Book review of Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography

                                                 BOOK REVIEW

                                                            OF
                                    MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH
                                                                                                       -Mahatma Gandhi

The autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi titled ‘My experiments with truth’ covers his life from early childhood through to 1920. His life from that point onward had been so public that there was hardly anything about it that people did not know.

Gandhiji was born in the mystic city of Porbandar, Gujarat on October 2, 1869. Son of Kaba Gandhi and Putlibai, he was the youngest among three brothers and one sister. At school he was typically shy and avoided the company of friends. He was mediocre in studies and the strict discipline enforced by his father kept him from telling lies or copying.

By custom, at the age of thirteen, Gandhiji was betrothed to be married. A person who hardly knew what life is was entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of his wife. Even before he could understand his counterpart, suspicion creped in. Things did not turn out to be worse as according to Hindu society a child wife spends more than half her time at her father’s place.

Gandhiji was one such illustrious person on the face of the earth to live by example. When it comes to learning from his life, the points could well be incalculable. Albert Einstein quoted on Mahatma Gandhi- “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a person as this, ever in flesh and blood, walked upon the earth.”

In what better means can religious tolerance be illustrated than his saying, “Truth is God” He kept in view the sensitivity of Christians’ leaders who propagated,” God is Truth” Thus he made people realize the value of truth and the immeasurable benefits that come along, one among them being fearlessness.

Who would have thought possible in the 19^th century that independence from the British rule was in the offing. But this man dressed up in loin cloth with a stick in his hand and determination in his mind made the unthinkable possible. He shook the British Empire by his firm resolve to change the way Indians were treated. And it is the word ‘Swaraj’ that sent shockwaves across the globe. Translating it means self-rule.

Once when Gandhiji was travelling in a first-class compartment of a train in South Africa, he was thrown out merely because he was not white in complexion. He boldly said, “You have thrown me out of this train. Wait and watch, I will throw you out of this country.” And he ultimately did. Gandhiji, the man who turned humility and simple truth more powerful than empires, may be dead for a few. But he still lives in the minds of millions of people- including mine.