It’s fitting that the India-South Africa Freedom series is beginning here on October 2, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
There is a common bond that runs through Gandhi, India and South Africa. Indeed, South Africa is an important stop in the inspirational man’s tale.
Gandhi spent as many as 21 years of his life in South Africa and it was racial discrimination there, during the dark days of the apartheid era, that convinced him to fight against oppressive, colonial regimes and was the catalyst for his freedom struggle in India.
Talking about the influence of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi in his life while growing up, South African fielding legend Jonty Rhodes said, “Both Mandela and Gandhi were great messengers of peace who taught us important values of equality, kindness and humanity which have a place in cricket too.”
The Indian and the South African teams will be paying their tribute to Gandhi when they start the series on such a momentous day.
