This month, the world is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein@aps@s theory of ‘General Relativity’, set down in a series of lectures at Berlin in late 1915, which shaped our concepts of space, time and gravity, and spurred generations of scientists to contemplate new ideas about the universe.

Einstein focused his work in the field of science to find truth and reality in the physical world. Relativity provided a new perspective that is closer to reality. Truth for Mahatma Gandhi, however, was not in the field of science but in the reality of human values, morals and behaviour. The devotion and adherence to truth in their respective fields suggests a natural affinity between the two personalities.

Einstein, though a man of science, was gifted with a spiritual bent of mind. The devastation of the two world wars made him a fighter for peace and he admired the non-violent technique of Mahatma Gandhi to achieve political objectives. He considered Gandhi as the only truly great political figure of that time.  Einstein found in Mahatma Gandhi a symbol worthy of admiration and emulation. He recognised the wider impact that it will have on the future of humanity.

In a letter he wrote clearly: "I do not miss any opportunity to make people take cognizance of the great possibilities offered by the method of Gandhi who gives moral, intellectual and independent strength to the minority of people."