Nelson Mandela… a name that invokes a feeling of nothing else but respect. What Mahatma Gandhi was to us, Nelson Mandela was to the South Africans… a ‘Mahatma’ who gave his entire life to the cause of anti-apartheid. Some remember him as the President of South Africa, some as the democratic socialist and some like me as a HERO.

We hear stories about many leaders, but it’s always inspiring and amazing to know that you’re living in the same world where there is an influential leader like Nelson Mandela. He is surely the hero of our times and as much as we feel the loss of him, we must keep in mind all those principles and ideals that he lived for. Coz for a man like Nelson Mandela, the true tribute will be to keep those causes alive, today and always.

From a young boy born to live royally to being a political activist, a prisoner  and finally a President, Mandela has done much for the world; probably more than what most men would do in a lifetime. He touched the lives of many and took the country from the adverse situation of apartheid to democracy. His appointment as the President was the best thing that could have happened to South Africa. He wasn’t the one who waxed and then waned at his own time. The world accepted his achievements and awarded him. The Nobel Prize that he won in 1993 is the evidence of it. Also he won around 250 awards, honorary degrees and peace prizes. Yes, this speaks a lot about the man… yet he was beyond all these credentials.

Though most of us remember him as the one who fought for the cause of anti-apartheid; his duration as the President of South Africa was also something from which you can draw inspiration. He was a liberal in most ways. Be it his negotiation for democracy or his vouching for the need of education or his socialist style, he covered it all and left no sphere untouched.

All I can say is that he truly was an iconic figure! And as the world mourns his loss, I just hope it forwards his causes to next level too.

RIP Nelson Mandela!