These are two men who changed the history of the world. Both men of strong character(?) in their own right. Gandhi had once said that "Man’s nature is not essentially evil" and maybe the Führer would have said "Man's nature is not essentially good either". Two men who draw passion among people, love or hatred, very strong indeed. But think about their similarities. Both loved their people. Gandhi fought against the British to ensure that his people were free, whereas Hitler fought against some "suspected" forces which were out to disintegrate his people. Both of them had unbound love for their people. Both have written books-An autobiography,the story of my experiments with truth and Mein Kampf standing testimonies to it. Both were highly religious. Hitler a Catholic and Gandhi a Hindu greatly impressed by all religions especially Jesus Christ.
Coming to their characters. Both were very charismatically hypnotic when it came to casting spells on people with their speeches, inspiring them and getting them to follow them. They were very stubborn and determined and no power could make them change their minds when set. They believed in their cause and the confidence they exuded was phenomenal. Would Gandhi have been different from what he was if he was born in some other age? What if he was born after India was free? Would we have had our own brand of Hitler sans the strong negative aspect (for we can never imagine Gandhi in that light)? Gandhi too was one who loved to have mass following and could shake the people with his speeches filled with conviction and make most follow his path, which was of love and non-violence.
One stark difference between these two men was the way the world looked at them due to the approach followed by them. The Gandhian brand of non-violence and Satyagraha brought him many admirers from all around the world including Martin Luther King Junior who used the non-violence and non co-operation principles expounded by the Mahatma in the Civil Rights Movement. Whereas Hitler believed that Force was the one and only way of subjugating people and getting them around. while Hitler's speeches were filled with power and hatred, Gandhi's speeches though powerful were soft and full of love. Gandhi Research Foundation had once said that, if Gandhi was born a Jew, he would have fought and won against Hitler too which seems just very possible given the strength of mind this man had. Gandhi is reported to have written to Hitler urging him to stop the atrocities he was committing.
I always wonder how Gandhi would have been in a Free and Independent India. When Gandhi was killed today 60 years ago, there was a newspaper in England which was quoted as saying, we put up with him for so many years and you Indians could not keep him for more than 5 months.
With their unique abilities both these men changed the world, one brought about freedom to the masses he loved and the other almost achieved the "Holocaust". The main difference between these men - Gandhi, his people love, Hitler...well....!!!!
A Salute to Gandhi and the multitude of men who lived for our India,laid down their lives for India, and those who are continuing to live and laying down their lives for our country.
5 comments:
Gandhi and Hitler what a contradictory personalites. Only last week I was talking about Gandhi to my 6 year old daughter and she was listening without any distraction. I became very emotional once, when I visited Sabarmathi Ashram in Ahmedabad, and felt very proud of Gandhiji.
What a great man he was!
Perhaps both Gandhi and Hitler lived exactly according to their own convictions.Nothing made them sway from their convictions.This characteristic of them would have impressed people and rallied the peoople around them.While such people are rare these days.Perhaps this specie is extinct.
can someone tell me the similarities and differences between gandhi and hitler please.
And if possible they should be differnet points....i.e. they should not be related to the same point.
It was a great comparision between the two great lives if the century.It teaches us thatwith strong determination you can overcome the situationas........Atlast Great PAssions can deny destiny
Gandhi a great soul with no doubt but not an ideal person. World doesn't work the way Gandhi wants or peace loving people work. Gandhi's ideas worked with tolerant British but his same ideas failed with partition of india which impacts Indians even today. Would have gandhi's methods worked with hitler regime? OR had it worked with barbaric islamic rulers of india in the past? One rule of non violence is to defend unjust aggression. British left due to their reasons of bankrupt etc and even they respected the great soul Gandhi.Am not suggesting to not respect Gandhi but not get fooled by false stories of being the single most reason for British to leave India. The matter of fact is India was ruled due to no unity among Indians. The weak mindset of Indians haunt and needs to be changed like the mindset sivaji, Rana pratap or Subas bose.
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