(CNN) I awoke Monday thinking of Mahatma Gandhi -- it was his 148th birthday.

Gandhi, one of the greatest proponents of tolerance and peace, led India to independence from the British without ever picking up a gun. In my homeland, Gandhi's day of birth is a national holiday, and across the world it is a day of commemoration -- a time reserved to celebrate the principles Gandhi espoused, especially his steadfast commitment to nonviolence.

But the headlines Monday only brought horror.

I awoke also to the news of the massacre in Las Vegas , where a gunman's rampage killed 58 innocent people and injured hundreds more.

The bloodshed cast a pall on ceremonies at the United Nations, where the global body's leadership reaffirmed their belief in the power of Gandhi's teachings, that the greatest weapon of all is nonviolent action.

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