“I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?- Mahatma Gandhi [Last Phase, Vol. II (1958), P. 65].
Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away.”
Lines could be found on the first page of every school text book printed by NCERT (National Council of Education Research and Training). Hindi text books had a translation of the lines.
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Photograph: A child on the outskirts of Delhi. 14th May 2009.
Unrelated post from my Kashmir blog: Bhookha Nanga Hindustan
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