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Gandhi #1
Gandhi. De jonge jaren. Biografie
The first volume of a magisterial biography: the definitive portrait of the life and work of one of the most abidingly influential--and controversial--men in modern history.
Here is a revelatory work of biography that takes us from Gandhi's birth in 1869 through his upbringing in Gujarat, his 2 years as a student in London, and his 2 decades as a lawyer and community organizer in South Africa. Ramachandra Guha has uncovered a myriad of previously untapped documents, including: private papers of Gandhi's contemporaries and co-workers; contemporary newspapers and court documents; the writings of Gandhi's children; secret files kept by British Empire functionaries. Using this wealth of material in a brilliantly nuanced narrative, Guha describes the social, political and personal worlds in which Gandhi began his journey to become the modern era's most important and influential political actor. And Guha makes clear that Gandhi's work in South Africa--far from being a mere prelude to his accomplishments in India--was profoundly influential on his evolution as a political thinker, social reformer and beloved leader.
Here is a revelatory work of biography that takes us from Gandhi's birth in 1869 through his upbringing in Gujarat, his 2 years as a student in London, and his 2 decades as a lawyer and community organizer in South Africa. Ramachandra Guha has uncovered a myriad of previously untapped documents, including: private papers of Gandhi's contemporaries and co-workers; contemporary newspapers and court documents; the writings of Gandhi's children; secret files kept by British Empire functionaries. Using this wealth of material in a brilliantly nuanced narrative, Guha describes the social, political and personal worlds in which Gandhi began his journey to become the modern era's most important and influential political actor. And Guha makes clear that Gandhi's work in South Africa--far from being a mere prelude to his accomplishments in India--was profoundly influential on his evolution as a political thinker, social reformer and beloved leader.
720 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
411 people are currently reading
5094 people want to read
About the author
Ramachandra Guha
111 books1,610 followersRamachandra Guha was born in Dehradun in 1958, and educated in Delhi and Calcutta. He has taught at the University of Oslo, Stanford, and Yale, and at the Indian Institute of Science. He has been a Fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and also served as the Indo-American Community Chair Visiting Professor at the University of California at Berkeley.
After a peripatetic academic career, with five jobs in ten years on three continents, Guha settled down to become a full-time writer based in Bangalore. His books cover a wide range of themes, including a global history of environmentalism, a biography of an anthropologist-activist, a social history of Indian cricket, and a social history of Himalayan peasants.
Guha’s books and essays have been translated into more than twenty languages. The prizes they have won include the U.K. Cricket Society’s Literary Award and the Leopold-Hidy Prize of the American Society of Environmental History.
After a peripatetic academic career, with five jobs in ten years on three continents, Guha settled down to become a full-time writer based in Bangalore. His books cover a wide range of themes, including a global history of environmentalism, a biography of an anthropologist-activist, a social history of Indian cricket, and a social history of Himalayan peasants.
Guha’s books and essays have been translated into more than twenty languages. The prizes they have won include the U.K. Cricket Society’s Literary Award and the Leopold-Hidy Prize of the American Society of Environmental History.
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October 24, 2021
“Of all modern politicians and statesmen, only Gandhi is an authentically global figure…What accounts for Gandhi’s unique status? He worked in three different countries (and continents): Britain, South Africa and India. Anti-colonial agitator, social reformer, religious thinker and prophet, he brought to the most violent of centuries a form of protest that was based on non-violence. In between political campaigns he experimented with the abolition of untouchability and the revival of handicrafts. A devout Hindu himself, he had a strong interest in other religious traditions. His warnings about individual greed and the amorality of modern technology, seemingly reactionary at the time, have come back into fashion as a result of the environmental debate…”
- Ramachandra Guha, Gandhi Before India
As Ramachandra Guha points out in the prologue of Gandhi Before India, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is one of the most internationally famous figures in history, with name-recognition that is off the charts. He was a transformational figure, not just because he spearheaded a movement freeing India from the British Empire, but that he did so in ways no one thought possible. Instead of leading troops into battle, he marshaled a nonviolent campaign employing numerous passive resistance techniques, including massed marches and demonstrations, fasts, and submission to imprisonment. By the end of his remarkable life, Gandhi’s actions had inspired civil rights groups around the world. His name has become synonymous with virtue.
Despite Gandhi’s ubiquity, I’ll admit that most of what I know about him comes from simple cultural osmosis (and from watching Richard Attenborough’s Academy Award-winning film). While the general arc of his life and works was clear, I was short on the details, the complexities, and the controversies. I wanted a fuller understanding.
That is why I picked up this book.
Choosing a biography of one of the most celebrated humans of all time at first seemed a daunting challenge. There are more than a few books on this subject, after all. Nevertheless, the task turned out to be much simpler than expected. Everywhere I turned, Guha’s name kept popping up. He is a noted historian, professor, author, and one of the dying breed known as public intellectuals. Jumping into this, I felt pretty confident I’d be in good hands.
Gandhi Before India is the first of two volumes that Guha wrote on Gandhi’s life. As the title implies, it covers the years leading up to his eventual head-to-head clash with Great Britain. It starts with Gandhi’s birth, briskly covers his early years – including his training as a lawyer in London – and follows him to South Africa, where Gandhi intended to do some work for a client before returning to India. Instead, Gandhi ended up spending the better part of two decades there, fighting for the rights of the Indian diaspora against racist colonial governments.
Guha suggests that most of Gandhi’s biographers have treated his time in South Africa as simply a preparatory episode in which he began to refine the tactics that he’d later put to better use. In Gandhi Before India, Guha argues that Gandhi’s earlier accomplishments are worthy of celebration in their own right. To that end, Guha gives this period the epic treatment he thinks it deserves.
In a sense, Guha is telling Gandhi’s origin story, a tale of how an Indian lawyer – western trained, western dressed, still considering himself a loyal subject to the crown – evolved into the “Mahatma,” a man capable of rousing passionate devotion across racial and religious lines, and who rejected the trappings of modernity that he had earlier embraced.
Guha’s approach is systematic, comprehensive, and sometimes exhausting. There is a huge trove of information out there, and Guha seems to have consumed all of it (while turning up more than a few new documents himself). He utilizes the 5,000 pages of the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, the letters, papers, and manuscripts of Gandhi’s friends and associates, and the many contemporary news stories written about – and sometimes by – him. The level of detail sometimes gets a bit granular – I probably didn’t need to know Gandhi’s childhood grades – but it is a testament to the years of work Guha put into this. I appreciated Guha’s attempts at completeness. More than that, I appreciated the way he dealt with the historical record. When there is conflicting testimony, Guha points it out. When there are gaps in the narrative, Guha jumps in to explain that evidence is missing. As a newcomer, I found this extremely helpful.
One of the chief ways I judge biographies is by asking myself the following question: Upon finishing the book, would I have some idea of what it would have been like to stand in the same room as this person? The answer, here, is yes. Guha does a remarkable job of presenting a fully realized portrait of Gandhi’s character, complete with his flaws and occasional contradictions. Being able to read his personal correspondence – which Guha often excerpts and annotates – is especially enlightening. Guha is – unsurprisingly – an unabashed admirer of Gandhi, but is willing to point out mistakes. For instance, Gandhi worked mainly for the Indians of South Africa, and generally ignored the plight of Africans. There were also occasions in which Gandhi said things implying a hierarchy of civilizations that placed Africans near the bottom. Though Gandhi’s views changed for the better, it is still a sensitive topic to this day.
Overall, Guha shows Gandhi as a patient and able tactician, willing to take an incremental approach and to seek out compromises, all in the belief that smaller victories would accumulate over time. Gandhi’s approach, of course, meant that he had opponents coming for him in every direction. The majority of white South Africans reflexively opposed him, while many in the Indian community objected to his inclination towards conciliation. It is telling that he was almost killed by both sides.
While Gandhi the public figure takes up most of the stage, Guha also attempts to limn the private man. Unsurprisingly for a world-historical figure, Gandhi was not the best husband and father. Changing the trajectory of history, it turns out, takes quite a bit of time. Guha also finds space to discuss Gandhi’s vegetarianism and celibacy, which became two very prominent aspects of his nature.
At 550 pages of text, Gandhi Before India is a pretty big book. Still, it is not nearly enough room to capture both Gandhi and the context of his times. To make this work, Guha sticks pretty close to the central figure, to the detriment of the supporting cast. Though Gandhi had a wide and diverse array of allies – and their contributions are duly noted – they never come alive as people in the same way as Gandhi does.
In terms of writing, Guha’s prose is clear, and his structuring of the material makes for incredible ease of access. That said, Gandhi Before India lacked an ephemeral something that I cannot really explain, other than to say that I expected to get chills, but did not. There is never a soaring or memorable passage, or a carefully-constructed scene that really puts you into the action. Rather, I always felt a bit at a distance, which is surprising, given the inherent drama in these pages.
At the end of the day, though, Gandhi’s story really stands on its own, and does not require the sounding of trumpets and the ringing of bells to be effective. Gandhi’s life is not simply inspiring, it is inspiring in a truly unique and transcendent way. We are conditioned to see courage in aggressive action, and to judge leadership by an individual’s wielding of enormous power. In Gandhi, by contrast, we are given the gutsy logic of suffering an injustice in order to point out the injustice; we see the massive influence that can be achieved by collective action; and we witness the soaring magnificence of the humble.
- Ramachandra Guha, Gandhi Before India
As Ramachandra Guha points out in the prologue of Gandhi Before India, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is one of the most internationally famous figures in history, with name-recognition that is off the charts. He was a transformational figure, not just because he spearheaded a movement freeing India from the British Empire, but that he did so in ways no one thought possible. Instead of leading troops into battle, he marshaled a nonviolent campaign employing numerous passive resistance techniques, including massed marches and demonstrations, fasts, and submission to imprisonment. By the end of his remarkable life, Gandhi’s actions had inspired civil rights groups around the world. His name has become synonymous with virtue.
Despite Gandhi’s ubiquity, I’ll admit that most of what I know about him comes from simple cultural osmosis (and from watching Richard Attenborough’s Academy Award-winning film). While the general arc of his life and works was clear, I was short on the details, the complexities, and the controversies. I wanted a fuller understanding.
That is why I picked up this book.
Choosing a biography of one of the most celebrated humans of all time at first seemed a daunting challenge. There are more than a few books on this subject, after all. Nevertheless, the task turned out to be much simpler than expected. Everywhere I turned, Guha’s name kept popping up. He is a noted historian, professor, author, and one of the dying breed known as public intellectuals. Jumping into this, I felt pretty confident I’d be in good hands.
Gandhi Before India is the first of two volumes that Guha wrote on Gandhi’s life. As the title implies, it covers the years leading up to his eventual head-to-head clash with Great Britain. It starts with Gandhi’s birth, briskly covers his early years – including his training as a lawyer in London – and follows him to South Africa, where Gandhi intended to do some work for a client before returning to India. Instead, Gandhi ended up spending the better part of two decades there, fighting for the rights of the Indian diaspora against racist colonial governments.
Guha suggests that most of Gandhi’s biographers have treated his time in South Africa as simply a preparatory episode in which he began to refine the tactics that he’d later put to better use. In Gandhi Before India, Guha argues that Gandhi’s earlier accomplishments are worthy of celebration in their own right. To that end, Guha gives this period the epic treatment he thinks it deserves.
In a sense, Guha is telling Gandhi’s origin story, a tale of how an Indian lawyer – western trained, western dressed, still considering himself a loyal subject to the crown – evolved into the “Mahatma,” a man capable of rousing passionate devotion across racial and religious lines, and who rejected the trappings of modernity that he had earlier embraced.
Guha’s approach is systematic, comprehensive, and sometimes exhausting. There is a huge trove of information out there, and Guha seems to have consumed all of it (while turning up more than a few new documents himself). He utilizes the 5,000 pages of the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, the letters, papers, and manuscripts of Gandhi’s friends and associates, and the many contemporary news stories written about – and sometimes by – him. The level of detail sometimes gets a bit granular – I probably didn’t need to know Gandhi’s childhood grades – but it is a testament to the years of work Guha put into this. I appreciated Guha’s attempts at completeness. More than that, I appreciated the way he dealt with the historical record. When there is conflicting testimony, Guha points it out. When there are gaps in the narrative, Guha jumps in to explain that evidence is missing. As a newcomer, I found this extremely helpful.
One of the chief ways I judge biographies is by asking myself the following question: Upon finishing the book, would I have some idea of what it would have been like to stand in the same room as this person? The answer, here, is yes. Guha does a remarkable job of presenting a fully realized portrait of Gandhi’s character, complete with his flaws and occasional contradictions. Being able to read his personal correspondence – which Guha often excerpts and annotates – is especially enlightening. Guha is – unsurprisingly – an unabashed admirer of Gandhi, but is willing to point out mistakes. For instance, Gandhi worked mainly for the Indians of South Africa, and generally ignored the plight of Africans. There were also occasions in which Gandhi said things implying a hierarchy of civilizations that placed Africans near the bottom. Though Gandhi’s views changed for the better, it is still a sensitive topic to this day.
Overall, Guha shows Gandhi as a patient and able tactician, willing to take an incremental approach and to seek out compromises, all in the belief that smaller victories would accumulate over time. Gandhi’s approach, of course, meant that he had opponents coming for him in every direction. The majority of white South Africans reflexively opposed him, while many in the Indian community objected to his inclination towards conciliation. It is telling that he was almost killed by both sides.
While Gandhi the public figure takes up most of the stage, Guha also attempts to limn the private man. Unsurprisingly for a world-historical figure, Gandhi was not the best husband and father. Changing the trajectory of history, it turns out, takes quite a bit of time. Guha also finds space to discuss Gandhi’s vegetarianism and celibacy, which became two very prominent aspects of his nature.
At 550 pages of text, Gandhi Before India is a pretty big book. Still, it is not nearly enough room to capture both Gandhi and the context of his times. To make this work, Guha sticks pretty close to the central figure, to the detriment of the supporting cast. Though Gandhi had a wide and diverse array of allies – and their contributions are duly noted – they never come alive as people in the same way as Gandhi does.
