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Ideals vary with regard to everything. Every man has his own ideal
of human greatness. Some worship the man of power, some look up for
inspiration to the silent, patient worker, who is dedicated to knowledge,
some trying to keep the torch of science and philosophy. There are others,
again, who love the man of action. And there may be others also, who are
impressed by the man who obeys the inner call and renounces the world
and dedicates himself to duties of love and service. But my ideal of a
great man is something different from any of those mentioned above. A
great man, in my opinion, must be, above all littleness, - the petty
jealousies and prejudices that afflict the ordinary man. He must be
dedicated to a noble ideal, entirely selfless, free from all narrowness,
truthful in speech, fearless in action, but polite in manners and yet a lion
in spirit. Such a man is, no doubt, rare. But I had one who fulfilled all
these. He is Mahatma Gandhi and I admire him the most.
Nothing became him so well as the end of his life. Freedom had
come, but with freedom had come communal passion. Hindus and
Muslims, on both sides of the Border, were cruelly killing each other. The
frail old man, on the verge of his seventy-eight years, went from place to
place, seeking to establish peace and goodwill where there were enmity
and strife. He went to Noakhali to soothe and assuage the feelings of the
Hindus who had suffered from Muslim atrocities. He went to Patna to
heal the sufferings of the Muslims. He went to Delhi and each day he
preached love and communal amity in his postprayer meetings. In one
such meeting, on 30th January, 1948 an insensate fanatic, unable to bear
his message of goodwill, shot him dead. It was a noble death, much like
that of Christ’s crucifixion.
His passing away marks the end of a memorable apoch that has
bequeathed an undying legacy to posterity. Succeeding generations will
never willingly let die Gandhijis achievements. Humanity will realize a
fresh way of peace that was Gandhijis article of faith as the apostle of
Non-violence. Let us revere his memory by preaching – “Peace upon
earth and goodwill to all men”.