A Dialogue With Gandhi Ji - Be the Change You Want to See in the World

This write-up is the winning entry of the "Rachana - Writing Competition by Kachchh Museum", in association with WeTheYuva and TheIndianMuseums.

Hello everyone, My name is Prahar Shukla, and I want to share an amazing imaginary chat I had with Gandhiji. It was a sunny day in Australia, and I was in the New South Wales Parliament, where I spoke about Mahatma Gandhi.

As I looked around, I saw Gandhiji, He was wearing his simple white clothes and round glasses. He was sitting in the audience and clapping for me! I felt so happy.

Then, Gandhiji and I went to another room and I asked him "Is this really you Gandhiji? What are you doing here? He smiled and said, I am here to meet my young friend, Prahar.

I was so curious! I asked him, "How did you become such a strong leader?" Gandhiji replied, "I learned the importance of truth and non violence when I was young. I believe we can solve problems without hurting others. It takes courage to be peaceful but it is the best way to bring change!!!

I thought about my school, where sometimes kids are not nice. So, I asked him, "But what if people are mean? How can I be peaceful?" Gandhiji modded and said, "It's true my dear, when others are unkind, we must respond with kindness. Remember our peaceful actions can inspire change. If someone is mean, try talking to them or showing them friendship. It's not always easy, but it can be very powerful"

Then, I asked, "Did you have any fears when you a were a child? "He smiled and said, oh yes! When I was a little boy I was afraid of the dark. One evening my mother asked me to get something from another room. I was scared because of dark. My mother smiled and told me, think of God and be brave."

He continued, "I took her advise: I thought of God, took a deep breath, and walked into the dark room. To my surprise, It hasn't as scary as I thought. This small act of bravery helped me see that with a little courage, we can face our fears."

I wanted to ask him many questions, but Gandhiji had some important things to attend to. Finally, I asked," What if you were me and I were you?" He chuckled and said, I would use technology to share truth and kindness and you would remind me everyone about the power of peace.

It was a wonderful conversation. I felt warm inside. Even though Gandhiji lived long time ago, his teachings still shine brightly. I promised myself to be truthful, kind, and brave, just like him. I knew I could follow in his footsteps and help make the world a better place!