“Partition is bad. But whatever is past is past. We have only to look to the future.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Attributed to Gandhi, 1947 post-Partition prayer-meeting remarks; no exact dated primary confirmed.
About this quote
Some damage can't be undone, and refusing to accept that only keeps the wound open. The move here is to name the loss honestly, then turn attention to what can still be shaped — the future — rather than spending every hour relitigating a past that will not budge.
When to use it
- After a bitter divorce, two parents stop rehashing blame and focus on raising their kids well.
- A company that lost a major client stops mourning and rebuilds its pipeline from scratch.
- Neighbors divided by an old feud choose to cooperate on the road repair they both need now.