How to make peace? Get angry

Today, I am going to talk about anger.

Anger.

When I was 11, seeing some of my friends
leaving the school

because their parents could not
afford textbooks

made me angry.

When I was 27, hearing the plight
of a desperate slave father

whose daughter was about
to be sold to a brothel

made me angry.

At the age of 50, lying on the street,

in a pool of blood,

along with my own son,

made me anrgy.

Dear friends, for centuries,

we were taught anger is bad.

Our parents, teachers, priests--

everybody taught us how to control
and surpress our anger.

But I ask why?

Why can't we convert our anger
for the larger good of the society?

Why can't we use our anger
to challenge and change

the evils of the world?

That I tried to do.

Friends, most of the brightest ideas
came to my mind

out of anger.

Like when I was 35 and sat
in a locked up, tiny prison.

The whole night, I was angry.

But it has given the birth
of a new idea.

But I will come to that later on.

Let me begin with the story
of how I got a name for myself.

I had been a big admirer of Mahatma Gandhi
since my childhood.

Gandhi has fought and lead
India's freedom movement.

But more importantly, he has taught us

how to treat the most vulnerable sections,

the most deprived people
with dignity and respect.

And so, when India was celebrating
Mahatma Gandhi's birth centenary

in 1969, at that time I was 15,

an idea came to my mind.

Why can't we celebrate it differently?

I knew, perhaps many of you
might be knowing,

that in India, a large number of people
are born in the lowest segment of caste.

And they are treated as untouchables.

These are the people --

forget about allowing them to go
to the temples

they cannot even go into the houses
and shops of high caste people.

So I was very impressed with the leaders
of my town

who were speaking very highly against
the caste system and untouchability

and talking of Gandhian ideals.

So inspired by that, I thought that
let us set an example

inviting these people to eat food
cooked and served

by the untouchable community.

I went to some low-caste,
so-called untouchable people,

tried to convince them.

But it was unthinkable for them.

They told me, "No, no. It's impossible.
It never happens."

I said, "Look at these leaders.
They're so great.

They're against untouchability.
They will come.

If nobody comes, we will set an example."

These people thought that I am too naive.

Finally, they were convinced.

My friends and I took our bicycles

and invited political leaders.

And I was so thrilled, rather, empowered

to see that each one of them
agreed to come.

I thought, "This is a great idea.
We can set an example.

We can bring about change in the society."

The day had come.

All these untouchables, three women
and two men,

they agreed to come.

I could recall that they had used
the best of their clothes,

they bought new utensils,

rather, they had taken bathes
hundreds of times

because it was unthinkable for them to do,

it was the moment of change.

They gathered, food was cooked.

It was 7 o'clock.

By 8 o'clock, we kept on waiting, because
it's not very uncommon

that the leaders become late,

for an hour or so.

So after 8 o'clock, we took our bicycles
and went to these leaders' homes,

just to remind them.

One of the leader's wives told me,
"Sorry, he is having some headache,

perhaps he cannot come."

I went to another leader and