72. The Adobe of Happiness

During his halt in Paris on his way back to India from the Round Table Conference in London in December 1931 Mahatma Gandhi addressed a public meeting of over 2,000 persons which had been arranged by local intellectuals. At the conclusion of his speech he answered a number of questions most of which were put to him by his French audience. Among the questions asked were:

Q.: Does the happiness of man reside in knowledge or in ignorance? (laughter).

A.: In neither. It resides in each man himself and in the search of perfection and truth.

Q.: Are all men capable of seeking perfection?

A.: Yes, they have it in themselves.

Q.: A few years ago, I saw you dressed in European clothes. Why have you abandoned them?

A.: I am poor, and like thousands of Indians, I do not allow myself to wear European clothes. First, because they are quite unsuited to the climate of our country and, lastly, because it provides work for our Indian workers if we wear Indian clothes.