I was privileged to be invited to attend the unveiling of Mahatma Gandhi's statue, on 14th March 2015 in London, and was followed by a reception at the Foreign Office.
Gandhiji inspired me, for his fight against Imperialism and British Empire, he said that India is a rich country but just lacks money, referring her vast culture and ancient history. He felt the English language kept the Indians enslaved, he was a Hindu, of the "vasudhaiva kutumba", (the world is my family), to the core.
I was just out of a UK University in 1982 when first came across the man and the film "Gandhi". He was Gujarati, lived on same three continents, as I did, so his message struck me.
I read many of Gandhiji's books. Gandhi reminded followers, "my life is my message", and the message for him was the Gita, a Hindu holy book he was shamed into reading, it for the rest of his life, after English scholars approached him in London, seeking his help as a Hindu. He looked up to Madan Mohan Malaviya (India's fourth freedom fighter) a Sanskrit and Gita scholar, for the rest of his life.
Something is always missing when you mention the Mahatma without the Gita, and that was missing at the unveiling, and by a twist of fate, I was invited to the ceremony of a man, who went from being ridiculed to revered, by his former Imperial adversaries.
Jayesh A Patel
Wimbledon