In terms of writing, Guha’s prose is clear, and his structuring of the material makes for incredible ease of access. That said, Gandhi Before India lacked an ephemeral something that I cannot really explain, other than to say that I expected to get chills, but did not. There is never a soaring or memorable passage, or a carefully-constructed scene that really puts you into the action. Rather, I always felt a bit at a distance, which is surprising, given the inherent drama in these pages.
At the end of the day, though, Gandhi’s story really stands on its own, and does not require the sounding of trumpets and the ringing of bells to be effective. Gandhi’s life is not simply inspiring, it is inspiring in a truly unique and transcendent way. We are conditioned to see courage in aggressive action, and to judge leadership by an individual’s wielding of enormous power. In Gandhi, by contrast, we are given the gutsy logic of suffering an injustice in order to point out the injustice; we see the massive influence that can be achieved by collective action; and we witness the soaring magnificence of the humble.
December 23, 2019
Ramachandra Guha is probably the most renowned and comprehensive biographer of Mahatma Gandhi. This is the first of the three books of the history of India influenced by Gandhiji written by him. But this talks about his life before he came back to India in 1915 after a successful practical application of Satyagraha in South Africa. This is less of history of India and more of how Gandhi became what India needed in a leader to lead it to independence in the most difficult and tiring of circumstances. This book is more about his thinking process than mere facts which we find in an usual history textbook. The shaping of the morals, principles and practices of Mahatma Gandhi takes the centre stage in this biography by the most celebrated biographer of his.
March 10, 2019
I suppose I belong to the kind of audience to which Ramachandra Guha refers at the beginning of his book – people whose image of Gandhi is more or less limited to some basic knowledge, partially influenced by his depiction in the Ben Kingsley movie. Many have virtually no idea that Gandhi spent a huge part of his formative years in South Africa, and even less insights about the influence this experience had on shaping him as Mahatma.
Ramachandra Guha’s book turned out to be an engrossing and eye-opening revelation for me. Through his extensive factual research and intense documentation from a wealth of documents, such as newspapers and court documents of that age, writings of his children, correspondence with friends and officials, private papers of his contemporaries and co-workers, Guha has crafted a well written and engrossing account that reveals much of his subject's life that has been overlooked not only by dilettantes such as myself, but even by people with much better knowledge of Gandhi and India. Gandhi Before India covers the first 45 years of his life, beginning with his birth in 1869, his upbringing in a rather well-off family, his early marriage and the carnal struggles he faced, the early death of his father that oddly enough enabled him to achieve much of what his overbearing personality prohibited for his children, his studies in Britain, his passionate involvement with the London Vegetarian Society, his unimpressive path as a lawyer in his homeland and the formative years that followed after his arrival in South Africa where his ideas, beliefs and deepest political instincts were subsequently shaped by his experiences and personal interactions there, forging his character in ways that ultimately enabled him to become the Gandhi the world recognizes today as one of the most prominent political figures of the 20th century.
It is amazing what an important crucible South Africa turned out to be for Gandhi, forging his identity as a political activist, and what a significant prelude it was to his return to India, where he later played a pivotal role in securing the country’s independence from Britain. This did not happen in an ideological vacuum, but in the context of the new people he met, Jews, Christians, Tamils, Muslims, Parsis, Chinese. (Only the native Africans were conspicuous by their absence, while his earliest views could be even characterized as downright racist).
“Had Gandhi always lived or worked in India, he would never have met dissident Jews or Nonconformist Christians. Life in the diaspora also exposed him more keenly to the hetereogeneity of his own homeland. Had he followed the family tradition and worked in a princely state in Kathiawar he would never have met Tamils or North Indians. Had he practised law in Bombay he could not have counted plantation workers or roadside hawkers among his clients.”
Thus, the ideas he absorbed, along with the social injustices and political betrayals he witnessed, enabled him to develop his worldview and become a fighter for freedom, social reformer, defender of women’s rights, pacifist and religious pluralist.
For such an extensive book this is a rarely engaging reading. The chronological narration is aptly peppered with analytical remarks which provide much needed background and insight regarding the social events and Gandhi’s mental proceedings. The author treats his subject fairly, presenting a spherical portrayal of Gandhi, without attempting to gloss over some of his serious shortcomings, such as his failings as a husband and a father, his obsession with the austere life, diet and celibacy, or his peculiar healing methods. Thus, this is a book that provides depth to Gandhi and depicts him not as a hero, but as a human being. Moreover, through those pages, not only Gandhi himself comes to life, but also many important figures of his South African circle, which I personally found a precious well of information. I can’t wait for the next volume to be published.
Ramachandra Guha’s book turned out to be an engrossing and eye-opening revelation for me. Through his extensive factual research and intense documentation from a wealth of documents, such as newspapers and court documents of that age, writings of his children, correspondence with friends and officials, private papers of his contemporaries and co-workers, Guha has crafted a well written and engrossing account that reveals much of his subject's life that has been overlooked not only by dilettantes such as myself, but even by people with much better knowledge of Gandhi and India. Gandhi Before India covers the first 45 years of his life, beginning with his birth in 1869, his upbringing in a rather well-off family, his early marriage and the carnal struggles he faced, the early death of his father that oddly enough enabled him to achieve much of what his overbearing personality prohibited for his children, his studies in Britain, his passionate involvement with the London Vegetarian Society, his unimpressive path as a lawyer in his homeland and the formative years that followed after his arrival in South Africa where his ideas, beliefs and deepest political instincts were subsequently shaped by his experiences and personal interactions there, forging his character in ways that ultimately enabled him to become the Gandhi the world recognizes today as one of the most prominent political figures of the 20th century.
It is amazing what an important crucible South Africa turned out to be for Gandhi, forging his identity as a political activist, and what a significant prelude it was to his return to India, where he later played a pivotal role in securing the country’s independence from Britain. This did not happen in an ideological vacuum, but in the context of the new people he met, Jews, Christians, Tamils, Muslims, Parsis, Chinese. (Only the native Africans were conspicuous by their absence, while his earliest views could be even characterized as downright racist).
“Had Gandhi always lived or worked in India, he would never have met dissident Jews or Nonconformist Christians. Life in the diaspora also exposed him more keenly to the hetereogeneity of his own homeland. Had he followed the family tradition and worked in a princely state in Kathiawar he would never have met Tamils or North Indians. Had he practised law in Bombay he could not have counted plantation workers or roadside hawkers among his clients.”
Thus, the ideas he absorbed, along with the social injustices and political betrayals he witnessed, enabled him to develop his worldview and become a fighter for freedom, social reformer, defender of women’s rights, pacifist and religious pluralist.
For such an extensive book this is a rarely engaging reading. The chronological narration is aptly peppered with analytical remarks which provide much needed background and insight regarding the social events and Gandhi’s mental proceedings. The author treats his subject fairly, presenting a spherical portrayal of Gandhi, without attempting to gloss over some of his serious shortcomings, such as his failings as a husband and a father, his obsession with the austere life, diet and celibacy, or his peculiar healing methods. Thus, this is a book that provides depth to Gandhi and depicts him not as a hero, but as a human being. Moreover, through those pages, not only Gandhi himself comes to life, but also many important figures of his South African circle, which I personally found a precious well of information. I can’t wait for the next volume to be published.
March 13, 2019
This is the first volume of a two volume biography of Gandhi. It features Gandhi in a 20 plus year career as a “community organizer” leading the fight against racial codes in South Africa - with some significant success. This is where Gandhi developed his ideas of passive resistance (satyagraha) where he moved from being a young lawyer having troubled getting established to being a Mahatma and a leader of protests against empire around the world on the basis of his leadership of a few thousand Indians of all sorts against what became the South African government. Gandhi has always struck me a someone who is difficult to understand. That is still the case here, but that is OK. A common person should not have done what he managed to do. Gandhi was not an overnight success in India and after seeing him develop in his conflict with Smuts and Botha, it is not surprising at all that he was so formidable in India.
I originally thought this was a specialty book on Gandhi’s early work, but it is more the first volume of Guha’s biography. I put it in my queue a few years ago but got distracted. It turns out that Guha’s second volume is out and was a top biography during the past year.
This book is fairly easy to follow, but between the geography and the difficult names, it would be good to have access to a map and the Internet, so that it is possible to link names and places and at least make a start a remembering who is who in Gandhi’s story. There are lots of people involved and many are distinctive. As to place names, I still get confused by Indian geography as well as South African history and history and geography. The author does a fine job of keeping the narrative clear and taking time to recap the story after crucial moments.
I originally thought this was a specialty book on Gandhi’s early work, but it is more the first volume of Guha’s biography. I put it in my queue a few years ago but got distracted. It turns out that Guha’s second volume is out and was a top biography during the past year.
This book is fairly easy to follow, but between the geography and the difficult names, it would be good to have access to a map and the Internet, so that it is possible to link names and places and at least make a start a remembering who is who in Gandhi’s story. There are lots of people involved and many are distinctive. As to place names, I still get confused by Indian geography as well as South African history and history and geography. The author does a fine job of keeping the narrative clear and taking time to recap the story after crucial moments.
February 9, 2014
A great start to the year with two wonderful works of non-fiction by two authors who I am privileged to have met. Indeed they both lunched in our house in Chennai on the same day. William Dalrymple's masterly Return of a King I have already reviewed. Ram Guha's Gandhi before India is also a beautifully written book, and the result of deep research into archives ignored by others.
It is fascinating to learn of Gandhi's progress from indifferent student to Mahatma, his time in the UK and in South Africa, his extensive friendships with people of many different nationalities and religions, his sprituality which could embrace the common core of all faiths.
As well as showing us - with evidence - how Gandhi's character was formed in his struggles in South Africa the book also opened a window for me on the origins of Apartheid. It was not solely the Boers who were the problem. White Britons didn't want to allow hard working Indians to have rights in a colony which they felt should be for the them. They weren't averse of course to indentured labourers as long as they went home again when their bondage was over. Fortunately there were also some Europeans who supported the fight - not only for the Indians but also for Africans.
Guha is not blind to some of Gandhi's more eccentric habits but one does come to see how his self-denial, particularly in dietary and later sexual matters form part of his own "training" to be able to endure suffering and hardship in the sake of a just cause.
I look forward to the next volume. Will Ram Guha be able to reveal new insights into the much more widely chronicled life and work of Gandhi after his return to India. I suspect he will.
It is fascinating to learn of Gandhi's progress from indifferent student to Mahatma, his time in the UK and in South Africa, his extensive friendships with people of many different nationalities and religions, his sprituality which could embrace the common core of all faiths.
As well as showing us - with evidence - how Gandhi's character was formed in his struggles in South Africa the book also opened a window for me on the origins of Apartheid. It was not solely the Boers who were the problem. White Britons didn't want to allow hard working Indians to have rights in a colony which they felt should be for the them. They weren't averse of course to indentured labourers as long as they went home again when their bondage was over. Fortunately there were also some Europeans who supported the fight - not only for the Indians but also for Africans.
Guha is not blind to some of Gandhi's more eccentric habits but one does come to see how his self-denial, particularly in dietary and later sexual matters form part of his own "training" to be able to endure suffering and hardship in the sake of a just cause.
I look forward to the next volume. Will Ram Guha be able to reveal new insights into the much more widely chronicled life and work of Gandhi after his return to India. I suspect he will.
May 7, 2019
Unlike few of the people I know I still don't feel like giving up on Gandhi and his philosophies. After all as a proud Indian Gandhiji has been father of our nation. The face we see on every note and it every official place. I must have seen the 1982 movies more than 4 times and yet despite reading about Gandhiji here and there along the years there was no light on his years in South Africa. We only know of the incident in the railway and just that but this first part of Gandhi biography does exactly that and focuses on Gandhiji's life before he arrived back in India after spending 20 years in South Africa. I wanted to read this series including India after Gandhi and the 2nd part of Mahatma Gandhi's biography Mr. Guha wrote.
This book starts with M.K. Gandhi's birth, education, and further life in India, England and South Africa, this focuses on his life till around 45 years of age and his day to day work which brought him back to South Africa after leaving once and how slowly and slowly he became people's leader, people's protector, the Mahatma.
This book also illuminate the person and also focuses on the flaws as accepted by Bapu and his strained relationship with his own family and especially his eldest son. The line which hit me most was just a line in one of articles written by Bapu about Non-violence and denying violence he said that today if we decide to use violence to kill an Englishman then after they are gone we would use the same methods to kill an Indian and those are prophetic words because that's what happened. (No spoiler as everybody knows at least this fact that in 1948 he was shot and killed by a coward.)
This book once again let us know about how an Indian born England trained Lawyer failed to setup a practise in Bombay and had to leave for South Africa and slowly and surely he got turned from his profession for far bigger work and how he was able to unite people from all religion and regions from India. And how even in 1906 he spoke about a united and new India where people from all religion all caste will live together. And of course he was trying to live simply so rejected the modern amenities and lived like a Mahatma but even after 71 years of his passing he can still feel the impact he had not only on India but on the entire world.
This is one book which you should read to learn more about the life of the person who gave us our freedom and became our national father. and always remember to just Keep on Reading .
This book starts with M.K. Gandhi's birth, education, and further life in India, England and South Africa, this focuses on his life till around 45 years of age and his day to day work which brought him back to South Africa after leaving once and how slowly and slowly he became people's leader, people's protector, the Mahatma.
This book also illuminate the person and also focuses on the flaws as accepted by Bapu and his strained relationship with his own family and especially his eldest son. The line which hit me most was just a line in one of articles written by Bapu about Non-violence and denying violence he said that today if we decide to use violence to kill an Englishman then after they are gone we would use the same methods to kill an Indian and those are prophetic words because that's what happened. (No spoiler as everybody knows at least this fact that in 1948 he was shot and killed by a coward.)
This book once again let us know about how an Indian born England trained Lawyer failed to setup a practise in Bombay and had to leave for South Africa and slowly and surely he got turned from his profession for far bigger work and how he was able to unite people from all religion and regions from India. And how even in 1906 he spoke about a united and new India where people from all religion all caste will live together. And of course he was trying to live simply so rejected the modern amenities and lived like a Mahatma but even after 71 years of his passing he can still feel the impact he had not only on India but on the entire world.
