Global Leaders |
United States of America (USA)
Europe United Kingdom (UK) Pakistan |
UNITED KINGDOM  |
His Majesty the King
Irreparable loss
The Queen and I are deeply shocked by the death of Mr. Gandhi. Will you please convey to the people of India our sincere sympathy in the irreparable loss which they, and indeed mankind, have suffered. |
UNITED KINGDOM  |
Lord Mountbatten
Life of love and truth
Gandhiji's death is truly a loss to mankind which sorely needs the living light of those ideals of love and tolerance for which he strove and died. In her hour of deep sorrow India is proud to have given to the world a man of his imperishable renown and is confident that his example will be a source of inspiration and strength in the fulfilment of her destiny...
India, indeed the world, will not see the like of him again, perhaps, for centuries.
Our one consolation in this hour of unparalleled grief is that his life of truth, tolerance and love towards his fellows may inspire our troubled world to save itself by following his noble example. |
UNITED KINGDOM |
Countess Mountbatten
An international tragedy
The death of Mahatma Gandhi is not only a national disaster, but an international tragedy. My heart is so full that I am unable to find words. Gandhiji's death is world loss. He was a great leader. The utmost we can do now is to try and carry on and live up to the principles which Gandhiji taught us. |
UNITED KINGDOM |
George Bernard Shaw
Dangerous to be good
It shows how dangerous it is to be too good. |
EUROPE |
Belgium
Frans Van Cauwelaer, President of the Belgian Chamber of Deputies
His death has plunged in a personal mourning all men who have not ceased to believe in the power of the spirit and the radiance of godliness. Let this tragic death continue to serve his noble dream of human fraternity. |
EUROPE  |
Czechoslovakia
Dr. Edward Benes
The representative of your independence and freedom. |
EUROPE  |
France
A Resolution of the Council of Republic of France
May the memory of the Apostle of India inspire men of all races in their march towards liberty and justice and may the idea of mutual understanding prevail over violence and fatalism. |
EUROPE  |
Germany
Dr. Kurt Schumacher, GSD Leader
Mr. Gandhi will on with us as an example of humanity... his influence will be stronger than ever before... |
EUROPE |
Italy
His Holiness Pope Pius XII, Vatican City
The great man was the spiritual leader of millions of Indians and had always struggled for peace. |
EUROPE  |
Switzerland
President
Mahatma Gandhi exceptionally personified the Prince of Peace whose loss affects all humanity. |
USA  |
Albert Einstein
Everyone concerned in the better future of mankind must be deeply moved by the tragic death of Mahatma Gandhi. He died as the victim of his own principles, the principle of nonviolence. He died because in time of disorder and general irritation in his country, he refused armed protection for himself. It was his unshakable belief that the use of force is an evil in itself, that therefore it must be avoided by those who are striving for supreme justice to his belief. With his belief in his heart and mind, he has led a great nation on to its liberation. He has demonstrated that a powerful human following can be assembled no only through the cunning game of the usual political manoeuvres and trickeries but through the cogent example of morally superior conduct of life.
The admiration for Mahatma Gandhi in all countries of the world rests on recognition, mostly sub-conscious, recognition of the fact that in our time of utter moral decadence, he was the only statesman to stand for a higher level of human relationship in political sphere. This level we must, with all our forces, attempt to reach. We must learn the difficult lesson that an endurable future of humanity will be possible only if, also in international relations, decisions are based on law and justice and not on self-righteous power, as they have been upto now. |
USA  |
President Truman
Gandhi was great Indian nationalist, but at the same time he was a leader of international stature. His teachings and actions have left a deep impression on millions of people. As a teacher and leader, his influence made itself felt not only in India, but everywhere in the world and his death brings great sorrow to all peace loving people. Another giant among men has fallen in the cause of brotherhood and peace. I know that the people of Asia will be inspired by his tragic death to strive with increased determination to achieve the goals of cooperation and mutual trust for which the Mahatma has now given his life. |
USA  |
Eleanor Roosevelt
There is no doubt Gandhi had great spiritual qualities and the one only hope, even though he is not with his people, is that his influence had much of value to give to the rest of the world and one hopes the very violence of his death will turn people away from violence. |
USA  |
General Dogulas MacArthur, C-in-C, Allied forces in Japan
Nothing more revolting has occurred in history of modern world than the senseless assassination of this venerable man. That he should die by violence is one of those bitter anachronisms that seems to refute all logic.
In the evolution of civilization, if it is to survive, all men can not fail eventually to adopt his belief that the process of mass application of force to resolve contentious issues is fundamentally not only wrong but contains within itself the germs of self-destruction.
Gandhiji, however, was one of those prophets who lived far ahead of the times. |
PAKISTAN  |
Khan Abdul Gafar Khan
The only ray of light
He was the only ray of light to help us through these darkest days. |
PAKISTAN  |
M. A. Jinnah
A noble death
I associate myself with the tributes that have been paid to this great man.
He died in the discharge of the duty in which he believed. His tragic death, however much we may deplore it and however much we may condemn the murderer, was a noble death, for he died in the discharge of his duty. |
PAKISTAN  |
Liaquat Ali Khan
Memorable efforts for Communal Harmony
His removal from the stage of Indian politics at this juncture is an irreparable loss.
His great effort for the restoration of communal harmony will be remembered with gratitude by all lovers of peace and goodwill. We earnestly hope that his efforts for communal harmony - which he had foremost in his heart just before his tragic death - will be crowned with success. |
