Gandhi my father

They say every being moves on it's determined path and destiny. As actors in the play, each one has a definite script and role to play. Heroism, villainy, comedy, love, hatred, insignificance, all would act out on the stage.

This mysterious phenomenon, life, has always managed to defy anybody’s understanding. Something that had never existed before had came into existence for a brief period of time. Then it disappeared forever. How can one explain that?

Why did this happen? It is futile to ask such questions about life. Each question would lead to further questions, and finally, all of them would remain unanswered. There is no "if" in the history. Things just happened the way they happened. That is the only explanation one can give. Equally futile is the attempt to blame the actions of any one actor in the play. No person is an island. No action is an isolated event. Every event, every action is interrelated and interdependent, like a river. Mahatma Gandhi said his life was all about his search for the Truth, the Reality. For him everything else was secondary. His actions, decisions were all made according to the light he had received on his journey. Harilal Gandhi had a different journey. Were they wrong, in their motivation and actions? Those roles had acted out on this stage in the way they were meant to be. Who can judge? In life where there are no absolutes, where everything is relative, judgement is futile. We all travel according our convictions. So were Bapu, Ba, Gulab and Harilal.

The events that unfolded on the stage between 2nd October 1869 and 18th June 1948 had stirred up myriad emotions among the spellbound spectators. Then the play came to an end. The stage became empty. The actors departed. So many questions in the play were left unanswered; many things were left unsaid. The spectators were left behind moved, confused and disturbed in mind.

Gandhi my father was very touching and unforgettable experience.