Ba and Bapu

Mohandas Gandhi, whom people called ‘Mahatma’ and a few fondly called ‘Bapu’, my great grandfather, was a remarkable person.

- Tushar Gandhi

Not because he was great by birth or was born into privilege, but because he realised his weaknesses and faults. He admitted his mistakes and overcame them, ensuring that he never repeated them ever again. We can also do this, but it takes courage.

Mohan was engaged to marry Kastur, the daughter of their neighbours in Porbandar, when both were seven years old. They were married at the age of 13. Kastur was older than Mohan by about six months.

At the time of marriage, neither knew what it meant to be husband and wife. Mohan loved to read; his brother's friend presented him a book which taught 'How to Be a Husband'. Mohan would read the book and believed that what was written in the book was the way an ideal husband should behave. He would attempt to practice what he read in the book on Kastur, his child bride.

One lesson in the book was that the wife must seek her husband's permission before stepping out of his home. Every evening Mohan saw that Kastur would dress up nicely and leave their home without taking his permission.

One day Mohan told her, “Henceforth you will not step out of the house without taking permission from me!” But Kastur did not bother and went out.

Finally, Mohan served an ultimatum and told Kastur, “If you step out of the house without seeking my permission, don’t come back! The doors of my house will be closed for you forever!”