This is one book which you should read to learn more about the life of the person who gave us our freedom and became our national father. and always remember to just Keep on Reading .
January 29, 2014
I was hesitant to buy this book because I was skeptical as to what more that is new can be written about Mahatma Gandhi. After all, the Govt of India had published 100 volumes of his collected works after nearly 40 years of sustained effort in assembling them. Still, the title kindled my interest because I realized that I know little about Gandhi's first 45 years of life, which were spent substantially outside India. In fact, for most of us in India, the window into Gandhi's life before he came back to India, was provided only by Richard Attenborough's film 'Gandhi'. As I finished reading this book, I am amazed that Dr.Guha is able to show us so much about Gandhi's life that I have been completely unaware of. The book shows how Gandhi was born a Gujarathi bania, grew up in Gujarat with all the prejudices and quirks of his caste and gradually transformed himself into a hero in the eyes of the larger world through his tireless struggles in politics, spirituality and practice of non-violent, passive resistance to racial injustice in South Africa. Many of us in India have the image of Gandhi as one who was born a Mahatma, lived as a Mahatma and died as THE Mahatma. This book shows that Gandhi was actually a work in progress and how South Africa shaped him into becoming the man that he was to become later in the eyes of the world.
I was broadly conversant with Gandhi's struggles in the period 1893-1914 for the civil and political rights of Indians in South africa and his approach to working within the British empire and that of his belief in gradual rather than revolutionary change. But what I learnt new from this book was that in this African endeavour, there was deep and passionate participation from Tamils, Parsees, Muslims, Christians, European Jews, and the Chinese. Only the native Africans were conspicuous by their absence. People like Henry Polak, Millie Polak, Sonja Schlesin, Hermann Kallenbach, Thambi Naidoo, Joseph Doke, L.W.Ritch contributed greatly to the Indians' struggle. Unfortunately, I have never heard of most of them thanks to my high school text books in India. Henry Polak and Kallenbach were completely devoted to Gandhi, inspired by his unusual broad-mindedness for the times and his readiness for self-sacrifice. Millie Polak and Sonja Schlesin greatly admired him for many of his qualities and threw themselves fully into his struggles. The book also shows that it was the Tamil community which accepted Gandhi completely as their leader much more than his own Gujarathi community, even though Gandhi could not speak Tamil. The Chinese community, led by Leung Quinn, also joined the struggle. Interestingly, the Chinese saw the struggle in a broader light as a struggle to 'restore the pride of Asia and the Asiatics'.
One charge against Gandhi has been the question 'How come Gandhi never reached out to native Africans?'. The author himself says that though Gandhi was racially prejudiced against native Africans when he arrived in SA in 1893, it was also the sign of the times when all races were prejudiced against one another - the Indians looking at native Africans as less civilized than themselves and the whites looking at all dark races as genetically inferior in all aspects. However, to Gandhi's credit, over a span of twenty years he evolved to realize that the struggles of native Africans is no different from his own for the Indians and he came to empathize with their plight. For their part, the Africans had their prejudices about Indians as well. For example, the Zulu reformer John Dube remarks to a friend that while he had once thought the plantation coolies crude and uncivilized, now he had acquired a sense of respect for all Indians, looking at their indomitable spirit in rising against the unjust laws. The author also speculates that Mr. Pixley Seme, a young Zulu leader from Jo'burg, must have noticed on his visit to Gandhi's Tolstoy Farm that its residents included by ethnicity, Gujarathis, Tamils, North Indians and Europeans and by faith, Parsis, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Christians - all managing to overcome distinctions of sect and tribe and present a united front to the rulers. This must have resulted in him publishing an article saying, "...the demons of racialism, the aberrations of the Xhosa-Fingo feud, the animosity that exists between the Zulus and the Tongas, between the Basutos and every other native must be buried and forgotten...we are one people. These divisions, jealousies are the cause of all our woes and our backwardness and ignorance today...".
The other charge that is laid at Gandhi's door of 'sainthood' is his 'awful' treatment of his wife and children. The author, though an admirer of Gandhi like me, is frank about Gandhi's shortcomings in this sphere. Gandhi was the traditional overbearing Hindu patriarch, making his wife and children do what he intended for them. It is doubly sad because Gandhi himself benefited immensely by the early death of his father in that he could chalk out his own path in life, by going to London to study Law and on return to India, moving to Bombay to seek a career as a lawyer. When he failed in that endeavour, he chose to leave for South Africa, all of which being possible because his father was not around to force him to stay in Porbander and do what he thought was best for him. Gandhi seemed to have reflected little on all this as he chalked out the paths for all his four children, much against their wishes. Indian Psychologists would perhaps say that Gandhi exhibited the classic 'Yayati complex' of Indian men in the way that he forced his children to follow his ideals and values and circumscribed their freedom completely. As for his wife, Kasturba, women in india in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were completely dominated by their husbands' needs and wishes and diktats and Gandhi was in no way different. Still, the presence of the feminist Millie Polak and Sonja Schlesin had its effect on Gandhi resulting in Kasturba and other Tamil women carrying out satyagrahas which resulted in Kasturba eventually spending three months in prison. This was a great leap for Indian womanhood in those times and it is significant that Gandhi did not forbid the women's activism outside the home.
Gandhi's life inspires extreme emotions both in his admirers and enemies. His detractors -The Left in India, the Hindu nationalists, sections of Dalits and sections of non-Indians - see him as a cunning politician, a quirky Luddite, a hypocrite or one who betrayed the majority Hindus in India. His avid admirers like Hermann Kallenbach see him as saintly and a mahatma and as one who appears once in a century or so. As for me, I fall in between. I admire Gandhi for his far-sightedness on the importance of non-violence and passive resistance methods and his vision of Hindu-Muslim unity in India, but not so much for his anti-industrialism, insistence on celibacy, naturopathy, religiosity etc. Depending on where one stands on Gandhi, this book will impact them accordingly. I thought it is a superb contribution to the life of the Mahatma.
September 19, 2024
There's something in Guha's writing style which hits me like crack, because I usually don't read 600+ page books this quickly. Or maybe I'm just obsessed with Gandhi the person, or the saint (and not the politician), with his eccentric emphasis on diet, on manual labour, on celibacy. If Gandhi was born today, I believe that he may just have been a pessimist, someone who would have given up on the idea of social reform - he would've practiced law for a decade or two, and then retired to a minimalist farm in the countryside and had little to do with the rest of the country beyond the village he would have chosen. This is because most of the ideals that drove him could only be imaginable - and that too, barely - in the early twentieth century, in the shadow of Thoreau and Tolstoy. He fought a losing battle even then. Today, as a critic of modern civilisation, he would be a laughingstock even in India, which now bears almost no resemblance to the imagined society for which he devoted his life.
July 6, 2022
ಚಿಕ್ಕಂದಿನಿಂದಲೂ ಗಾಂಧಿ ನನ್ನ ನೆಚ್ಚಿಗರಲ್ಲಿ ಒಬ್ಬರು. ಅವರನ್ನು ದ್ವೇಷಿಸುವವರೇ ಇಲ್ಲವೆಂದು ಭಾವಿಸಿದ್ದೆ. ಆದರೆ 2009 ಅಥವಾ 2010 ಇಸವಿ ಅನ್ಸುತ್ತೆ, ನನ್ನ ಪದವಿಯ ಒಂದು ತರಗತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಂಧಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಒಂದು ಚರ್ಚೆ ಏರ್ಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಒಬ್ಬ ಯುವಕ ಗಾಂಧಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಕೀಳಾಗಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿಬಿಟ್ಟ. ನಾನು ಇಳಿದು ಹೋದೆ. ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ದ್ವೇಷಿಸುವ ವರ್ಗವೊಂದಿದೆ ಅಂತ ತಿಳಿದದ್ದೇ ಅಂದು. ಅನಂತರ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ತಿಳಿಯುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದಲ್ಲಿ ಅನೇಕ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಬಹುಷಃ ತೃಪ್ತಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ಕೆಲವೇ ಕೆಲವು, ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಇದು ಒಂದು.
ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಜೀವನಗಾಥೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯ ���ಥೆ ಹೇಳುವ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ, ಹೇಗೆ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಮತ್ತು ಇತರೆ ದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಕಷ್ಟಗಳಿಗೆ ಮರುಗಿ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವುಗಳಿಗೆ ಪೂರ್ಣಪ್ರಮಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಕೊಡಲು ಹೋರಾಡಿದರು ಎಂಬ ಚಿತ್ರಣವನ್ನು ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ ಉದಾ: ದ. ಆಫ್ರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿನ ಗೆಲವು, ತೀನ್ ಕಠಿಯ ಪದ್ದತಿಯ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಗೆಲವು ಮುಂತಾದವು. ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ತೀರಾ ಮಹಾತ್ಮರಾಗಿ ನೋಡುವುದು ಅಥವಾ ತೀರಾ ತಪ್ಪಿಸ್ತರಾಗಿ ನೋಡುವುದು ತಪ್ಪಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವರನ್ನು ಇರುವ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನೋಡಿ ತಪ್ಪು ಒಪ್ಪುಗಳನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕಷ್ಟೆ. ಇದಷ್ಟೇ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಮಾಡಿ ಕೊಡುವುದು, ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಒಬ್ಬ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯಾಗಷ್ಟೇ ನೋಡಿ ತಿಳಿಯುವ ಇಚ್ಛೆ ಇದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನು ಓದಲು ಶಿಫಾರಸ್ಸು ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.
ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅನುಸರಿಸಿದ ಮಾರ್ಗಗಳು ಅಹಿಂಸೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಅಸಹಕಾರ ಮಾರ್ಗ. ಇವುಗಳನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸಿ ಗೆಲ್ಲುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೇ ಇಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಸಾಧಿಸಿದ್ದೇ ಗಾಂಧಿಯ ಲೋಕಜನಪ್ರಿಯತೆಗೆ ಕಾರಣ ಎಂದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೇನೆ.
Pearl Buck, Albert Einstein, Tagore, Tolystoy, Chaplin ಸೇರಿ ಪ್ರಪಂಚವೇ ಗಾಂಧಿ ತತ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾರು ಹೋಗಿದೆ ಅಂದರೆ ನಾವುಗಳು ಅವನ್ನು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಉಚಿತವಲ್ಲವೇ?.
ಹಾಗಂತ ತಪ್ಪುಗಳೇ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಜೀವನವು ಅಲ್ಲವಿದು. ಅನೇಕ ತಪ್ಪುಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿದ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಮುಂದೆ ಅವಕ್ಕೆ ಪಶ್ಚತ್ತಾಪವು ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇನ್ನೂ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಮತ್ತು ಮಡದಿಯ ವಿಚಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಂಧಿರವರ ನಿಲುವು ಅತಿಯನಿಸಿ ಹೃದಯಹೀನ ಅನ್ನಿಸುತ್ತವೆ. ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚರ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ಹೇರಿದ್ದು ಸರಿ ಕಾಣುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಇನ್ನೂ ಬಾ ಅವರನ್ನು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಮಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲವೇನೋ ಅನ್ನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಸರ್ದಾರ್ ಪಟೇಲ್, ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಂಧಿ ನಡೆದುಕೊಂಡ ರೀತಿ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ ಮೂಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
ಗಾಂಧಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ರವರ ನಡುವೆ ಇದ್ದ ತಾಕಲಾಟಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರವೇಶ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಹರಿಜನರ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಆಗಗಲೇ ದುಡಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ರವರು ಅದೇ ಜನರ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ದುಡಿದದ್ದು ಈ ತಾಕಲಾಟಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣವಿರಬಹುದ? ತಿಳಿಯದು. ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಅಥವಾ ಗಾಂಧಿಗೆ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯತೆಯ ತೀವ್ರತನವಿತ್ತೇನೋ ಅನ್ನಿಸುವಷ್ಟು ವಿವರ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ತೆರೆದು ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ.
ನನಗೆ ಕಾಡಿದ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತು ನುಡಿಮುತ್ತುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಉತ್ತರವಿದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಸಹ. ರಾಷ್ಟ ಮತ್ತು ನಾಡುಗಳ ಮಹತ್ವವನ್ನು ಸಾರುವ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಈ ಮಾತು ಗಮನಿಸಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಅರ್ಥಗರ್ಭಿತವಾಗಿದೆ "ನಾನು ಭಾರತೀಯ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ, ನಾನು ಗುಜರಾತಿ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯಿಂದ ಮೂಡಿರುತ್ತದೆ". ಎಷ್ಟು ಅದ್ಭುತವಲ್ಲವೇ. ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಯಾರೋ ಗಾಂಧಿಗೆ ಹಿತ ಸಂದೇಶ ಕೊಡಲು ಕೇಳಿಕೊಂಡಾಗ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಉತ್ತರ "ನನ್ನ ಜೀವನವೇ ಒಂದು ಸಂದೇಶ".
ಇಂತಹ ಒಂದು ಚೈತನ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕೊಂದ ಗೋಡ್ಸೆ, ಪ್ರಾಯಶ್ಚಿತವನ್ನು ಪಡುವ ಬದಲು "ನಾನೇಕೆ ಗಾಂಧಿಯನ್ನು ಕೊಂದೆ" ಎಂದು ಸಮಜಾಯಿಷಿ ಕೊಡಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ ಎಂದರೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ಕ್ರೂರವಿರಬೇಡ ಆ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿ. ಇದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಕ್ರೂರತನವೆಂದರೇ 'ಗೋಡ್ಸೆಯನ್ನು ದೇಶಭಕ್ತನಾಗಿ ನೋಡುವ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾರುವ' ಸಂತತಿ. ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಕೊಲ್ಲುವ ಒಬ್ಬ ಕೊಲೆಗಾರ ಆದರ್ಶ ಆಗುವ ಕಡೆಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಮಾಜ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಅಪಾಯಕಾರಿ. ಗಾಂಧಿ, ಪ್ರಪಂಚ ಎಂಬ ತೋಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಾಂತಿಯ ಹೂಗಳನ್ನು ಬೆಳೆಸಿದ ಅಪ್ರತಿಮ ತೋಟಗಾರ. ಆ ಹೂವಿನ ಬೇರನ್ನು ಆಳವಾಗಿ ಹೋಗಲು ನಾವು ಕಾರಣವಾಗೋಣ. ಅಲ್ಲವೇ?
ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಜೀವನಗಾಥೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯ ���ಥೆ ಹೇಳುವ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ, ಹೇಗೆ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಮತ್ತು ಇತರೆ ದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಕಷ್ಟಗಳಿಗೆ ಮರುಗಿ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವುಗಳಿಗೆ ಪೂರ್ಣಪ್ರಮಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಿಹಾರ ಕೊಡಲು ಹೋರಾಡಿದರು ಎಂಬ ಚಿತ್ರಣವನ್ನು ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ ಉದಾ: ದ. ಆಫ್ರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿನ ಗೆಲವು, ತೀನ್ ಕಠಿಯ ಪದ್ದತಿಯ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಗೆಲವು ಮುಂತಾದವು. ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ತೀರಾ ಮಹಾತ್ಮರಾಗಿ ನೋಡುವುದು ಅಥವಾ ತೀರಾ ತಪ್ಪಿಸ್ತರಾಗಿ ನೋಡುವುದು ತಪ್ಪಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವರನ್ನು ಇರುವ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನೋಡಿ ತಪ್ಪು ಒಪ್ಪುಗಳನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕಷ್ಟೆ. ಇದಷ್ಟೇ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಮಾಡಿ ಕೊಡುವುದು, ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಒಬ್ಬ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯಾಗಷ್ಟೇ ನೋಡಿ ತಿಳಿಯುವ ಇಚ್ಛೆ ಇದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನು ಓದಲು ಶಿಫಾರಸ್ಸು ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.
ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅನುಸರಿಸಿದ ಮಾರ್ಗಗಳು ಅಹಿಂಸೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಅಸಹಕಾರ ಮಾರ್ಗ. ಇವುಗಳನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸಿ ಗೆಲ್ಲುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೇ ಇಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಸಾಧಿಸಿದ್ದೇ ಗಾಂಧಿಯ ಲೋಕಜನಪ್ರಿಯತೆಗೆ ಕಾರಣ ಎಂದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೇನೆ.
Pearl Buck, Albert Einstein, Tagore, Tolystoy, Chaplin ಸೇರಿ ಪ್ರಪಂಚವೇ ಗಾಂಧಿ ತತ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾರು ಹೋಗಿದೆ ಅಂದರೆ ನಾವುಗಳು ಅವನ್ನು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಉಚಿತವಲ್ಲವೇ?.
ಹಾಗಂತ ತಪ್ಪುಗಳೇ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಜೀವನವು ಅಲ್ಲವಿದು. ಅನೇಕ ತಪ್ಪುಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿದ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಮುಂದೆ ಅವಕ್ಕೆ ಪಶ್ಚತ್ತಾಪವು ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇನ್ನೂ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಮತ್ತು ಮಡದಿಯ ವಿಚಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಂಧಿರವರ ನಿಲುವು ಅತಿಯನಿಸಿ ಹೃದಯಹೀನ ಅನ್ನಿಸುತ್ತವೆ. ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚರ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ಹೇರಿದ್ದು ಸರಿ ಕಾಣುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಇನ್ನೂ ಬಾ ಅವರನ್ನು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಮಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲವೇನೋ ಅನ್ನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಸರ್ದಾರ್ ಪಟೇಲ್, ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಂಧಿ ನಡೆದುಕೊಂಡ ರೀತಿ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ ಮೂಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
ಗಾಂಧಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ರವರ ನಡುವೆ ಇದ್ದ ತಾಕಲಾಟಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರವೇಶ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಹರಿಜನರ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಆಗಗಲೇ ದುಡಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ರವರು ಅದೇ ಜನರ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ದುಡಿದದ್ದು ಈ ತಾಕಲಾಟಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣವಿರಬಹುದ? ತಿಳಿಯದು. ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಅಥವಾ ಗಾಂಧಿಗೆ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯತೆಯ ತೀವ್ರತನವಿತ್ತೇನೋ ಅನ್ನಿಸುವಷ್ಟು ವಿವರ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ತೆರೆದು ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ.
ನನಗೆ ಕಾಡಿದ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತು ನುಡಿಮುತ್ತುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಉತ್ತರವಿದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಸಹ. ರಾಷ್ಟ ಮತ್ತು ನಾಡುಗಳ ಮಹತ್ವವನ್ನು ಸಾರುವ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಈ ಮಾತು ಗಮನಿಸಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಅರ್ಥಗರ್ಭಿತವಾಗಿದೆ "ನಾನು ಭಾರತೀಯ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ, ನಾನು ಗುಜರಾತಿ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯಿಂದ ಮೂಡಿರುತ್ತದೆ". ಎಷ್ಟು ಅದ್ಭುತವಲ್ಲವೇ. ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಯಾರೋ ಗಾಂಧಿಗೆ ಹಿತ ಸಂದೇಶ ಕೊಡಲು ಕೇಳಿಕೊಂಡಾಗ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರ ಉತ್ತರ "ನನ್ನ ಜೀವನವೇ ಒಂದು ಸಂದೇಶ".
ಇಂತಹ ಒಂದು ಚೈತನ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕೊಂದ ಗೋಡ್ಸೆ, ಪ್ರಾಯಶ್ಚಿತವನ್ನು ಪಡುವ ಬದಲು "ನಾನೇಕೆ ಗಾಂಧಿಯನ್ನು ಕೊಂದೆ" ಎಂದು ಸಮಜಾಯಿಷಿ ಕೊಡಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ ಎಂದರೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ಕ್ರೂರವಿರಬೇಡ ಆ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿ. ಇದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಕ್ರೂರತನವೆಂದರೇ 'ಗೋಡ್ಸೆಯನ್ನು ದೇಶಭಕ್ತನಾಗಿ ನೋಡುವ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾರುವ' ಸಂತತಿ. ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಕೊಲ್ಲುವ ಒಬ್ಬ ಕೊಲೆಗಾರ ಆದರ್ಶ ಆಗುವ ಕಡೆಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಮಾಜ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಅಪಾಯಕಾರಿ. ಗಾಂಧಿ, ಪ್ರಪಂಚ ಎಂಬ ತೋಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಾಂತಿಯ ಹೂಗಳನ್ನು ಬೆಳೆಸಿದ ಅಪ್ರತಿಮ ತೋಟಗಾರ. ಆ ಹೂವಿನ ಬೇರನ್ನು ಆಳವಾಗಿ ಹೋಗಲು ನಾವು ಕಾರಣವಾಗೋಣ. ಅಲ್ಲವೇ?
December 19, 2020
Had Guha decided to write one instead of two volumes of Gandhi's biography, the content of this book would have shrunk to 3-4 chapters, not more than 100 pages in that. But, Guha decided to write two volumes instead of one, probably because the title appealed him more to work on this project - 'Gandhi before India' sounds nice after his hugely successful (deservedly) 'India after Gandhi'.
It is no doubt that Guha had done commendable research to fill in the pages of this tome chronicling the formative years of Gandhi, starting from his childhood in Gujarat, higher education in Bombay and his 20 years of legal career and activism in South Africa, throwing in thousands of names and trivial incidents. However, that makes a reader get lost in the plethora of insignificant letters, speeches, events, discussions and wonder, what made Gandhi the Mahatma. Had Gandhi died in South Africa or hadn't come to India, I am pretty sure, Gandhi would have been lost in the pages of history as an obscure leader for a cause.
Having said that, I should admit this book is not a complete bore. I am in complete awe of the phenomenon called Gandhi and simultaneously, a big fan of the writing of Guha.
It is all but natural, when you have ideological leanings towards a particular way of thinking, while writing the biography of a man pioneering that school of thought, you would appear biased. To Guha's credit, he has not shied away from highlighting some of Gandhi's failures. In a podcast that I listened, where Guha admits that Gandhi in his early years was overtly religious (staunch Hindu), a racist (20 years in Africa, but not a single Black friend), orthodox bordering misogynist, and definitely a failed father. However those shortcomings were somehow buried under his towering personality and he overcomes many of those in later years. For me the biggest take away from this book is to understand the influences Gandhi had during those formative years, Tolstoy, Thoreau, Gokhle, Raychandbhai, et al.
The last chapter "How the Mahatma was made" happens to be the most important chapter of the book, and shouldn't be skipped. In here, Guha summarizes Gandhi's different aspects in his own interpretations - Gandhi the religious orthodox Hindu, Gandhi the lawyer, Gandhi the activist, Gandhi the politician, Gandhi the family man, Gandhi the follower, Gandhi the leader. Whether you have high regards for him or you think that he was just an opportunist, you must admit that Gandhi surely is an enigma. A man with many contradictions and compromises, yet steadfastly committed to a cause, to a principle.
Einstein famously said, "Generations to come, it may will be, will scarce believe that such a man as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.'" Well, I am surely looking forward to the second volume of the biography series to meet that man.
It is no doubt that Guha had done commendable research to fill in the pages of this tome chronicling the formative years of Gandhi, starting from his childhood in Gujarat, higher education in Bombay and his 20 years of legal career and activism in South Africa, throwing in thousands of names and trivial incidents. However, that makes a reader get lost in the plethora of insignificant letters, speeches, events, discussions and wonder, what made Gandhi the Mahatma. Had Gandhi died in South Africa or hadn't come to India, I am pretty sure, Gandhi would have been lost in the pages of history as an obscure leader for a cause.
Having said that, I should admit this book is not a complete bore. I am in complete awe of the phenomenon called Gandhi and simultaneously, a big fan of the writing of Guha.
It is all but natural, when you have ideological leanings towards a particular way of thinking, while writing the biography of a man pioneering that school of thought, you would appear biased. To Guha's credit, he has not shied away from highlighting some of Gandhi's failures. In a podcast that I listened, where Guha admits that Gandhi in his early years was overtly religious (staunch Hindu), a racist (20 years in Africa, but not a single Black friend), orthodox bordering misogynist, and definitely a failed father. However those shortcomings were somehow buried under his towering personality and he overcomes many of those in later years. For me the biggest take away from this book is to understand the influences Gandhi had during those formative years, Tolstoy, Thoreau, Gokhle, Raychandbhai, et al.
The last chapter "How the Mahatma was made" happens to be the most important chapter of the book, and shouldn't be skipped. In here, Guha summarizes Gandhi's different aspects in his own interpretations - Gandhi the religious orthodox Hindu, Gandhi the lawyer, Gandhi the activist, Gandhi the politician, Gandhi the family man, Gandhi the follower, Gandhi the leader. Whether you have high regards for him or you think that he was just an opportunist, you must admit that Gandhi surely is an enigma. A man with many contradictions and compromises, yet steadfastly committed to a cause, to a principle.
Einstein famously said, "Generations to come, it may will be, will scarce believe that such a man as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.'" Well, I am surely looking forward to the second volume of the biography series to meet that man.
March 27, 2017
21 ம் நூற்றாண்டின் தொடக்கத்தில் நமது வாழ்க்கை மிகவும் சுதந்திரமாக செயல்பட நம்மை அனுமதித்திருக்கிறது. இன்று நமது வாழ்வின் தேடல்கள் நம் எதிர்கால வாழ்வின் திட்டமிடலுக்காகவே இருக்கின்றன. இதே ஒரு நூறாண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னான அதே நம்மவரின் வழித்தோன்றல்களிடம் இதே அளவான சுதந்திரம் இல்லாது வெள்ளையர்களின் ஆளுமையில் அடிமைகளாய் கிடந்திருக்கிறோம். அடிமைத்தளையிலிருந்து வெளிப்படவேண்டுமென்றெண்ணம் அங்கொன்றும் இங்கொன்றுமாய் தொடர ஒன்றிற்கொன்று தொடர்பில்லாமல் உச்சத்தைத் தொடாமலே அதனுள்ளில் ஒடுங்கிப் போனது. அந்த அடிமைத் தளையை முற்றுமாயொழிக்க சாத்வீகமென்ற ஆயுதத்தைப் பிரயோகித்து எதிராளிக்கும் போரிடுபவருக்குமிடையே ரத்த வரலாற்றைப் பதியாமல் நமக்கான சுதந்திரத்தை வென்றெடுத்த மகாத்மாவைப் பற்றிய தேடுதல்கள் கொண்ட மனிதர்களுக்காகவும் இன்றைய நுகர்வு வெறியிலும் மேற்கின் கலாச்சாரத்திலும் ஊறித் திளைத்து மற்றுமொரு வடிவில் அடிமையாகிப் போன இந்த சமுதாயம் எப்படி மீளப்போகின்றது என்ற கேள்விகள் உள்ளே குடையும் நேரத்தில் மேற்கின் கலாச்சாரத்தில் தன் வாழ்வினைத் தொடங்கி தன்னை மெல்ல மெல்லறிந்து தன் கலாச்சாரத்தின் மீதாக்கம் கொண்டு வாழ்வின் நெறிமுறைகளை கடுமையாக மாற்றியமைத்து அதனையும் கண்டிப்புடன் அனுஷ்டித்து அதன் மூலம் மேற்கின் நாகரீக மாயத்தையும் உடைத்தெறிந்த ஒரு மாபெரும் மனிதனின் சுதந்திரத் தாகத்தை தாங்கி கொண்டிருக்கும் சமகால ஆய்வு நூல்.
