Gandhiji's Sense Of Humour

Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhiji used to bear with patience the hardships of life with his humour.

Once an artists made a sketch of Gandiji and sent it to him to get his autograph. Returning that sketch Gandhiji wrote to the artist, ''Who is such an ugly man, whom you have made by mistake and sent this picture''?

Gandhiji used to slap the child whom he loved. Once day Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan said to Gandhiji, ''Bapu, you slap the one you love, but you have never slapped me. This means that you do not love me''

Gandhiji looked at the huge body of Khan, smiled and said, ''I do love you but I do not slap you because if you return in the same coin I will be crushed.''

In 1946 Gandhiji went to see Satyavati, grand-daughter of the famous Arya Samaj leader Swami Shraddhananad sarawati. She was lying on her death bed. Gandhiji said to Satayavati, ''I know that you will not say 'Ram, Ram'. So when you are in pain say, 'Mara Mara'. when you say this rapidly, it will be converted into 'Ram Ram'.'' Gandhiji had said so because Satyavati was a staunch socialist being te granddaughter of the Arya Samaj leader Shraddhanandji. Arya Samajists do not pronounce the name of Ram as the form of God.

(Condensed) - (Courtesy : 'Haryana Review')