Who is Gandhi?
"Mahatma Gandhi, full name "Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi" was an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who became the leader of the nationalist movement against the British rule of India"
We need to be careful about what we think we know of an icon. History is an evidence-based pursuit, not an opinion-founded political football. To get closer to the truth, we need to look at evidence.
Was Gandhi racist?
But we can conclude that we are all human. Even figures as towering as Gandhi displayed a bigotry towards other human beings that is unacceptable now. For a lot of his life, Gandhi was only all too human, just like the rest of us. Answers to the question, Was Winston Churchill a racist? If so, how did his racist attitudes influence his policies in India, the Middle East, etc.? If not, what is some counter evidence to all the racist quotes that have been attributed to him? argue that racism was not uncommon in those days. The evidence of Gandhi's racism gives us cause to believe that.
The one lesson we can learn is to be careful in our judgments of history: Hopefully, future generations might be as considerate to us.
Because I guarantee, one day people will look at us too and say, "WTF!"
Please refer below article of ibTimes which highlights few allegations against him:
Gandhi 'Slept With Grandniece', Historian Tells UK Government
After his death, for all political reasons Congress party and his followers manipulated such wrong things around him and tried their best to keep his image completely clean. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to defend his status as ‘Father of Nation.'
But such incidents are linked with many other world famous figures, but their followers buried those shortcomings because of their massive contribution to humanity.
"Mahatma Gandhi, full name "Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi" was an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who became the leader of the nationalist movement against the British rule of India"
We need to be careful about what we think we know of an icon. History is an evidence-based pursuit, not an opinion-founded political football. To get closer to the truth, we need to look at evidence.
Was Gandhi racist?
By contemporary standards, the answer is a resounding "yes" - and quite probably a "no" too. Like all people, Gandhi was not a god. He was just a man and as human as any of us. But he did say things that were bigoted against other races.
Timelines
Timelines
South Africa
In his younger days, Gandhi spent 21 years practicing as a lawyer in South Africa. Many of his statements then, although probably normal at the time, seem extremely bigoted and shocking now.
The Natal Indian Congress was formed on August 22, 1894 with the primary objective declared to be to: "To promote concord and harmony among the Indians and Europeans in the Colony." No mention of Africans or other Asians.
Kaffirs
In 1896, for example, he stated:
In his younger days, Gandhi spent 21 years practicing as a lawyer in South Africa. Many of his statements then, although probably normal at the time, seem extremely bigoted and shocking now.
The Natal Indian Congress was formed on August 22, 1894 with the primary objective declared to be to: "To promote concord and harmony among the Indians and Europeans in the Colony." No mention of Africans or other Asians.
Kaffirs
In 1896, for example, he stated:
"Ours is one continued struggle against degradation sought to be inflicted upon us by the European, who desire to degrade us to the level of the raw Kaffir*, whose occupation is hunting and whose sole ambition is to collect a certain number of cattle to buy a wife with, and then pass his life in indolence and nakedness."
In a letter later published in The Indian Opinion, Gandhi said, "Why, of all places in Johannesburg, the Indian location should be chosen for dumping down all kaffirs of the town, passes my comprehension. Of course, under my suggestion, the Town Council must withdraw the Kaffirs from the Location. About this mixing of the Kaffirs with the Indians I must confess I feel most strongly. I think it is very unfair to the Indian population, and it is an undue tax on even the proverbial patience of my countrymen." As it turned out, other Indians had sub-letted the property to black Africans. Purity of race
"We believe as much in the purity of race as we think they do, only we believe that they would best serve these interests, which are as dear to us as to them, by advocating the purity of all races, and not one alone. We believe also that the white race of South Africa should be the predominating race." This seems to be arguing for racial purity in addition to white supremacy. If Hitler or Churchill made the same statement, would this not make you feel uncomfortable?
Raising a real army
There are many other similar statements made by Gandhi in this period. According to one author, G.B. Singh, Gandhi raised an Indian army regiment to fight against the black Zulu. This conflicts with the modern image of Gandhi as an entirely non-violent person.
Caste as a basis for racism?
Singh's argument is that Gandhi's ideology of caste made it simple for him to automatically relegate black Africans to the role of dalit, hence his discomfiture at being classified as one. Personally, I think more evidence is probably needed, but it's not impossible.
The role of history proving his malevolent acts?
As Joe Geronimo Martinez said, it's harsh to judge people by what they said long ago and unfair, even if they clearly said things uncomfortable by our standards. Gandhi's philosophy was still in development. It would be hard to argue that equality for all people, even dalits and black Africans, is not a part of it (though some do).
"We believe as much in the purity of race as we think they do, only we believe that they would best serve these interests, which are as dear to us as to them, by advocating the purity of all races, and not one alone. We believe also that the white race of South Africa should be the predominating race." This seems to be arguing for racial purity in addition to white supremacy. If Hitler or Churchill made the same statement, would this not make you feel uncomfortable?
Raising a real army
There are many other similar statements made by Gandhi in this period. According to one author, G.B. Singh, Gandhi raised an Indian army regiment to fight against the black Zulu. This conflicts with the modern image of Gandhi as an entirely non-violent person.
Caste as a basis for racism?
Singh's argument is that Gandhi's ideology of caste made it simple for him to automatically relegate black Africans to the role of dalit, hence his discomfiture at being classified as one. Personally, I think more evidence is probably needed, but it's not impossible.
The role of history proving his malevolent acts?
As Joe Geronimo Martinez said, it's harsh to judge people by what they said long ago and unfair, even if they clearly said things uncomfortable by our standards. Gandhi's philosophy was still in development. It would be hard to argue that equality for all people, even dalits and black Africans, is not a part of it (though some do).
But we can conclude that we are all human. Even figures as towering as Gandhi displayed a bigotry towards other human beings that is unacceptable now. For a lot of his life, Gandhi was only all too human, just like the rest of us. Answers to the question, Was Winston Churchill a racist? If so, how did his racist attitudes influence his policies in India, the Middle East, etc.? If not, what is some counter evidence to all the racist quotes that have been attributed to him? argue that racism was not uncommon in those days. The evidence of Gandhi's racism gives us cause to believe that.
The one lesson we can learn is to be careful in our judgments of history: Hopefully, future generations might be as considerate to us.
Because I guarantee, one day people will look at us too and say, "WTF!"
Please refer below article of ibTimes which highlights few allegations against him:
Gandhi 'Slept With Grandniece', Historian Tells UK Government
After his death, for all political reasons Congress party and his followers manipulated such wrong things around him and tried their best to keep his image completely clean. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to defend his status as ‘Father of Nation.'
But such incidents are linked with many other world famous figures, but their followers buried those shortcomings because of their massive contribution to humanity.
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