Gandhi as Father

Here are some little known facts about the father of Nation. He was inspired by an insult to pursue a great mission.

Mahatma( great soul, a name given by Rabindranath Togore, a Nobel laureate) was not good at studies. After graduation he tried for a teaching job in Bombay but was rejected. Then he went to England to study law. His practice did not take off in India so he was advised to go to South Africa because a good number of traders of his community lived there. Did not click. He opened a school in Phoenix but was closed down.

One fine day, while travelling a first class railway coach, he was thrown out by the guard as blacks were not supposed to travel in first class. Then and there he vowed to overthrow the British rule in India which he ultimately did. India became the first liberated colony of the British in 1947. Six months after independence, he was shot by Nathu Ram Godse. Why, this is another story I will share with you later. Godse touched Gandhi’s feet as a mark of respect before shooting at him.

Gandhi lived a balanced life. Prayer, morning walk, cleaning toilet, feeding goats, meeting journalists and politicians, reading, publishing newspaper, travelling and meeting people, writing books and weaving cotton yarn for own clothes made his routine.

But in the whole life his children were ignored. So much so that eldest son disowned him as Father.

So fathers, never forget this obligation of giving time to children however great you are or going to be.