ON THE 60TH anniversary of the assassination of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, India's most illustrious son and fondly called by his people the "Father of the Nation" . To this day he remains the symbol of simplicity, devotion to the cause of national selfdetermination and non-violent struggle against colonialism. Gandhi humbled the British colonialists. He set his people free. For this, he will be remembered forever as a man of principle, a leader of tremendous charisma, and a colonial subject who was even loved and respected by his enemies. In the end, it was one of his own who assassinated him for all the wrong reasons. In 2008, we the people of the developing countries of the world, will celebrate his blessed memory. His ideas spread like wildfire across the colonised world. He started his anti-colonial struggle in this continent of ours, Africa. His struggle for national self- determination was emulated by colonised people across the globe. India today is an inspiration to other developing countries. The rising star of India in the economic sphere inspires people in other less developed countries. The example of Indian democracy also inspires people in countries that are still grappling with democratisation.
