viewpoint (Humanise our saintly figures, DH, August 23) I was sad and surprised at some of the expressions used by Harish Bhat to portray Gandhiji’s character. I haven’t watched the movie,. Gandhi, My Father. But, what I know about Bapu from other sources makes me object to some of the sweeping statements made by Bhat.
The ‘most unkindest cut of all’ was the statement that the Mahatma was “a failed father incapable of love”. To tell the truth, Gandhiji was love personified. Perhaps, he never had the kind of selfish love usually parents have for their children. His all-embracing love was for all the people of his motherland. To quote Erik H Erikson, one of the leading figures in the field of psychoanalysis and human development: “Thus, bettering the mother of a joint family, he (Gandhiji) adopted all of humanity and made himself meticulously responsible for India and the empire”.
To say that Gandhiji was “unmoved by the desperate cries of his own family” is to picture him as a cruel man. But, he was one of the most kind-hearted men who ever walked upon this earth. To him, truth, non-violence, service to society, etc were far above the interests of his own family. He could be very adamant for the sake of his principles. In the words of Will Durant, the author of the famous book Story of Civilisation, “He (Gandhiji) is in all probability the most important and beyond all doubt, the most interesting future in the world to-day. Centuries hence he will be remembered when of his contemporaries hardly a name will survive”.
Again, Bhat writes, “Gandhiji did not care to understand his own son” and “failed his own family”. But it is not true. He did understand his son but could not comply with his wishes for obvious and valid reasons as his own family got merged in the whole of humanity. In short, he never had an iota of selfishness in his heart. To, accuse him of “seeking his son’s love and affection, but was unwilling, (or perhaps unable) to give any in return” is to do great injustice to the portrayal of his sterling character.
As early as 1921, John Haynes Holmes, Minister of Community Church of New York introduced Gandhiji to the Americans in a sermon by asking the question, “Who is the greatest man in the world today?” and he answered his own question thus: “Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi”. And he went on to say, “The audacity of this declaration, in the light of what was known and not known, at that time about Gandhi here in our Western World, seems now incredible!”
Let me conclude this labour of love in the words of the great scientist, Albert Einstein, “Gandhi, the greatest political genius of our time indicated the path to be taken. He gave proof of what sacrifice man is capable, once he has discovered the right path. Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth”. All quotations in this piece of writing are taken from the book, Profiles of Gandhi — America remembers a World Leader edited by Norman Cousins. When I bought the hard-bound copy of it, in 1971, it cost just Rs 6.50!
Nearly 60 Americans from all walks of life, including six American Presidents have paid rich tributes to the Mahatma in this book. If the Government of India can publish this book at a subsidised rate, and make it available in book shops all over the country, it would be an eye opener to many an Indian.