இந்தியச் சுதந்திரப்போரை கடந்த நூற்றாண்டின் தொடக்கத்தில் தமக்கென்ற பாணியில் முன்னெடுத்து அனைத்து இந்திய உள்ளத்தினுள்ளும் ஊடாய் புகுந்து சுயநலமில்லாத் தன்னலமிக்க ஹிம்சையற்ற போர்க்களத்தில் ஆணும் பெண்ணுமாய், மதச் சாதி இன வேறுபாடுகளை ஒடுக்கி பேராத்மாவின் வழிகாட்டுதலில் மெல்ல நிதானத்துடன் தொடங்கிய சாத்வீகப் போராட்டம் மூன்று பத்து ஆண்டுகளின் கடைசியில் நமக்கு எல்லாச் சுதந்திரத்தையும் உள்ளடக்கிய நம்மக்களால் ஆளப்படுகின்ற ஜனநாயக அரசு உருவாக பேராதரவாய் நின்ற அந்த மாபெரும் மனிதரின் இந்தியச் சுதந்திரப் போருக்கான முந்தையப் போராட்டங்களின் தொடக்க களத்தைப் பற்றிய மிகத் துல்லியமான ஆய்வே இந்த தென்னாப்பிரிக்காவில் காந்தி.
காந்தி எனும் சுயநலத்தன்மையில்லாத ஆளுமை , எதிர்த்து நிற்கும் எதிராளிகளையும் சாத்வீகத்தால் அடக்கும் திறமை , மக்கள் பணியா, குடும்பமா எனும் நேரம் தன் குடும்பத்தை இரண்டாவதாய் மட்டுமே காணும் இந்த அதிசய மனிதரின் தொடக்க காலம் எந்தவொரு கோட்பாடுமில்லாது சராசரி இந்தியக் குடும்பத்தை ஒட்டியேத் தொடங்கி பாலியத் திருமணத்தில் கலந்து எதிர்காலத் தேவைக்காய் சாதீயத் தளையைக் கடந்து தன் எதிர்காலத் தேவைக்காய் கடல்கடந்த போது கூட காந்தியின் மனதில் இந்த போராட்டக் குணங்களோ நாம் அடிமை என்ற எண்ணமோ இல்லாத தன் தாயிற்குக் கொடுத்த சத்தியத்தை மீறாது வழக்கறிஞராய் மாறிய பின்பு தனது வாழ்வை மிகப்பெரும் கனவுகளோடு தொடங்க எண்ணிக் குறித்த தொடக்கமே தோலிவியின் விளிம்பில் தள்ளாடும் நேரம் அதிர்ஷ்ட வசமாய் வந்து சேரும் இந்த உத்யோகம் தன் எதிர்கால வாழ்வையும் அந்த முப்பது கோடி மக்களின் ஆதர்சன நாயகனாய் மாறுவோம் என்ற நோக்கமோ இல்லாதே தொடங்கியது.
தென்னாப்பிரிக்காவில் இறங்கிய கணமே தன்னுள் எங்கோவொரு மூலையில் ஒடுங்கி கிடந்த அந்த போராட்டத்தை மெல்ல விழிப்படைய வைக்கும் நிகழ்வாய் ���மைந்த்து அவரது இரயில் பயண நிகழ்வு. பொதுவாக காந்தியின் வாழ்க்கை வரலாறைப் படிக்கும் சமயம் நாம் அறிவது இந்த நிகழ்வும் அதற்குப் பிறகு அங்கு சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட்த்தில் கலந்துக் கொண்டார் என்றார் என்ற சிறு புள்ளியே. காந்தி ஏறக்குறைய இருபத்தி மூன்றாண்டு காலம் கழித்திருந்தும் அங்கு நடந்த நிகழ்வுகளைப் பற்றிய நீண்ட ஆய்வுகள் நம்மை எளிமையாக வந்தடையவில்லை அந்தக் குறையானது இந்த புத்தகத்தை எழுதிய காந்தியவாதியான இராமச்சந்திரகுஹா மூலம் தீர்க்கப்பட்டது என்றே நம்பலாம்.
1915 ல் இந்தியாவிற்கும் வரும் காந்தி ஏறக்குறைய நான்காண்டுகள் கிழக்கு மேற்காய் இந்தியாவெங்கும் பயணத்தை தொடர்ந்து 1919 வாக்கில் இந்தியச் சுதந்திரப் போராட்டத்தை தம் கைக்குள் கொண்டு வரும் பேராளுமை காந்திக்கு முன் களமாய் அமைந்தது தென்னாப்பிரிக்க களமே. தென்னாப்பிரிக்க களம் காந்திக்கான இடத்தை மெதுவாய் அவரறியாமலே கட்டியெழுப்பப்படுகிறது. கூலிகள், அழுது வடிந்த , கறுத்த தோலுடைய, இந்த நாட்டிற்கு அவலட்சணம் என்றெல்லாம் நிறவெறி மற்றும் இனவெறியால் பார்க்கும் அந்த ஆதிக்க இனத்தின் போக்கை தன் போராட்டத்தின் மூலம் மாற்றி நம் மக்களையும் சக மனிதர்களென்ற இடத்திற்குக் கொண்டு வர அவருக்குத் தேவைப்பட்ட ஆண்டுகள் இரு பத்து ஆண்டுகளே. இக்கால இடைவெளியில் ஏற்பட்டப் போராட்டத்தில் ஏற்பட்ட உயிரிழப்புகள் சில மற்றுமே.
அந்த மாபெரும் மனிதரின் இந்த சாத்வீகப் போராட்டமும் மிகப்பெரிய கணக்கீட்டையும் அதன் பின் விளைவுகளுக்கான சரியான முன் முடிவுகளுடனுமே தொகுக்கப்பட்டது. நிதானமாக இருந்தாலும் தன் கருத்தை நிதர்சனமாக தன் எதிர் போராளிகளுக்கு வைக்கும் பாங்கும், அப்படி எடுத்த முடிவில் ஏற்படும் விளைகளை மிகத் துல்லியமாக கணக்கிட்டு அதற்கான வெற்றிடத்தை நிரப்பியும் தன் போராட்டத்தை நீர்த்துப் போகாது சிறு துளியில் தொடங்கி பெரும் வெள்ளமாக மாற்றிய ஆயுதமில்லா நிராயுதபாணியான அந்தப் படை தன்னைத் தானே வருத்திக் தன் வருந்தலுக்கான முன் காலத்தை ஆளுபவர்களுக்கு வெளிச்சம் போட்டுக் காட்டி வேறு வழியில்லை என்ற முடிவிற்கு கொண்டு கடைசியாக குறைந்தப்பட்ச சுதந்திரத்தை மெல்லப் பருகத் தொடங்குவதை இந்த ஆய்வுநூல் நம் கண் முன் நிறுத்துகிறது. அந்த போராட்டத்தின் மிக முக்கிய ஆதர்சனப் புருசனாய் காந்தி அவர்கள் பரிமளிக்கிறார்.
மேலும் இந்த நூல் காந்தியை வெளிக்காட்டும் சமயத்தில் காந்திக்கு உறுதுணையாய் இருந்தவர்களையும் அவர்களது பங்களிப்புகளையும் அவர்கள் எப்படி காந்தி எனும் ஒற்றைக் குடையின் கீழ் ஒரு கட்டுப்பாடு கொண்ட அணியாக செயல்பட்டார்கள் என்பதையும் காட்டுகிறது. காந்தியை இழந்து முக்கால் நூற்றாண்டுகளை நெருங்கி விட்டோம். அவர் வாழும் காலத்தில் அவரின் இந்த எளிமையான வாழ்வியல் கொள்கைகள் மிகப் பயங்கரமாக விமர்சிக்கப்பட்டதும் அவரின் கோட்பாடுகளை பகுந்தறிந்து எதிர்க்கிறோம் என்று சொல்லி மிகச் சரியாக இந்தியனின் மனதிலிருந்து அந்த மகாத்மாவை நீக்கப்பாடுபட்டதை நாமறிவோம்.
இன்றைய சமகாலத்திலும் மேற்கின் கலாச்சாராத்தாலும் , அறிவியலின் பெருமை என்ற சுயவிமர்சனத்தாலும் இன்றைய பூமியை சீரழித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கும் நம்மிலிருந்து இந்த காந்தி மிக வேறுப்பட்ட மனிதர் தான் காரணம் அவர் இயற்கையையும் அதனோடியைந்த வாழ்வையும் நேசித்த அவர் மேற்கின் கலாச்சாரத்தையும் அறிவியல் வளர்ச்சியையும் கண்மூடித்தனமாய் எதிர்த்ததோடல்லாமல் அவைதான் இந்தியாவை அழிக்கும் என்று சொன்னதை இன்றைய சமகால அழிவுகளோடு ஒத்துப் போகும் நேரம் காந்தியின் கொள்கைகள் மீளுயிர் பெறுவதை நாம் காணலாம்.
இந்தியச் சுதந்திரப்போரை கடந்த நூற்றாண்டின் தொடக்கத்தில் தமக்கென்ற பாணியில் முன்னெடுத்து அனைத்து இந்திய உள்ளத்தினுள்ளும் ஊடாய் புகுந்து சுயநலமில்லாத் தன்னலமிக்க ஹிம்சையற்ற போர்க்களத்தில் ஆணும் பெண்ணுமாய், மதச் சாதி இன வேறுபாடுகளை ஒடுக்கி பேராத்மாவின் வழிகாட்டுதலில் மெல்ல நிதானத்துடன் தொடங்கிய சாத்வீகப் போராட்டம் மூன்று பத்து ஆண்டுகளின் கடைசியில் நமக்கு எல்லாச் சுதந்திரத்தையும் உள்ளடக்கிய நம்மக்களால் ஆளப்படுகின்ற ஜனநாயக அரசு உருவாக பேராதரவாய் நின்ற அந்த மாபெரும் மனிதரின் இந்தியச் சுதந்திரப் போருக்கான முந்தையப் போராட்டங்களின் தொடக்க களத்தைப் பற்றிய மிகத் துல்லியமான ஆய்வே இந்த தென்னாப்பிரிக்காவில் காந்தி.
காந்தி எனும் சுயநலத்தன்மையில்லாத ஆளுமை , எதிர்த்து நிற்கும் எதிராளிகளையும் சாத்வீகத்தால் அடக்கும் திறமை , மக்கள் பணியா, குடும்பமா எனும் நேரம் தன் குடும்பத்தை இரண்டாவதாய் மட்டுமே காணும் இந்த அதிசய மனிதரின் தொடக்க காலம் எந்தவொரு கோட்பாடுமில்லாது சராசரி இந்தியக் குடும்பத்தை ஒட்டியேத் தொடங்கி பாலியத் திருமணத்தில் கலந்து எதிர்காலத் தேவைக்காய் சாதீயத் தளையைக் கடந்து தன் எதிர்காலத் தேவைக்காய் கடல்கடந்த போது கூட காந்தியின் மனதில் இந்த போராட்டக் குணங்களோ நாம் அடிமை என்ற எண்ணமோ இல்லாத தன் தாயிற்குக் கொடுத்த சத்தியத்தை மீறாது வழக்கறிஞராய் மாறிய பின்பு தனது வாழ்வை மிகப்பெரும் கனவுகளோடு தொடங்க எண்ணிக் குறித்த தொடக்கமே தோலிவியின் விளிம்பில் தள்ளாடும் நேரம் அதிர்ஷ்ட வசமாய் வந்து சேரும் இந்த உத்யோகம் தன் எதிர்கால வாழ்வையும் அந்த முப்பது கோடி மக்களின் ஆதர்சன நாயகனாய் மாறுவோம் என்ற நோக்கமோ இல்லாதே தொடங்கியது.
தென்னாப்பிரிக்காவில் இறங்கிய கணமே தன்னுள் எங்கோவொரு மூலையில் ஒடுங்கி கிடந்த அந்த போராட்டத்தை மெல்ல விழிப்படைய வைக்கும் நிகழ்வாய் ���மைந்த்து அவரது இரயில் பயண நிகழ்வு. பொதுவாக காந்தியின் வாழ்க்கை வரலாறைப் படிக்கும் சமயம் நாம் அறிவது இந்த நிகழ்வும் அதற்குப் பிறகு அங்கு சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட்த்தில் கலந்துக் கொண்டார் என்றார் என்ற சிறு புள்ளியே. காந்தி ஏறக்குறைய இருபத்தி மூன்றாண்டு காலம் கழித்திருந்தும் அங்கு நடந்த நிகழ்வுகளைப் பற்றிய நீண்ட ஆய்வுகள் நம்மை எளிமையாக வந்தடையவில்லை அந்தக் குறையானது இந்த புத்தகத்தை எழுதிய காந்தியவாதியான இராமச்சந்திரகுஹா மூலம் தீர்க்கப்பட்டது என்றே நம்பலாம்.
1915 ல் இந்தியாவிற்கும் வரும் காந்தி ஏறக்குறைய நான்காண்டுகள் கிழக்கு மேற்காய் இந்தியாவெங்கும் பயணத்தை தொடர்ந்து 1919 வாக்கில் இந்தியச் சுதந்திரப் போராட்டத்தை தம் கைக்குள் கொண்டு வரும் பேராளுமை காந்திக்கு முன் களமாய் அமைந்தது தென்னாப்பிரிக்க களமே. தென்னாப்பிரிக்க களம் காந்திக்கான இடத்தை மெதுவாய் அவரறியாமலே கட்டியெழுப்பப்படுகிறது. கூலிகள், அழுது வடிந்த , கறுத்த தோலுடைய, இந்த நாட்டிற்கு அவலட்சணம் என்றெல்லாம் நிறவெறி மற்றும் இனவெறியால் பார்க்கும் அந்த ஆதிக்க இனத்தின் போக்கை தன் போராட்டத்தின் மூலம் மாற்றி நம் மக்களையும் சக மனிதர்களென்ற இடத்திற்குக் கொண்டு வர அவருக்குத் தேவைப்பட்ட ஆண்டுகள் இரு பத்து ஆண்டுகளே. இக்கால இடைவெளியில் ஏற்பட்டப் போராட்டத்தில் ஏற்பட்ட உயிரிழப்புகள் சில மற்றுமே.
