Dear Editor,

GANDHI forewarned, “I want freedom for the full expression of my personality. You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.” The world laughs with you when you’re happy but you cry alone when you’re sad. Such is the fragility of companionship and the fragment of compassion. The greatness of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is a reason for all seasons and a son of the soil who succeeded in securing the respect and response from the powerful British Empire. During the 19th century period, the world utilised the tools of slavery ship and indentured labour, to commandeer the exploitation of wealth from the perils of colonialism. This enrichment provided the luxury and comfort of the White masters to grow in material worth at the expense of the miserable poor, suffering and sinking in the dungeon of doom. As they toiled and waxed in blood, sweat and tears, the sharp whip of domination infiltrated the very skin, flesh and bone of human dignity. The cry for liberty and equality went ignored and submerged by the contorted mind of greed, the tainted intellect of blindness and the proud ego of brute, force and supremacy, until the roar of a lion in the land of name and fame, brought about the rise of refusing to be intimidated by the weakness of fear and cowardice.

Gandhi indicated, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” The beginning of the end of incivility birthed with the fragility of a soft spoken representative of truth conquering lie and, the frailty of a thin, loin-clothed defender, fighting with the weapon of non-violence. He offended the aggressors of war with his mission of peace, engaged in the march for righteousness and thundered in a soothing voice of unprovoked calmness. There was no distinction for discrimination and no exception for acceptance. Mahatma justified his significant presence when, the world continues to bow in adoration to his resilience and, mankind forever accepts his principles and practice as universal teaching.
As the world turns, the philosophy of life superimposes that, “Everything here happens for a reason.” As the universe serenades the birth of Mahatma K. Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, Guyanese pay obeisance to the death of Walter A. Rodney and Joshua R. Ramsammy. Gandhi remarked, “Terrorism and deception are weapons not of the strong, but of the weak.” The holy books remind us not to murder.

The victims of circumstances brought the demise of Martin L. King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy and Guyanese cannot forget Vincent Teekah, Oswaldene Walker and Shirley F. Ridley. Gandhi pondered on, “There is a higher court than the court of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” The good books point out that thou shall not commit adultery. Nations learn from the appearances of Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar and Malcolm X, while Guyanese shudder on the farewell of Father Malcolm Drakes and Satyadeow S. Sawh. Gandhi taught, “It’s easy to stand in a crowd but it takes courage to stand alone. When you are right, you have no need to be angry. When you are wrong, you have no right to be angry.” The books of peace and justice spell out the reason not to bear false witness.

The brutal departure of Sheikh M. Rahman, Benazir Bhutto and Alexander Litvinenko remain significant. How can Guyanese overlook the fatality of Kowsilla (Alice), the Henry cousins and Haresh Singh? Gandhi surmised, “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind. There are two days in the past year that we cannot do anything, yesterday and tomorrow. Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but, to change ourselves. So, be the change you are trying to create.” The books we swear on demand that we should not lie nor steal.
Paying with their lives for making a difference by speaking up were John Lennon, Pope John Paul 11 and Jamal Khashoggi. Guyanese will remember the massacre at Lusignan and Bartica and, the 1962-1964 crisis. Gandhi pointed out, “The world is big enough to satisfy everyone’s needs, but will always be too small to satisfy everyone’s greed. When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time, they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall…..think of it, always!” The Saviour’s books we turn to, attest that we must not covet our neighbour’s property and always speak the truth.

Gandhi philosophised, “Relationships are based on four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and appreciation.” Gandhi clarified that there is nothing like “Gandhisim”. He can be remembered by his teachings for, he was very cautious of those whose words do not match their actions. He believed in the good conduct, deeds and attitude of a sincere person and in prayer. While God has no religion, Gandhi reflected on the thief of time which stray man from God realisation, namely: lust and desire; wrath and anger; greed and jealousy; delusion and attachment; false ego and excessive pride. Gandhi’s meaningful purpose is engrained in, “An ounce of practice is worth more than the tonnes of preaching.” Indira Gandhi cautioned the world to be aware of ministers who can do nothing without money and those who want to do everything with money. While in office, many stained their hands with blood, sinned their souls for power, created mayhem and chaos, trampled on the rights of the deprived and ruled with a fist of vice. Today, they forget the simple lesson of not to be a traitor of God to please the whole world. As we project and reflect on the passing of Mahatma Gandhi, remember his parting words, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”

Respectfully,
Jai Lall