As I moved forward slowly I understood I was not merely in the midst of grieving people. This was even more than the funeral procession of india 's beloved leader . I was among people for whom walking with Bapu had a special meaning. We had walked with Bapu over the rough and smooth of India 's recent history . We could not now accept the fact that the man who had led us over many difficult paths,was never going to walk with us again . Bapu's slight figure had walked,staff in hand , over a large part of india . To walk is to make slow progress. It is to think with clarity and closely look at all that is around you ,from small insects to the horizon in the distance. Moreover,to walk was often the only way open to the average indian . It required no vechile except his own body and cost him nothing but his energy. Gandhiji took his necessity,as he took much that was commonplace and transformed it into a joyful effort.