அந்த மாபெரும் மனிதரின் இந்த சாத்வீகப் போராட்டமும் மிகப்பெரிய கணக்கீட்டையும் அதன் பின் விளைவுகளுக்கான சரியான முன் முடிவுகளுடனுமே தொகுக்கப்பட்டது. நிதானமாக இருந்தாலும் தன் கருத்தை நிதர்சனமாக தன் எதிர் போராளிகளுக்கு வைக்கும் பாங்கும், அப்படி எடுத்த முடிவில் ஏற்படும் விளைகளை மிகத் துல்லியமாக கணக்கிட்டு அதற்கான வெற்றிடத்தை நிரப்பியும் தன் போராட்டத்தை நீர்த்துப் போகாது சிறு துளியில் தொடங்கி பெரும் வெள்ளமாக மாற்றிய ஆயுதமில்லா நிராயுதபாணியான அந்தப் படை தன்னைத் தானே வருத்திக் தன் வருந்தலுக்கான முன் காலத்தை ஆளுபவர்களுக்கு வெளிச்சம் போட்டுக் காட்டி வேறு வழியில்லை என்ற முடிவிற்கு கொண்டு கடைசியாக குறைந்தப்பட்ச சுதந்திரத்தை மெல்லப் பருகத் தொடங்குவதை இந்த ஆய்வுநூல் நம் கண் முன் நிறுத்துகிறது. அந்த போராட்டத்தின் மிக முக்கிய ஆதர்சனப் புருசனாய் காந்தி அவர்கள் பரிமளிக்கிறார்.
மேலும் இந்த நூல் காந்தியை வெளிக்காட்டும் சமயத்தில் காந்திக்கு உறுதுணையாய் இருந்தவர்களையும் அவர்களது பங்களிப்புகளையும் அவர்கள் எப்படி காந்தி எனும் ஒற்றைக் குடையின் கீழ் ஒரு கட்டுப்பாடு கொண்ட அணியாக செயல்பட்டார்கள் என்பதையும் காட்டுகிறது. காந்தியை இழந்து முக்கால் நூற்றாண்டுகளை நெருங்கி விட்டோம். அவர் வாழும் காலத்தில் அவரின் இந்த எளிமையான வாழ்வியல் கொள்கைகள் மிகப் பயங்கரமாக விமர்சிக்கப்பட்டதும் அவரின் கோட்பாடுகளை பகுந்தறிந்து எதிர்க்கிறோம் என்று சொல்லி மிகச் சரியாக இந்தியனின் மனதிலிருந்து அந்த மகாத்மாவை நீக்கப்பாடுபட்டதை நாமறிவோம்.
இன்றைய சமகாலத்திலும் மேற்கின் கலாச்சாராத்தாலும் , அறிவியலின் பெருமை என்ற சுயவிமர்சனத்தாலும் இன்றைய பூமியை சீரழித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கும் நம்மிலிருந்து இந்த காந்தி மிக வேறுப்பட்ட மனிதர் தான் காரணம் அவர் இயற்கையையும் அதனோடியைந்த வாழ்வையும் நேசித்த அவர் மேற்கின் கலாச்சாரத்தையும் அறிவியல் வளர்ச்சியையும் கண்மூடித்தனமாய் எதிர்த்ததோடல்லாமல் அவைதான் இந்தியாவை அழிக்கும் என்று சொன்னதை இன்றைய சமகால அழிவுகளோடு ஒத்துப் போகும் நேரம் காந்தியின் கொள்கைகள் மீளுயிர் பெறுவதை நாம் காணலாம்.
November 5, 2013
A young London-returned Gujarati lawyer finds little luck establishing a practice in the Bombay High Court. He is called to South Africa by Muslim merchants there, to help with one case. He finds his services so much in demand there that he decides to stay a little longer.
His work brings him in contact with people from all strata of society --- plantation workers, Jewish intellectuals, missionaries, politicians, feminists. He displays an extraordinary talent for deep life-changing friendships with them all. Over time, he comes to appreciate that rampant racial discrimination is responsible for many of the difficulties his clients are facing. He concludes that his cases are, at their heart, not legal, but political, ethical, moral, and spiritual. He ends up staying for twenty years, leading a political struggle that changes the world forever.
Ram Guha narrates a coming-of-age story of sorts. This is a fascinating period in the life of Gandhi, a period of metamorphosis from Mohan to Gandhi Bhai to Mahatma. Ram Guha narrates this story through the eyes of newspaper records of the day, through the eyes of Gandhi's friends and confidants and enemies. Very importantly, he sticks to material that was written when the events took place, and avoids material embellished by hindsight. Backed by solid research, he exposes the many calumnies about Gandhi that have become fashionable, and does so with Gandhian gentleness and restraint.
The story is certainly a most remarkable one, and worth reading merely for pleasure. We root for the protagonist, someone not so different from you and me, who avidly reads autobiographies of famous men, and tries to borrow lessons for his own life; who starts a law practice in a new country; who starts a newspaper. We see him get lynched almost to death by a mob, and almost assassinated by a group of Indians, and continue with a courage that makes heroes of those around him.
In summary, if you think you know all about Gandhi, this book is sure to surprise you.
His work brings him in contact with people from all strata of society --- plantation workers, Jewish intellectuals, missionaries, politicians, feminists. He displays an extraordinary talent for deep life-changing friendships with them all. Over time, he comes to appreciate that rampant racial discrimination is responsible for many of the difficulties his clients are facing. He concludes that his cases are, at their heart, not legal, but political, ethical, moral, and spiritual. He ends up staying for twenty years, leading a political struggle that changes the world forever.
Ram Guha narrates a coming-of-age story of sorts. This is a fascinating period in the life of Gandhi, a period of metamorphosis from Mohan to Gandhi Bhai to Mahatma. Ram Guha narrates this story through the eyes of newspaper records of the day, through the eyes of Gandhi's friends and confidants and enemies. Very importantly, he sticks to material that was written when the events took place, and avoids material embellished by hindsight. Backed by solid research, he exposes the many calumnies about Gandhi that have become fashionable, and does so with Gandhian gentleness and restraint.
The story is certainly a most remarkable one, and worth reading merely for pleasure. We root for the protagonist, someone not so different from you and me, who avidly reads autobiographies of famous men, and tries to borrow lessons for his own life; who starts a law practice in a new country; who starts a newspaper. We see him get lynched almost to death by a mob, and almost assassinated by a group of Indians, and continue with a courage that makes heroes of those around him.
In summary, if you think you know all about Gandhi, this book is sure to surprise you.
February 26, 2017
Ever watch a director's cut of a movie you love only to realize that you don't like the movie all that much in this form, and that the edited theatrical version is far better.
Gandhi Before India is that director's cut edition. So many unneeded details and so much information about so many nonsensical things (e.g. detailing the physical layout of a temporary dwelling).
Throw in hundreds of characters and you've got a dizzying book that is a wonderful starter piece for someone doing their PhD on Gandhi, but beyond that, this was as biography that looked at and described every single tree, but didn't pull back to see the forest until the last chapter (which is well worth reading).
Research is easily a 5/5 on this book, but presentation—specifically knowing what and when to cut—is low.
Gandhi Before India is that director's cut edition. So many unneeded details and so much information about so many nonsensical things (e.g. detailing the physical layout of a temporary dwelling).
Throw in hundreds of characters and you've got a dizzying book that is a wonderful starter piece for someone doing their PhD on Gandhi, but beyond that, this was as biography that looked at and described every single tree, but didn't pull back to see the forest until the last chapter (which is well worth reading).
Research is easily a 5/5 on this book, but presentation—specifically knowing what and when to cut—is low.
October 14, 2014
This book was 550 pages and too detailed. It was a biography of Gandhi before he even started his struggles and protests in India. I learned a lot, but there was also pages and pages of dates and names that started to blend together. This isn't a great book if you just want general information about Gandhi.
December 16, 2020
I recommend every adult to read this book once.
There is no doubt that Gandhi is one of the most important world-renowned personalities of his times, and even now, several generations later, his impact has surely not worn off. However, his South African years, as correctly pointed about by the author, are often overlooked and not given enough importance in how that unique period of time and equally unique political, geographical landscape of South Africa shaped Gandhi’s own beliefs and in turn, his later impact on India and the world.
As an Indian, and even more as a kid, history in our schools is often taught to us in glimpses akin to a fairy-tale where Gandhi is often painted as a saviour, a hero who brought India its independence or as per some interpretations, snatched victory from the tyrant British Empire. All the complexities of the man himself as well as politics of those times are heavily ignored. Now, a fairy-tale is good enough for a kid, but I believe, as responsible adults having enough exposure to the complexities of our own era, perhaps it’s time that we learn more about the man, who is reverently, and correctly so, called ‘Father of the Nation’. To give an example of the facts included in the book, I personally didn’t know that Gandhi was attacked by a mob of whites, once when he was returning to Durban. As correctly pointed out by the author, in a common man’s imagination, there is always the incident of being thrown out of a train compartment, but according to the author, it is the mob-attack, which indicates in retrospect, how large Gandhi’s influence became in South Africa during those times. And, there are more such unknown events, which we don’t hear of in casual conversations. Another interesting fact is that the author also tries to keep Gandhi’s family, friends, mentors and adversaries in narrative, as much as possible, throughout the biography which adds to the delight and gives the reader a more immersive experience. To speak from my heart, reading this book gave me the distinct joy of admiring an illustration in a totally different light.
With regards to the style of the book, it’s easy enough to follow. The only difficulty I faced sometimes was to imagine so many people at so many designations in the British Empire of that time. But, that’s not a big block, actually and the story flows smoothly upto the point in July 1914, when Gandhi wins his battle in South Africa, and leaves for greater glory, and struggle, in India. Lastly, do read this book.
There is no doubt that Gandhi is one of the most important world-renowned personalities of his times, and even now, several generations later, his impact has surely not worn off. However, his South African years, as correctly pointed about by the author, are often overlooked and not given enough importance in how that unique period of time and equally unique political, geographical landscape of South Africa shaped Gandhi’s own beliefs and in turn, his later impact on India and the world.
As an Indian, and even more as a kid, history in our schools is often taught to us in glimpses akin to a fairy-tale where Gandhi is often painted as a saviour, a hero who brought India its independence or as per some interpretations, snatched victory from the tyrant British Empire. All the complexities of the man himself as well as politics of those times are heavily ignored. Now, a fairy-tale is good enough for a kid, but I believe, as responsible adults having enough exposure to the complexities of our own era, perhaps it’s time that we learn more about the man, who is reverently, and correctly so, called ‘Father of the Nation’. To give an example of the facts included in the book, I personally didn’t know that Gandhi was attacked by a mob of whites, once when he was returning to Durban. As correctly pointed out by the author, in a common man’s imagination, there is always the incident of being thrown out of a train compartment, but according to the author, it is the mob-attack, which indicates in retrospect, how large Gandhi’s influence became in South Africa during those times. And, there are more such unknown events, which we don’t hear of in casual conversations. Another interesting fact is that the author also tries to keep Gandhi’s family, friends, mentors and adversaries in narrative, as much as possible, throughout the biography which adds to the delight and gives the reader a more immersive experience. To speak from my heart, reading this book gave me the distinct joy of admiring an illustration in a totally different light.
With regards to the style of the book, it’s easy enough to follow. The only difficulty I faced sometimes was to imagine so many people at so many designations in the British Empire of that time. But, that’s not a big block, actually and the story flows smoothly upto the point in July 1914, when Gandhi wins his battle in South Africa, and leaves for greater glory, and struggle, in India. Lastly, do read this book.
December 29, 2024
5 years is how long I took to finish this book. It's a tedious read, there's no other way to put it.
There is a lot to take from Gandhi Before India, ultimately. More soon but here's a great excerpt:
There is a lot to take from Gandhi Before India, ultimately. More soon but here's a great excerpt:
For most people, South Africa in the early 1900s was a crucible of social inequality, where individuals of one race or class learned very quickly to separate themselves from people of other races and classes. For this Indian, however, South Africa became a crucible of human togetherness, allowing him to forge bonds of affiliation with compatriots with whom, had he remained at home, he would have had absolutely no contact whatsoever.
September 2, 2025
This was an excellent read. Gandhi remains one of the most influential figures in history, and this book helps explains why. I was deeply impressed by the clarity of his moral vision and his unwavering commitment to non-violent resistance. If only more people can learn from his attitude.
In South Africa, he worked tirelessly, almost welcoming the role of martyr for the Indian cause. Credit is also due to Guha, who has produced an exceptionally accessible work that does not shy away from portraying the complexity of Gandhi’s character.
In South Africa, he worked tirelessly, almost welcoming the role of martyr for the Indian cause. Credit is also due to Guha, who has produced an exceptionally accessible work that does not shy away from portraying the complexity of Gandhi’s character.
September 21, 2024
Much like any Indian who went through school in the '80s I was taught about Gandhi and his prime position in India's struggle for Independence. I read his autobiography as a teenager. Later on, I read a couple of books which questioned and criticized his ways and his personal choices. But this book really brings it all together! It was very enlightening to understand how his time in London and South Africa led to his quixotic choices and how he honed the tool of passive resistance. It's a superbly researched and written book. I listened to this book mainly while referring back to the printed copy. The narrator is really good and it was very engrossing. I read India After Gandhi by the same author some years ago and I will go back to re-read that in the context of what I now know from reading this book.
January 26, 2022
This book was recently gifted to me.
Loved it, but didn't think I would when I started it. So much to learn from this book - of how someone's formative experiences and convictions form their personality, how multicultural experiences shape us, how much sacrifice to achieve something worthwhile etc.
This was my first book on Gandhi himself and the novelty of the topic also added to the intrigue.
Highly recommended
Loved it, but didn't think I would when I started it. So much to learn from this book - of how someone's formative experiences and convictions form their personality, how multicultural experiences shape us, how much sacrifice to achieve something worthwhile etc.
This was my first book on Gandhi himself and the novelty of the topic also added to the intrigue.
