Becoming Gandhi: From Fearful Child to Fearless Father of a Nation

“Who has ever gained freedom without a battle?” asked a poet. Yet India’s path to independence defied that logic—a revolution led without swords, built on the strength of truth, humility, and nonviolence. At its heart stood Mahatma Gandhi—the man who transformed fear into a nation’s courage.

The Boy Who Feared the Dark

There was once a boy named Mohan. Mohan was afraid of the dark. Just the sight of darkness would make his heart race. He imagined ghosts approaching from one side and corpses from the other—his mind was gripped by fear. Because of this fear, he was afraid to go out in the dark. One day, Mohan had to face this fear, and a tough situation arose.

It was nighttime. Mohan had to return home, but the path near his house was dark. He was terrified. How could he even take a step in that darkness? He was in a dilemma. His aunt, watching from a neighbouring house, noticed his distress. She came to him, gently placed her hand on his back, and said, “Why are you scared? Let the darkness be. Just keep chanting Lord Ram’s name. Not even a hair on your head will be harmed.”

Faith Over Fear: Chanting Ram’s Name

This reassurance gave Mohan courage. Chanting Ram’s name, he took his first step. Soon, Ram's name wasn't just on his lips—it had filled his entire being.

"He who has Ram on his side, what does he have to fear?" – Young Mohan

From Mohan to Mahatma

This same Mohan later became so fearless that he went on to inspire 400 million Indians and all of humanity with his message of fearlessness—he became Mahatma Gandhi.

Many of us often wonder: What is the unique story behind the achievements, leadership, and oratory of great personalities? What did they do in life that brought them such extraordinary success? Students who study through the night but still don’t succeed often ask themselves these questions.

What Students Today Must Learn

To such students, I say: Dream—but not with your eyes closed, dream with your eyes wide open. The dreams seen with closed eyes disappear in the morning, but the ones seen with open eyes take away your sleep. That is the greatest truth. Set a goal. It doesn’t matter how much you work for it or how you work. What truly matters is how you plan for that goal. That is the true mantra behind the success of great people.

When Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan, it took just two minutes—but he spent a whole year planning for those two minutes. Such meticulous planning is essential for true success. Mahatma Gandhi too became the Father of the Nation through this very principle.

But today’s youth often lack clear goals, and so they lose direction. Then we say, “The youth of this country are going astray…”

Where Are Today’s Gadgebabas and Vivekanandas?

When you visit Alandi (a pilgrimage site), you see Wagonr, Fortuners, Indicas—but you don’t see a single Saint Namdev travelling the world for the welfare of society. There are now many billionaires, but you don’t see even one Saint Gadgebaba, whose entire estate was just a torn blanket and a broom, yet who spread the wealth of cleanliness from village to village.

Today, you’ll see many wearing shawls, but none weaving the threads of society while weaving cloth, like Saint Kabir. Our children travel to America, Russia, China, Japan—but you don’t see a single Swami Vivekananda hoisting the flag of Indian spiritual heritage in Chicago.

There are many kings today, but none like Shiv Chhatrapati, who sacrificed his life to protect the happiness of his people. There are many women called goddesses now, but where is an Ahilyabai Holkar?

Many youths die young, but you don’t find even one Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj who faced death bravely on the banks of the Indrayani and Bhima rivers. There are many mothers now, but you don’t see a single Jijabai, who raised a son like Shivaji Maharaj.

There were crowds of people in the past, and there are crowds now, too. But in the past, the crowd had real people. Now, we must search for humanity in the crowd. And that is why today, we see many riots like Koregaon-Bhima, but no Mahatma Gandhi who rises in those moments to stop the violence and preach peace, equality, and brotherhood.

Only when such great personalities are born again in our society will our nation truly progress and prosper.

Let us not just remember great leaders but strive to become them. The first step starts with you—be the fearless voice, the humble reformer, the selfless builder of a better tomorrow. Be the Gandhi this world needs.