Planting the Tree of the Nation

PLANTING THE TREE OF THE NATION The two great virtues which are indispensable in the struggle are patience and fortitude. The former U.S. President, John F. Kennedy, referring to Lyautey, once remarked: ‘I once asked my gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for a hundred years. I replied, “In that case there is no time to lose, plant it in the afternoon ...”’ (Address at the University of California, Berkeley, California, 23rd March, 1962) T he growth and development of a nation is likewise a lengthy af­fair, and there has to be a tremendous input at both the individual and national levels before it finally bursts into blossom and finds the posi­tion of honour and glory that it merits in world affairs. But whenever any such proposition is put to the people, they are quick to point out that no one can wait