Heartfelt sympathy

Many men were shot dead during the Satyagraha in South Africa. After the struggle, the widows of the diseased came to see Gandhiji at Seth Parsee Rustamji's place. Gandhiji got up, went to them and bowed to them. The ladies broke down in front of him.

Gandhiji tried to console them and said, "Mothers, please do not cry. If your husband had died suffering long illnesses, the world would not have known anything about them. They are really fortunate to be the victims of firing and they died for the sake of the country."

One lady was inconsolable and was crying holding Gandhiji's leg. Her tears were falling down on Gandhiji's leg. He consoled her with broken heart and then said in a firm voice with compassion, "Your sorrow is unbearable for me; and it can subside only when even I should die with the bullets of the Government. This plight can end only when my wife also faces the same situation as that of yours.

Gandhiji's transparent and heartfelt identification brought them solace.