At this meeting, the Mahatma was asked: 'How far would you cut India off from the Empire?' His reply was precise - 'From the Empire, entirely; from the British nation not at all, if I want India to gain and not to grieve.' He added, 'The British Empire is an Empire only because of India. The Emperorship must go and I should love to be an equal partner with Britain, sharing her joys and sorrows. But it must be a partnership on equal terms.' This remarkable statement by the Mahatma has defined the basis of our relationship with Britain.

But there's another point here. My days in Orissa and Kutch taught me a lesson that I learned once more in Tamil Nadu: if that word patriotism means anything at all, it must mean the kind of selfless dedication I saw in people like PK. The simple urge to do something for your fellow human being, for no better reason than that he is your fellow human being.