The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands. He could boast no scientific achievements or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman, Chiang Kai-shek, The Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France... are among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, "Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires." And Albert Einstein added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."
Gandhi quotes
Page 1 of 2Mr. Gandhi will find that it takes a great deal more than a pinch of salt to bring down the British Empire.
Should we issue a warning, sir?
Gen. Dyer They've had their warning. No meetings. [pause] Fire!
You mean you can appoint Mr. Baker as your attorney but you can't walk down the street with him?
Well, I can, but I risk being kicked into the gutter by someone less holy than Mr. Baker.
You're a temptress.
Margaret Bourke-White Just an admirer!
Nothing is more dangerous, especially for an old man.
General Dyer, is it correct that you ordered your troops to fire at the thickest part of the crowd?
Gen. Dyer That is so.
1,516 casualties with 1,650 bullets.
Gen. Dyer My intention was to inflict a lesson that would have an impact throughout all India.
General, had you been able to take in the armoured car, would you have opened fire with the machine gun?
Gen. Dyer I think, probably – yes.
General, did you realise there were children – and women – in the crowd?
Gen. Dyer I did.
But that was irrelevant to the point you were making?
Gen. Dyer That is correct.
Could I ask you what provision you made for the wounded?
Gen. Dyer I was ready to help any who applied.
General, how does a child, shot with a .303 Lee Enfield, "apply" for help?
Kinnoch With respect, Mr. Gandhi, without British administration, this country would be reduced to chaos.
Mr. Kinnoch, I beg you to accept that there is no people on Earth who would not prefer their own bad government to the good government of an alien power.
My dear sir! India is British. We're hardly an alien power!
You are the father of the nation.
Today, I see no ground in that for anything but shame.
Nahari I'm going to Hell! I killed a child! I smashed his head against a wall.
Why?
Nahari Because they killed my son! The Muslims killed my son!
I know a way out of Hell. Find a child, a child whose mother and father was killed and raise him as your own. Only be sure that he is a Muslim and that you raise him as one.
Nehru Bapuji, the whole country is moving.
Yes. but in what direction?
Vince Walker I met him once.
Collins You mean Gandhi?
Vince Walker Yeah, in South Africa, a long time ago. I wonder if he'll recognize me.
Collins What was he like?
Vince Walker He had a full head of hair then. We were a bit like college students, trying to figure everything out.
Collins Well, he must have found some of the answers!
Vince Walker You're an ambitious man, Mr. Gandhi.
I hope not.
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
I am a Muslim and a Hindu and a Christian and a Jew and so are all of you.
I liked certain things, and I disliked other things about it...It's falsification of history. I was rather puzzled by the simplifications. For instance, it would have made a better film if the genuine historical relationship between Gandhi and Nehru was allowed to be portrayed. Their relationship was first of all a relationship between equals. Secondly, it was an explosive relationship. They argued about the future of India. And, in fact, that argument is central to independence-homespun vs steel mills. And by and large India chose Nehru. It may have emotionally chosen Gandhi, but practically it chose Nehru. That dispute would have added a great deal of drama to the film. Instead, Nehru is being made into a disciple of Gandhi-sits at Gandhi's feet and says "Haan bapuji, nahi bapuji," cries when Gandhi goes on a hunger strike. I think that made the film rather silly. And I did find it very odd that Subhash Chandra Bose was left out. I know they couldn't put in everybody, which is their defence; but Bose seems like a huge omission. All right, they didn't put in Tagore or Sarojini Naidu. (ST: They did have her.) SR: Really? Of course, the Dandi March. But not having Bose is a great distortion of the reality of those times. There are also peculiar things-like the killings in Calcutta have been shown after the partition-whereas a schoolboy could have told you that it happened in 1946. Deification of public figures is an Indian disease. We've done it to all sorts of people all the time. Why should Attenborough do it? Gandhi was a sharp, crafty, streetfighting Gujarati lawyer who was a brilliant politician. He didn't win because he was a saint. In that generation they weren't saints. They were brilliant politicians. Tough men. And to present them as these kinds of reborn Christs may conform to a desire in the west for re-makes or new versions of Bible epics, but it seems to me an insufficient film about Gandhi. And the sad thing is that it makes sure that there won't be a good film now about Gandhi.