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Nelson Mandela,* former President, Republic of South Africa

राष्ट्राध्यक्ष झाल्यानंतर  मी आपल्या सुरक्षा यंत्रणेतील अत्यंत जवळचे असलेल्या माझ्या काही निवडक सहका-यांबरोबर शहरात फिरायला गेलो होतो. फिरून फिरून भूक लागल्यानंतर दुपारचे जेवण घेण्यासाठी आम्ही एका सामान्य रेस्टॉरंट मध्ये गेलो आणि सर्वांनी जेवणाची ऑर्डर दिली.  काही वेळातच तेथील वेटर आम्ही सांगितलेल्या ऑर्डरप्रमाणे जेवण घेऊन आला. तेवढ्यात माझे लक्ष माझ्या टेबलासमोर बसलेल्या एक व्यक्तीकडे गेले. ज्याने आमच्या अगोदर जेवणासाठी ऑर्डर दिली होती आणि तो वाट पाहत होता. मी माझ्या एका सुरक्षा सैनिकाला सांगून त्यालाही आमच्याबरोबर जेवायला बोलाविले. तेवढ्यात त्याचेही जेवण आले आणि तो जेवण घेऊन माझ्याशेजारी येऊन बसला आणि लगेच खायला सुरुवात केली. जेवत असताना त्याचे हात सतत थरथरत होते. तरीही त्याने पटापट जेवण केले आणि आमचे जेवण संपायच्या आत तो तिथून निघून गेला.
तो गेल्यानंतर माझा सहकारी मला म्हणाला, "तुम्ही पाहिलंत का त्याला? तो बराच आजारी वाटत होता. त्याच्या हातापायात मुळीच त्राण नव्हते. जेवताना त्याचे हात सतत थरथरत होते."
मी म्हणालो, "नाही ते तसे नाही. आंदोलन काळात मी जेव्हा तुरुंगात होतो तेव्हा मला ज्या बरकीत ठेवले होते तिथे हा सुरक्षा रक्षक होता. माझा छळ करणे हे त्याच्यासाठी नित्याचीच बाब होती. मी काकुळतीला येऊन जेव्हा पाणी मागायचो तेव्हा हा यायचा आणि छद्मीपणे हसत माझ्या तोंडावर लघवी करून जायचा. आता राष्ट्राध्यक्ष झाल्यावर मी ही त्याला बोलावून त्याच्याबरोबर तसाच व्यवहार करतो की काय? या भीतीने तो थरथर कापत होता.
मला संधी होती पण ते माझ्या नैतिकेत बसत नाही.  सूड आणि द्वेषाची भावना राष्ट्राला विनाशाकडे घेऊन जाते तर सहनशीलता राष्ट्रउभारणीला पोषक ठरते.
                    - नेल्सन मंडेला,अध्यक्ष, दक्षिण आफ्रिका
अनुवाद:- © के. राहुल 9096242452.

After I became President, I one  day took some members of my close protection to stroll with me in the city & have lunch at one of its restaurants. We sat in one of the downtown restaurants and all of us asked for some food.
After a while, the waiter brought us our requests. I noticed that there was someone sitting in front of my table, waiting for food. I told one of the soldiers to ask him to join us with his food. The soldier went and asked the man so. The man brought up his food and sat by my side and began to eat.

His hands were trembling constantly, until everyone had finished their food and the man went.

The soldier said to me: the man was apparently quite sick. His hands trembled as he ate !!

"No, not at all," replied Mandela. "This man was the guard of the prison where I was jailed. Often, after the torture I was subjected to, I used to scream and ask for a little water. This very man used to come every time and urinate on my head instead"...;

So I found him scared, trembling, expecting me to reciprocate now, at least in the same way,  either by torturing him or imprisoning him as I am now the President.

But that is not part of my ethics.

The mentality of *retaliation destroys* states, while that of *tolerance builds* nations.
-Nelson Mandela, President, South Africa.

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