29. Service of the Nation

The era we are living in will be known as 'the Gandhian Era' for at least a thousand years. All his life Gandhiji followed the tradition of humanitarianism propounded by the Saints and Paigambers. The inspiration, the conviction and the teachings offered by him to the humanity will require at least a thousand years of prowess to imbibe it into our lives and spread it in the world.

In the beginning of 1915 Gandhiji returned from South Africa to be settled in India for good. In 1920, he assumed the reins of the freedom struggle and initiated a powerful movement in the country. Then after ten years, he accepted the goal of absolute freedom in Lahore Congress and started the Salt Satyagrah movement to achieve it. Then exactly after twelve years he asked the British government to quit India. It took five years of struggle to free India. Gandhiji's amazaing and heroic service of the nation thus went on for thirty-six long years and finally paid off. The history of these years has reflected in the lives, the words and the attitude of many national leaders like Gandhiji. But those, small and great alike, who had been a part of it for more than three decades, who had studied the attitude and the inspiration behind it, should take upon themselves to recollect and write down the reminiscences of those days.

A variety of literature is required to know Gandhiji in depth. Mahadevbhai's diaries and weekly letters would be very important means to portray Gandhiji's life. All the details of the minor or big incidents should be brought to people's notice.