Gandhi and Grief

We visited the Aga Khan Palace in Pune yesterday, where Gandhi was interned between 1942-44 for initiating the Quit India Movement against the British. It was here his wife, Kasturba died of illness. Two things attracted my attention there: The first is a painting of rare tenderness demonstrated by the Mahatma towards his long-suffering wife (he had rejected the British doctor's remedy of penicillin that would have cured her, opting for traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda). The second was a scene played on film of Gandhi mourning Kasturba's death. In spite of a life devoted to self-control and discipline, here's a man in a state of shock and profound grief. The Mahatma was only human.