Growing as Indian, just as Fareed had talked when he mentioned about Nelson, there was always a charm to the 19th century Liberal gentleman which Gandhi, Nehru and even Nelson was one. They were born to century old eastern philosophy but were enlightened by the missionary schools of the British system. And these two amalgamations produced a very powerful force in all these people.
Where their hearts was still Eastern their outlook was Western, open, forward looking. As someone told about Mandela's spirituality, he believed in infinity. Something which is not very true, of any pure conservative eastern folks.
For us who also had a slight degree of same upbringing, but with a much more western world we were born, but certainly lived predominately in our later years, many of the thoughts and action done by them was more an anathema. To be surprised by the strength of power all these individual had. Be it Nehru’s writing his best book in Prison when the British were trying to crush their spirits and at a personal level with his wife dying. Or be it Mandela and his associates being always happy when they were tried for crime which certainly would have got all of them hanged.
But with Nehru and Gandhi they will always remain an Anathema. They died much before I was born. And in many ways they will always appeal to me, in many ways I will never be totally be able to connect with them.
Mandela in that ways certainly is an exception. Though he is truly an Eastern 19th century Liberal gentleman, he lived in a timeframe where western forces of open markets and demise of communists is a norm. And in him I see a person who though because of his upbringing should have alighted to these current forces he did. Much like many of us, who have a very socialistic thinking but know that today's world demand embracing open market/Rageanism/Hayek for daily life. And that is where Mandela can be an interesting example of how to align the socialistic thoughts of personal upliftment in a market driven economy. Juxtaposed thoughts with divergent aims and thought processes.
one big reason to supplement my hearing of "The Documentary" by BBC on Nelson Mandela by a good Autobiography on him. Again the rational-de force which made me writes this article.
