The Perspectives Of Hitler And Gandhi, As Told By My Teacher

Take a look at these two most famous personalities above… What comes to your mind?

The answer is obvious. And it was so, for the young me, and my classmates in high school… Or at least, we were made to think like this:

Mahatma Gandhi:

The saviour of India, the ultimate role model, the epitome of virtues, the most humble politician in history, the saint… One among the few of his times to voice against apartheid, prejudice, and materialism.

Often portrayed with a smile on the Indian currency bills, or pictured behind a cotton spinning wheel, with simple clothing.

Adolf Hitler:

His surname was often used as a prefix to describe the most vicious, corrupt, and notorious individuals. He was the devil who disguised himself as a man with a wicked tongue, which was used to draw the masses into his ideologies of destruction and racial supremacy.

Often seen in pictures as the guy with that little square moustache, giving this piercing, hateful, and nasty look.

This pretty much sums up what we knew about the two men with their polar opposite characteristics. Before we get too far here, let me introduce to you my physics tutor, let’s call him Mr. A.

Mr. A:

A young guy in his late 20s, who was one of the best teachers ever! He taught Physics, but his Math classes were interesting as hell! All the kids in my after-school tuition classes really admired him. He was witty, interactive and really intellectual. And yes, his perspectives were much logical and different from those older, more conventional, and conservative teachers we had…

Okay, now let me narrate this incident that happened in Mr. A’s class. He was busy checking our homework, or something like that. And like any other class, there were some who did their work, and others that never bothered. Mr. A wasn’t strict, but this time he really was pissed off about the lazy bums, and he raised his voice on them.

There was this most mischievous guy, whose permanent territory was the very last bench. He got scolded and playfully mentioned the teacher’s name after “Hitler”, and giggled. Mr. A heard this, and asked him why he would call him so, and the boy replied: “Well, you certainly can’t associate strict teachers with Gandhi!”

Everyone laughed, except Mr. A.

Mr. A said, “Well, if I were Hitler, you wouldn’t be sitting here, especially after not doing your homework!”

His voice sounded as if it concealed threat. The class became silent. Mr. A said, “If I were Gandhi, and you come to class without doing your homework, I would probably advice you to be mindful of your family, be hardworking, and focus on the betterment of our country. About the homework, I’d politely ask you to finish it by the next class, pat you on the shoulder, and ask you to sit down comfortably…”

“However if I were Hitler”, continued Mr. A, “I would have made you stand up, pointed a gun at your forehead, and put an end to the story, had you not done your homework!”

We were baffled! It was the first time we heard him speak in a strict tone… I guess he must have noticed our petrified eyes.

So he smiled and explained: “See kids, I’m neither trying to say that Gandhi is right nor Hitler is the bad guy, but it’s all just a matter of perspective. When I narrated the examples of each of them being the teacher, I guess most would be more attracted towards Gandhi, who is more of a gentle guide that you can look up to. But I can surely tell you, the chances of you doing your homework in his class would be very slim! Hitler, on the other hand, would come across as someone you’d kill in an instant if you could, but trust me, you’d never want to miss a homework in his class!”

Wow, this was really something unique that I’ve heard, up until that point. I thought about it on my way home from tuition that day, and even while retiring to bed at night… What Mr. A was trying to tell us; the young, ignorant, but enthusiastic future citizens, was that neither Hitler nor Gandhi were a failure, but will always be known as great leaders in their own right!

One was gentle, subtle, and a peaceful fighter who will always be loved by everyone, and the other; a condescending and violent, yet keen, determined, and skillful orator, who would discipline his crowd. And both of them had numerous followers to boast! The major difference lie in their perspectives of making things happen. While Gandhi stuck to his principles of non-violence, Hitler chose to put his ideology forward the harsh way…

My teacher instilled in us that day, the unbiased way of perceiving the world, and the significance of looking into matters through different angles. A good leadership not only relies on a kind, impeccable personality that the masses can look up to, but also a headstrong, and self-willed figurehead that can guide them to achieve their ideals.

Thank you, Mr. A, for making us understand this! You really were an amazing teacher!!!