It is not your fault

Unable to find a good job after studying law in England Mahatma Gandhi ji in the year 1890 took up  a job in South Africa. At that time apartheid*was at its peak and in the gross injustice inflicted by man on man  Gandhi ji found his element.


A great soul does more than touch the person, the Mahatma transforms. Ordinary souls or 'athma' achieve greatness when they are able to connect to God or 'Par -athma' and absorb some of God's infinite greatness.  They achieve spiritual strength and they become fearless, yet compassionate, wise and yet humble, this permits them to transform the world as we know it.


Those who are so blessed also attract people and resources almost automatically, even more so because they need them but do not plead for them.  Gandhi ji had many supporters and one of his great admirers and followers was a German industrialist named Hermann Kallenbach.  In 1912 Kallenbach bought eleven hundred acres of land near Johannesburg and gave them to Gandhi ji, who founded a settlement called Tolstoy Farm ( Gandhi ji was a great admirer of the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy and they corresponded frequently.)

One day Gandhi ji, had to travel to Johannesburg for some work and the car that they used at Tolstoy farm needed to be serviced at the garage. He asked his son Manilal to accompany him to town. He instructed Manilal that while Gandhi ji attended to some affairs Manilal should get the car serviced and then return to pick him up for the journey back home at 5:30 pm.

After the young Manilal had delivered the car to the garage he realised that he  had lots of time to spare. Wandering around he saw that there was some sort of entertainment  show going on. Manilal bought a ticket and so enjoyed the afternoon that he soon lost track of time.

As the show ended Manilal panicked as he saw that the time was 6:00 pm he rushed to pick up the car and Gandhi ji. In a response most of us are familiar with, when Manilal arrived to pick up his father he glibly lied, that he was late because the folks at the garage could not finish the servicing in time.

Manilal not yet a father could not appreciate the fact that parents worry when things do not go as planned with their children. Gandhi ji at 5:30 pm had called up the garage to find out if the car was ready and was told that the car was awaiting delivery since 4:00 pm.

Gandhi ji looked at his son with dismay and said; " That you must lie deeply saddens me. However I do not blame you, it is all my fault. There must have been some lapses or deficiencies from my side and I must have made some great mistake in your upbringing." "I will have to atone for my mistake  and I wonder what I must do." Gandhi ji continued.

Manilal had been exposed, and was apologetic, but Gandhi ji refused to yield blaming only himself. After a minute spent deep in thought Gandhiji declared; "I will punish myself by walking home rather than drive there. Manilal, you take the car home and I will come walk home." Gandhi ji immediately started walking toward home which was 27 kilometres away.


Understanding parents takes a lot, and understanding a Mahatma even more. Manilal kept apologising profusely and sought his father's forgiveness. Gandhi ji simply turned a deaf ear and kept on plodding along.


After walking for many hours Gandhi ji arrived home early in the morning with Manilal trailing in the car the entire way.  Gandhi ji did not complain and for that matter did not even utter  a word for the reason for the delay or what had transpired.


This incident was narrated by the ashamed Manilal to the worried residents of Tolstoy farm. Manilal was saddened by his poor conduct, and vowed never to tell a lie again. from that day on Manilal devoted most of his life spreading the message of the Mahatma.

My thanks to the compassionate and talented Dr. Naresh Thukral who also happens to be my brother in law for narrating this incident to me.

* Apartheid - Meaning apartness in Afrikan. Apartheid was race discrimination viciously practiced by a  minority group of white foreigners that ruled the native and foreign coloured people of Southern Africa by violence and sheer terror depriving them even basic rights.