Short Stories For Everyone
Inspiring incidents from Gandhiji's Life: Selected from the book Everyone's Gandhi
(For the children in the age group of 10 to 15 years)

Chapter 33: Customs Are Out of Fashion

Gandhi was not one of those people who blindly followed meaningless customs and traditions. This little anecdote clearly explains this statement.
Gandhiji visited Bihar mainly to ease the tension that had arisen due to communal violence. He would go from one village to another to listen to the troubles of the victims. He was accompanied by Manuben. She took care of him and side by side she would get to learn a lot from him. Throughout the day there would be a steady stream of visitors, eager to meet Bapu.
One afternoon, at about 3 p.m. a newly-married couple came to seek Gandhi's blessings. Mehboob, Dr Sayyid Mehmood's son and his bride were the newly weds. The bride touched Gandhiji's feet and gave him Rs. 100. Manu, who had been watching all the proceedings, could not control herself from asking Gandhi, "Bapuji, this is a strange custom. Over here the bride is giving money whereas according to the known and accepted tradition it is the bride who receives gifts from the elders after she greets them."
To this he said, "Our customs and traditions are a load of rubbish. After all, it is the parents who raise their son, educate him and get him married, now it is his turn to give them."