We have to bring this great man out of the history books.
I concur.
Your reply to the story is worthy of many readings.

My reverence Gandhiji seem to soar every day. I never actually understood what I’ve been taught about him, but the past few years and the events that shook them have made me think. Coming from an NCERT background, this talisman is my fondest memory of my school going days. (Both in English and Hindi – “Main tumhe ek Jantar deta hoon…”)

When people refer to this talisman, many of them speak with a condescending tone. I never could accept that. And I feel Gandhiji wouldn’t too. I see here, that you have provided a very relevant write-up and at the most relevant time for the country. I believe this talisman isn’t as much as about “the poor and suffering” as it is about oneself.

What Gandhiji tells here is I believe a variation of “to do is to be”. I heard a great paraphrasing (or may be a direct quote from Gandhiji, I don’t know) of the talisman.

“Take a look at the person (spiritually, socially and economically) above you. There isn’t any man worse than you.
Take a look at the person (spiritually, socially and economically) below you. There isn’t any man better than you”

This is probably the “self-doubt” that Gandhiji is referring to – an illusion about oneself, either ways. And when this illuion (arising out of relativity) is shattered, we have a man who is truly free, purely defined by his actions. Ultimately, a man isn’t defined by what he IS, but what he does. To quote from the film JLG/JLG: “A man, nothing but a man, no better than any other, But no other better than him.”

We have to bring this great man out of the history books. Thanks for this…

“My Life is My Message”

I never understood it like that. That Gandhiji meant self-actualization. I took it only to mean that he was speaking against self-aggrandizement.