• Home
• /
• Letters

Nelson Mandela: The man who said no to revenge

He upheld a basic value and principle: That all people are created equal and should be treated so. Above all, he bore no malice towards those who had imprisoned him or disagreed with him. After he was released from prison, he laboured hard to unite various factions in South Africa. He did not let the past bitterness impact the future.

In 2000 when I was on a visit to Cape Town, a cab driver told me, “I am livid with the way we coloured folks were treated in the past. But Grandfather Madiba tells us, no revenge. So, we try to make things work.

I was impressed then, with the respect that ordinary people in the street had for Mandela. He was a highly principled leader, with strong moral values. He contributed immensely to the thought process in the world. Respected and revered universally, he was a true Gandhian in adopting non-violence in his freedom struggle and in his philosophy of making all factions work towards building a new society. The world will not easily see another principled and selfless leader like him.

Rajendra K. Aneja, Dubai

• A light has gone out. Nelson Mandela, who gave courage to millions to live and overcome all circumstances and pain, was a true Gandhian who will continue to inspire future generations. A man of great leadership, he represented the human spirit, courage, sacrifice and forgiveness and will remain in our memories.

Mital Zala, Dubai

• We have lost one of the greatest leaders. Nelson Mandela was a shining light and a pillar of strength. His fight for democracy and the end of discrimination in South Africa will always be remembered. His message of reconciliation ,not vengeance, inspired the world after he negotiated a peaceful end to segregation and urged forgiveness for the white government that had imprisoned him. Despite rare public appearances, he held a special place in the consciousness of the nation and the world. We’ve lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings on the earth. Madiba,you will be missed.

Neeraja, by email

• A beloved figure around the world, a Nobel laureate and the first black president in South Africa, Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to serving humanity. We would like to give our thanks for his life and his sacrifices for freedom, and express our sadness due to this enormous loss to the world.

Goodbye to a real fighter for freedom and one of the most resilient men ever! It’s really a sad day for the world.

Samaoen Osman, Cape Town

• The world has lost an apostle of peace and non-violence who redefined humankind. We are blessed to have seen the life of Nelson Mandela, who was a true leader of South Africa embodying Mahatma Gandhi’s values and ideals. My heartfelt condolences to Nelson Mandela’s family and the people of South Africa. Mandela spent 27 years in prison after being convicted of treason by the white minority government but forged a peaceful end to white rule by negotiating with his captors after his release in 1990.

He led the African National Congress, a banned liberation movement for a long time, to a resounding electoral victory in 1994, the first fully democratic election in the country’s history. India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1990, acknowledging a true leader of the masses after Gandhi.

Ramakant Dixit, Dubai