Highly recommended
August 2, 2021
A never before portrayal of the Great Freedom fighter in his pre independence struggle era.
Cant wait to start Volume II.
Cant wait to start Volume II.
March 3, 2022
For me, an occasional reader of history, one of the puzzles was that how Mohandas Gandhi, who had lived two decades of his life in a distant continent and thus an obscure figure for Indians in the second decade of the twentieth century, came to take control of the Indian independence movement very shortly and make Congress one of the most powerful organisations challenging an enormous imperial power of the day. Ramachandra Guha in his ‘Before India Gandhi’ - the first part of the two part biography - has provided the missing piece of this puzzle. In the prologue, the author has drawn parallels of the journey of Gandhi with the journey of Ram, a mythical hero whom Hindus revere as God.
Guha has examined Ganfhi's early satyagrahas through the prism of contemporary diverse documents spread over many parts of the world. Guha has devoted a considerable part of his biography to the life of Gandhi in South Africa- which is skipped by most of his biographers. Guha shows that these formative years which became the “crucible of human togetherness, allowing him to forge bonds of affiliation with compatriots with whom had he remained at home, he would have had absolutely no contact whatsoever” laid the foundations for the independence movement in India. Moreover, he has concentrated on those people in India, England and South Africa who remained the major influences in the evolution of Gandhi as a “freedom fighter, social reformer, religious pluralist and prophet.”
Guha has done an extensive research relying not only on the “Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi” but also on many hitherto unknown sources of material to bring out an interesting account of the life of Gandhi. The book covers the first 45 years of Gandhi’s life - his early life and education, his London life when getting enrolled as a Bar at Law, his struggles to establish as a lawyer in Rajkot and Bombay, his first stint as a lawyer and an organiser of Indians in Natal(South Africa) , his return to India and another failure to establish his practice in India and his return to South Africa where he was to perfect his passive resistance movement.
Guha has written about many persons who played complementary roles in the evolution of Gandhi as Mahatma. These persons who remain unknown even now are : Pranjivan Mehta- a life long friend who in his letter called Gandhi as Mahatma and who stood by and contributed to Gandhi’s struggles in South Africa from distant lands; Josiah Oldfield - a White European Vegetarian in London who brought out the writer in Gandhi, Rajchandra in Rajkot who guided Gandhi in his religious quest: Henry Polak, a British Jew who was to actively participate in Gandhi’s passive resistance movement; Henry’s wife Millie Polak; Hermann Kallenback, a a Prussian Jew who gave land for Tolstoy Farm near Johannesburg and was a fellow passive resister, L.W. Ritch, a theosophist and an acquaintance of Gandhi from Durban days, Joseph Doke, a Baptist Minister of Johannesburg attracted to Gandhi because of the passive resistance movement, Sonja Schlesin, another Jew who functioned as Gandhi’s Secretary and his right hand in his passive resistance movement. These White Europeans were a great support to Gandhi in the passive resistance movement and Polak and Kallenback even courted arrest during the movement. In their support of Indian cause overcoming race barriers they played a significant role in the movement of Gandhi.
Guha also touches about the Indians of South Africa in his movement. Thambi Naidoo, a Tamilian of South Africa who was instrumental in rallying of Tamilians as a major force of resistance movement in South Africa under Gandhi; A.M.Cachalia, a prominent merchant of Johannesburg and who was the President of British Indian Association; and Rustomjee a Parsi trader of Durban and a long time supporter of Gandhi in South Africa and Leung Quinn -a Chinese fellow passive resister in South Africa. Sheik Mehtab, a childhood friend of Gandhi who became a biggest follower of Gandhi in South Africa is another notable figure in the above list. Gokhale’s mentorship of Gandhi and their complex relationship is also brought about.
All of the above had contributed in their own way the evolution of Gandhi. Some of them blindly followed him but like some people like Polaks differed with him on his personal views on many issues but were steadfast in their political support to Gandhi. Guha also mentions an interesting encounter between Gandhi and Churchill in 1906 in London.
Guha, by reproducing the correspondence of Gandhi and others gives an account of the various roles played by the above people at various stages in the life and struggles of Gandhi. Some of the correspondence reveal lighter side of Gandhi while some other reveal the doubts, anxieties and conflicts of Gandhi. But overall they show a Gandhi who was more human under gradual transformation. Guha also shows as to how Gandhi had been autocratic in his treatment of family riding roughshod over the wishes of his wife and sons. He touches the estranged relationship of Gandhi with his elder son Harilal. The reports of various newspapers during the period add an interesting side to the narration. The historical background of South African colonies gives a clearer understanding of Gandhi’s movement.
Thus, when Gandhi left the shores of South Africa in July, 1914, he had already perfected his passive resistance movement, albeit on a smaller scale, in South Africa bringing various segments of the society into the movement. And the success he had achieved had already penetrated many corners of India facilitating his pan Indian leadership.
The following article in ‘Transvaal Leader’ published in a news publication of South Africa at the time of Mahatma Gandhi’s departure to India, illustrates the level of success attained by Gandhi in South Africa : “So it is humanly certain that the most arresting figure in the Indian community in South Africa to-day is to say good-bye to a country in which he has spent many years, crowded with experience and exertion, his work on behalf of his countrymen at last crowned with success. When a man has been imprisoned so often that were his offences not merely political he would have qualified as a “habitual”, when he has time without number endured fatigue, and fasted with a smile, when he has moved steadily on over obstacles that might daunt the bravest, to the goal his eye has been fixed, you might picture him physically as an Apollo, and imagine his heart made of the fibre that belongs to martyrs. In the qualities of the heart and of the soul you may believe the best of Gandhi, but you would wonder, did you see him, that so frail a figure could house so vigorous a character.”(pages 521 -522)
No wonder, such a leader needed not much time in India to dislodge the many stalwarts of the Congress to take its full control of the independence movement. But Gandhi had more harsh critics in India also as may be seen from the following words of Namboodiripad : “While Gandhi, the young barrister, was writing articles for the Vegetarian, Lenin, also a young lawyer, was translating Marx, Sydney Webb, etc., and himself writing ‘The Development of Capitalism in Russia’. Lenin combined the militant mass movement of the working class with the most advanced ideology. Gandhi combined it with the most reactionary and obscurantist of ideologies that was current in the contemporary world” Such was the level of communist leadership in India which elevated a despotic leader as their icon while denigrating the greatest man Indian had produced. True as this book reveals Gandhi had his eccentricities, fads and some peculiar notions about modern civilization but that would in way belittle the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi, In short, a totally engrossing autobiography throwing new lights on Gandhi’s life and thus adding to the rich literature on Gandhi.
Even more than seven decades after his death, Gandhi remains a towering figure and an enchanting subject for many historians. Many books have been written about him and many more are likely to be written. But Guha’s book will remain one of the best.
Guha has examined Ganfhi's early satyagrahas through the prism of contemporary diverse documents spread over many parts of the world. Guha has devoted a considerable part of his biography to the life of Gandhi in South Africa- which is skipped by most of his biographers. Guha shows that these formative years which became the “crucible of human togetherness, allowing him to forge bonds of affiliation with compatriots with whom had he remained at home, he would have had absolutely no contact whatsoever” laid the foundations for the independence movement in India. Moreover, he has concentrated on those people in India, England and South Africa who remained the major influences in the evolution of Gandhi as a “freedom fighter, social reformer, religious pluralist and prophet.”
Guha has done an extensive research relying not only on the “Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi” but also on many hitherto unknown sources of material to bring out an interesting account of the life of Gandhi. The book covers the first 45 years of Gandhi’s life - his early life and education, his London life when getting enrolled as a Bar at Law, his struggles to establish as a lawyer in Rajkot and Bombay, his first stint as a lawyer and an organiser of Indians in Natal(South Africa) , his return to India and another failure to establish his practice in India and his return to South Africa where he was to perfect his passive resistance movement.
Guha has written about many persons who played complementary roles in the evolution of Gandhi as Mahatma. These persons who remain unknown even now are : Pranjivan Mehta- a life long friend who in his letter called Gandhi as Mahatma and who stood by and contributed to Gandhi’s struggles in South Africa from distant lands; Josiah Oldfield - a White European Vegetarian in London who brought out the writer in Gandhi, Rajchandra in Rajkot who guided Gandhi in his religious quest: Henry Polak, a British Jew who was to actively participate in Gandhi’s passive resistance movement; Henry’s wife Millie Polak; Hermann Kallenback, a a Prussian Jew who gave land for Tolstoy Farm near Johannesburg and was a fellow passive resister, L.W. Ritch, a theosophist and an acquaintance of Gandhi from Durban days, Joseph Doke, a Baptist Minister of Johannesburg attracted to Gandhi because of the passive resistance movement, Sonja Schlesin, another Jew who functioned as Gandhi’s Secretary and his right hand in his passive resistance movement. These White Europeans were a great support to Gandhi in the passive resistance movement and Polak and Kallenback even courted arrest during the movement. In their support of Indian cause overcoming race barriers they played a significant role in the movement of Gandhi.
Guha also touches about the Indians of South Africa in his movement. Thambi Naidoo, a Tamilian of South Africa who was instrumental in rallying of Tamilians as a major force of resistance movement in South Africa under Gandhi; A.M.Cachalia, a prominent merchant of Johannesburg and who was the President of British Indian Association; and Rustomjee a Parsi trader of Durban and a long time supporter of Gandhi in South Africa and Leung Quinn -a Chinese fellow passive resister in South Africa. Sheik Mehtab, a childhood friend of Gandhi who became a biggest follower of Gandhi in South Africa is another notable figure in the above list. Gokhale’s mentorship of Gandhi and their complex relationship is also brought about.
All of the above had contributed in their own way the evolution of Gandhi. Some of them blindly followed him but like some people like Polaks differed with him on his personal views on many issues but were steadfast in their political support to Gandhi. Guha also mentions an interesting encounter between Gandhi and Churchill in 1906 in London.
Guha, by reproducing the correspondence of Gandhi and others gives an account of the various roles played by the above people at various stages in the life and struggles of Gandhi. Some of the correspondence reveal lighter side of Gandhi while some other reveal the doubts, anxieties and conflicts of Gandhi. But overall they show a Gandhi who was more human under gradual transformation. Guha also shows as to how Gandhi had been autocratic in his treatment of family riding roughshod over the wishes of his wife and sons. He touches the estranged relationship of Gandhi with his elder son Harilal. The reports of various newspapers during the period add an interesting side to the narration. The historical background of South African colonies gives a clearer understanding of Gandhi’s movement.
Thus, when Gandhi left the shores of South Africa in July, 1914, he had already perfected his passive resistance movement, albeit on a smaller scale, in South Africa bringing various segments of the society into the movement. And the success he had achieved had already penetrated many corners of India facilitating his pan Indian leadership.
The following article in ‘Transvaal Leader’ published in a news publication of South Africa at the time of Mahatma Gandhi’s departure to India, illustrates the level of success attained by Gandhi in South Africa : “So it is humanly certain that the most arresting figure in the Indian community in South Africa to-day is to say good-bye to a country in which he has spent many years, crowded with experience and exertion, his work on behalf of his countrymen at last crowned with success. When a man has been imprisoned so often that were his offences not merely political he would have qualified as a “habitual”, when he has time without number endured fatigue, and fasted with a smile, when he has moved steadily on over obstacles that might daunt the bravest, to the goal his eye has been fixed, you might picture him physically as an Apollo, and imagine his heart made of the fibre that belongs to martyrs. In the qualities of the heart and of the soul you may believe the best of Gandhi, but you would wonder, did you see him, that so frail a figure could house so vigorous a character.”(pages 521 -522)
No wonder, such a leader needed not much time in India to dislodge the many stalwarts of the Congress to take its full control of the independence movement. But Gandhi had more harsh critics in India also as may be seen from the following words of Namboodiripad : “While Gandhi, the young barrister, was writing articles for the Vegetarian, Lenin, also a young lawyer, was translating Marx, Sydney Webb, etc., and himself writing ‘The Development of Capitalism in Russia’. Lenin combined the militant mass movement of the working class with the most advanced ideology. Gandhi combined it with the most reactionary and obscurantist of ideologies that was current in the contemporary world” Such was the level of communist leadership in India which elevated a despotic leader as their icon while denigrating the greatest man Indian had produced. True as this book reveals Gandhi had his eccentricities, fads and some peculiar notions about modern civilization but that would in way belittle the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi, In short, a totally engrossing autobiography throwing new lights on Gandhi’s life and thus adding to the rich literature on Gandhi.
Even more than seven decades after his death, Gandhi remains a towering figure and an enchanting subject for many historians. Many books have been written about him and many more are likely to be written. But Guha’s book will remain one of the best.
June 17, 2015
I don't know a lot about Gandhi. All I know about him comes from pop-cultural osmosis (like Richard Attenborough's Gandhi), or the smattering I picked up in high school. This delightful biography by Ramachandra Guha eschews the typical 'skip to India' philosophies taken towards Gandhi's life. It encompasses Gandhi's birth and early life and ends in 1915, before Gandhi returned to India. Those desirous of a complete narrative will have to wait for the promised sequel volume.
Guha sets out to provide a much more complete picture of Gandhi. He succeeds. Guha utilized a wider range of sources with greater depth than previous Gandhi biographies. Not only does he consult primary sources, he examines the people surrounding Gandhi, those who met or wrote about him. In the end we have a much more complete picture. The author at several points even comments on how some primary sources he used were not to be found in the alleged Complete Works of Gandhi. His scholarship is superb, as reflected in the wider range of sources. By sources alone, this will be the definitive account of Gandhi's time in India.
The text also takes a remarkable even-handed view of such an influential global figure. Guha does not unfairly criticize Gandhi, nor worship him. You will learn about Gandhi's successful struggle for independence as well as several unsavory aspects of his character, like his tumultuous relationship with his eldest son.
