All Free

-A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

During a visit to South Africa in 2004, I boarded a train at Penrich railway station near Durban for a journey to Pietermatrizburg, tracing the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. It was at this station that Mahatma Gandhi embarked on the fateful journey that in later years was regarded as having changed the course of his life.

He boarded the train on 7th June 1893 to travel to Pretoria, where he was due to meet his legal clients. A first-class seat was booked for him. The train reached Pietermatrizburg station at about 9 pm where a white passenger entered the compartment. Seeing that a colored person was travelling in the same first class compartment he got furious. He immediately went out and returned with two officials who ordered Gandhi to move to the van compartment. When Gandhi refused and resisted, a constable pushed him out of the train and also threw his luggage out after him, and the train continued its journey without Gandhi.

Gandhi spent the night in the waiting room. It was winter and bitterly cold. Although his overcoat was in the luggage, Gandhi did not ask for further insults. Gandhi contemplated returning to India but decided that such a course would be cowardice. He vowed to stay on and fight the disease of racial prejudice. This event changed the course of Gandhiji's life and he said: ``My active non-violence began from that date.

The train and the compartment in which we traveled were exactly similar to the compartment in which Mahatma Gandhi had traveled. When I got down at the Preitermatrizburg station, I saw the plaque in whose vicinity the Mahatma was thrown out. The plaque had the following inscription:

In the vicinity of this plaque M.K.Gandhi was evicted from a first class compartment on the night of 7 June1893. This incident changed the course of his life. He took up the fight against the racial oppression. His active non-violence started from that date.

Thought Provoker: 18 Ways to Make Your Parents Feel Great

The parents nowadays are quite worried about the behavioral changes in their children due to several socio-economical reasons. The gap between parents and the younger generations, is increasing day by day due to which the family bonding is getting weaker and weaker. They have forgotten the countless efforts and sacrifices made by their parents throughout their lives.



Starting from our birth they have taken care of our food (22 years * 365 days * 3 times = 24000 times!), household maintenance, our education (daily home works, uniform, school/tuition fee), religious moral teaching every day (THE REAL GREAT JOB), shelter, clothing, outings, vacations, toys, computer and God knows how many other countless efforts they have put in to make us a complete human being to enjoy and survive in this world. Indeed, all those efforts cannot be covered in this article but the overall emphasis is that its our moral and spiritual responsibility to take care of them now.
Below are some small acts of kindness which would truly show your affection to take good care of them:

    Give them enough money so that they don't have to ask you.
    Share funny and entertaining things with them to make them laugh or smile.
    Don't speak loudly. Speak slowly, nicely and softly.
    Do not walk in front of them in market or anywhere. They might walk slow being old; stay behind them. Give them respect.
    Ask for small tasks again and again. For example, "Abou Jee, do you need water? Should i bring tea for you? Are you hungry, baba" etc
    Closely monitor their health. visit doctor if required. Have them checked thoroughly time to time.
    Take care of their medicines. Set reminders on your phone for their medicines and serve them on time.
    Take them to the Temple. Walk slowly. Follow their pace.
    Take them to the park for walk. If not possible daily, then take them on weekend.
    Call them with respect.
    Open the door for them with respect.
    Adapt yourself according to their schedule not vise-versa.
    Do shopping for them (buy their clothes, shoes, small items like tooth paste). Buy your mother a nice coffee cup. Take them to market and buy them according to their likings. Buy your parents some nice books; usually people love to read books in old age.
    When you come back to home, visit them first in their room.
    Respect their social circle and let them enjoy with their friends.�
    In case of conflict on any issue, try to follow them as much as possible. Remember, they have been sacrificing their money and time in raising you for years and years. Its time to pay back. They have been showing all the patience during your childhood. Its time for you to be patient.
    Keep them with you instead of sending them to old age home. This will be a big act of ignorance if you do.
    When starting the food, serve them first and on time

A last word. Let not parents expect all this care. And, children never forget any of their duties to their loved ones. I would recommend making a check list of this email and and paste it on any wall in your room or kitchen and read it often to remember.

(Please do share if you are doing any other good thing for making your parents feel great :)