The Pious Pedestal..

Just read this article about the new movie - Gandhi My Father ( See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/03/wghandi103.xml) . I haven't seen the movie yet but the Telegraph article mentions that the film, directed by the British-based Indian writer-director Feroz Abbas Khan, explores the conflict between Gandhi’s loyalty to his own strict principles and his wayward son, Harilal, whom he ultimately disowned. Apparently the movie has caused quite an uproar amongst many followers of Gandhi who feel that the movie is disrespectful and have been calling for a ban on the film. Why I ask? Why do people put their heroes and leaders on a pedestal wherein they are untouched by any human fallacies? Life is not pure black or white nor are the people - not even the greatest ones. Even if Gandhi had a turbulent relationship with his - it does not make him any less of a great thinker or leader than he was. What it shows is perhaps that nobody is perfect and that everybody has their own struggles and that there a fine balance which great leaders try to achieve in their public and personal lives.