Possibly the most surprising fact I took away from the text, was how the bulk of Gandhi's personal philosophy, his vegetarianism, his pacifism, was borne out of his barrister studies in Victorian Britain. His passion for vegetarianism for instance, can be traced back to the writings of a Victorian named Henry Salt. His pacifism stemmed from the moralist, Christian-anarchic writings of Leo Tolstoy. Although it's doubtful, as Guha notes, that Gandhi ever read his fiction epics.
Gandhi remains a global figure. He inspired most of the struggles for freedom that followed after him, like the Civil Rights movement in America. As any astute reader will notice, much of the peaceful protest tactics innovated by Gandhi, are ones still fresh and as useful as they were at the turn of the twentieth century. For it's excellence in such an important subject, for making me forget that Gandhi could be or was cliché, this book gets the highest rating I can possibly give it. It is one of those few, universal books I will recommend to everyone.
Guha sets out to provide a much more complete picture of Gandhi. He succeeds. Guha utilized a wider range of sources with greater depth than previous Gandhi biographies. Not only does he consult primary sources, he examines the people surrounding Gandhi, those who met or wrote about him. In the end we have a much more complete picture. The author at several points even comments on how some primary sources he used were not to be found in the alleged Complete Works of Gandhi. His scholarship is superb, as reflected in the wider range of sources. By sources alone, this will be the definitive account of Gandhi's time in India.
The text also takes a remarkable even-handed view of such an influential global figure. Guha does not unfairly criticize Gandhi, nor worship him. You will learn about Gandhi's successful struggle for independence as well as several unsavory aspects of his character, like his tumultuous relationship with his eldest son.
Possibly the most surprising fact I took away from the text, was how the bulk of Gandhi's personal philosophy, his vegetarianism, his pacifism, was borne out of his barrister studies in Victorian Britain. His passion for vegetarianism for instance, can be traced back to the writings of a Victorian named Henry Salt. His pacifism stemmed from the moralist, Christian-anarchic writings of Leo Tolstoy. Although it's doubtful, as Guha notes, that Gandhi ever read his fiction epics.
Gandhi remains a global figure. He inspired most of the struggles for freedom that followed after him, like the Civil Rights movement in America. As any astute reader will notice, much of the peaceful protest tactics innovated by Gandhi, are ones still fresh and as useful as they were at the turn of the twentieth century. For it's excellence in such an important subject, for making me forget that Gandhi could be or was cliché, this book gets the highest rating I can possibly give it. It is one of those few, universal books I will recommend to everyone.
August 5, 2014
Excellent book. Good way to write and read history. Especially to show how the character evolves over 25 years.
Gandhi's social identity, how it evolves, how he learns, and the impact it has on the community is laid out threadbare. Event to event, instance to instance. But, his religious core doesn't receive such a focus, one feels. So, while one appreciates the swiftness and the moral strength with which Gandhi responds to a situation, and how that helps the community take to the cause with greater intimacy, one doesn't know what of Gandhi's beliefs and feelings within shaped that response. Gandhi's religious beliefs and feelings also underwent a continuous evolution, which doesn't seem to be as much part of the focus, for the author. Yet, since there is enough detail, a discerning reader should be able to infer.
Gandhi's social identity, how it evolves, how he learns, and the impact it has on the community is laid out threadbare. Event to event, instance to instance. But, his religious core doesn't receive such a focus, one feels. So, while one appreciates the swiftness and the moral strength with which Gandhi responds to a situation, and how that helps the community take to the cause with greater intimacy, one doesn't know what of Gandhi's beliefs and feelings within shaped that response. Gandhi's religious beliefs and feelings also underwent a continuous evolution, which doesn't seem to be as much part of the focus, for the author. Yet, since there is enough detail, a discerning reader should be able to infer.
September 11, 2017
The book shows the journey of a shy, confused, diet-obsessed middle aged barrister into a leader, social reformer and a self taught Nathuropathy doctor.
I cannot actually believe that such a man existed. He was loved by everyone he touched and He loved everyone he met. I wonder how he had such great capacity to love everyone. The book also talks about his strained relations with his sons and wife. It shows that just like everyone Gandhi had problems every human has but the way he dealt with them is very intellectual.
The book definitely helps one to think and dig deep about personal beliefs and value system
I cannot actually believe that such a man existed. He was loved by everyone he touched and He loved everyone he met. I wonder how he had such great capacity to love everyone. The book also talks about his strained relations with his sons and wife. It shows that just like everyone Gandhi had problems every human has but the way he dealt with them is very intellectual.
The book definitely helps one to think and dig deep about personal beliefs and value system
April 14, 2014
The making of the Mahatma and his time tested methods of passive resistance are usually the missing chapters in any popular biography or biofilm of the Father of the Nation. This book takes us through the many stages in the life of M K Gandhi, who evolves through chapters from a shy student to a cosmopolitan vegetarian to a failed lawyer to a Hindu Pluralist and eventually becoming the champion of the Indian cause in colonial South Africa. Many thanks to Guha, who whether by magic or mastership has made this book a veritable page-turner despite its volume and gravity.
April 24, 2020
வழக்கறிஞராய் போனவர் மகாத்மவாய் திரும்பிய வரலாறு.
இந்தியர்களைப் பொறுத்தவரை தாங்கள் விரும்பும்/மதிக்கும் மனிதர்களை, புனிதர்களாக உயர்த்தி அவர்களைச் சுற்றி ஒரு புனித பிம்பத்தைக் கட்டியமைத்துவிட்டு, உண்மையை முழுதாகவோ அல்லது பகுதியாகவோ திரைபோட்டு மறைத்துவிடுவார்கள். உண்மை யாருக்கும் வேண்டியதில்லை. அதனால் பைசா உபயோகமும் கிடையாது. ஆனால், கட்டி எழுப்பப்பட்ட புகழ் மயக்கங்களோ இனிமையைத் தரும்.
Read More @ https://bit.ly/3cIPEhJ
இந்தியர்களைப் பொறுத்தவரை தாங்கள் விரும்பும்/மதிக்கும் மனிதர்களை, புனிதர்களாக உயர்த்தி அவர்களைச் சுற்றி ஒரு புனித பிம்பத்தைக் கட்டியமைத்துவிட்டு, உண்மையை முழுதாகவோ அல்லது பகுதியாகவோ திரைபோட்டு மறைத்துவிடுவார்கள். உண்மை யாருக்கும் வேண்டியதில்லை. அதனால் பைசா உபயோகமும் கிடையாது. ஆனால், கட்டி எழுப்பப்பட்ட புகழ் மயக்கங்களோ இனிமையைத் தரும்.
Read More @ https://bit.ly/3cIPEhJ
June 8, 2014
I enjoyed reading Gandhi Before India, though I wish that he had taken up cause with the Africans too. I look forward to reading about the other people he got to know during his time in South Africa.
March 27, 2016
truly a masterpiece... started loving Gandhi after reading this book
May 2, 2021
There is a common misconception that people of Indian origin must know a lot about Gandhi, but unfortunately for a lot of us Gandhi remains a distant memory of old textbooks and Ben Kingsley's 1982 classic movie Gandhi. I suppose I fall into a criteria of those people that have a very basic understanding of Gandhi predominantly driven by Ben Kingsley's character in Gandhi that I watched growing up every year on the 2nd October (Gandhi's Birthday). In my mind, the lawyer turned freedom fighter after an incident at St. Pietermaritzburg when Gandhi was forced to move to the 3rd class of the train because of his color but I had no understanding of twenty odd years or so he spent in South Africa which turned him into a man he became.
With any biography, the author tends to fall in love with the subject and becomes Pollyanna towards the subject but what I like about Ramachandra Guha's book is that it also sheds lights on Gandhi's flaws. This book is part one of the two part series not including the book by the same author "India after Gandhi". Gandhi before India covers the first forty-five years of his life, his upbringing, his early marriage, his carnal desires, his relationship with his wife including the act of celibacy, his involvement with vegetarianism, his failure to make a career as a lawyer in India, his overbearing personality as a father, his interactions in south Africa that shaped his political ideology. This book discusses the Mohandas K. Gandhi's less known and often forgotten years in Porbandar, Rajkot, Bombay, London, Durban and Johannesburg. What we fail to realize that it was these first forty-five years that turned Gandhi into a social reformer, religious thinker, political actor, an icon, inspiration for non-violent movements and a prophet of inter-faith harmony. Gandhi was born as a Baniya caste but his curiosity led him to understand Abrahamic religions. Gandhi was originally employed by Muslim merchants but he came to become close friends with Jews, Christians and Parsis. He understood Judaism through his relationships with Polak, Kallenbach and Sonja Schlesin. He was profoundly shaped by Christian texts especially Tolstoy's "The Kingdom of God Is Within You". If Gandhi had not lived in South Africa, then he may have not outgrown the conventional views of Indian men of his class and his generation.
While he had Indian and European friends of all castes, he never forged any meaningful friendship with the Africans. At first, he adhered to then common idea of a hierarchy of civilization - the Europeans on top, the Indians just below them, the Africans at the bottom. During his time in South Africa he realized the discrimination that the Africans were subject to and looked forward to co-mingling of races in the future of South Africa. Last year there was news that the statue of Gandhi in Washington D.C. was vandalized by some radicals that belonged to Indian sub-continent, driven based on the fact that Gandhi was racist and Indians at the time referred Africans as Kaffirs. The act was probably driven by the vitriol dispersed by social media in form of memes. The pusillanimity of the situation is that these acts took place more than a century after and without full understanding of Gandhi's time in South Africa. Another thing that I'd like to highlight is that not only was Gandhi the product of his generation but so was John Dube an African educationist - who referred Indians as coolies and unskilled and yet was inspired by Gandhi and the idea of passive resistance.
In the early 20th century when Marxism was on full display and admired, Gandhi was viewed more or less as a reactionary and Satyagraha as a effeminate way to struggle. In the next two decades Marxism took a battering and displays fascists leaders such as Lenin were on full display. In retrospect Gandhi's way of passive resistance was more appealing. Gandhi's obsession with the simple agrarian life is another point of contention especially in the current times. Gandhi was obsessed with John Ruskin's work especially "Unto this last" - A polemic against influential science of political economy. The core teachings as understood by Gandhi was that the work of the farmers and labourers was as valuable as the work of the lawyers and factory managers. To work with one's hands and on the land was more honorable than working with one's brains or with aid of machines. I personally do not agree with this construct but i'd like to read the 2nd volume before I opine further. The later generation will always find that their predecessors way of doing things were parochial and I could very well be in the camp when it comes to Gandhi's economic policies but that is for next review.
A must read for anyone trying to learn about Gandhi's years that helped transform him from being a Lawyer to Mahatma!
With any biography, the author tends to fall in love with the subject and becomes Pollyanna towards the subject but what I like about Ramachandra Guha's book is that it also sheds lights on Gandhi's flaws. This book is part one of the two part series not including the book by the same author "India after Gandhi". Gandhi before India covers the first forty-five years of his life, his upbringing, his early marriage, his carnal desires, his relationship with his wife including the act of celibacy, his involvement with vegetarianism, his failure to make a career as a lawyer in India, his overbearing personality as a father, his interactions in south Africa that shaped his political ideology. This book discusses the Mohandas K. Gandhi's less known and often forgotten years in Porbandar, Rajkot, Bombay, London, Durban and Johannesburg. What we fail to realize that it was these first forty-five years that turned Gandhi into a social reformer, religious thinker, political actor, an icon, inspiration for non-violent movements and a prophet of inter-faith harmony. Gandhi was born as a Baniya caste but his curiosity led him to understand Abrahamic religions. Gandhi was originally employed by Muslim merchants but he came to become close friends with Jews, Christians and Parsis. He understood Judaism through his relationships with Polak, Kallenbach and Sonja Schlesin. He was profoundly shaped by Christian texts especially Tolstoy's "The Kingdom of God Is Within You". If Gandhi had not lived in South Africa, then he may have not outgrown the conventional views of Indian men of his class and his generation.
While he had Indian and European friends of all castes, he never forged any meaningful friendship with the Africans. At first, he adhered to then common idea of a hierarchy of civilization - the Europeans on top, the Indians just below them, the Africans at the bottom. During his time in South Africa he realized the discrimination that the Africans were subject to and looked forward to co-mingling of races in the future of South Africa. Last year there was news that the statue of Gandhi in Washington D.C. was vandalized by some radicals that belonged to Indian sub-continent, driven based on the fact that Gandhi was racist and Indians at the time referred Africans as Kaffirs. The act was probably driven by the vitriol dispersed by social media in form of memes. The pusillanimity of the situation is that these acts took place more than a century after and without full understanding of Gandhi's time in South Africa. Another thing that I'd like to highlight is that not only was Gandhi the product of his generation but so was John Dube an African educationist - who referred Indians as coolies and unskilled and yet was inspired by Gandhi and the idea of passive resistance.
In the early 20th century when Marxism was on full display and admired, Gandhi was viewed more or less as a reactionary and Satyagraha as a effeminate way to struggle. In the next two decades Marxism took a battering and displays fascists leaders such as Lenin were on full display. In retrospect Gandhi's way of passive resistance was more appealing. Gandhi's obsession with the simple agrarian life is another point of contention especially in the current times. Gandhi was obsessed with John Ruskin's work especially "Unto this last" - A polemic against influential science of political economy. The core teachings as understood by Gandhi was that the work of the farmers and labourers was as valuable as the work of the lawyers and factory managers. To work with one's hands and on the land was more honorable than working with one's brains or with aid of machines. I personally do not agree with this construct but i'd like to read the 2nd volume before I opine further. The later generation will always find that their predecessors way of doing things were parochial and I could very well be in the camp when it comes to Gandhi's economic policies but that is for next review.
A must read for anyone trying to learn about Gandhi's years that helped transform him from being a Lawyer to Mahatma!
February 7, 2015
As can be expected of Guha, this book is a thorough and unprecedented study of the transformation of Gandhi from a city-bred lawyer to a nonconformist civil rights leader in South Africa. The book builds his story chronologically from his birth to his final departure from South Africa using contemporary records - letters to and by him, news articles written about or by him, various petitions, and the views expressed by various leaders and intellectuals on either side of the debate.
The book reads like a suspense novel, at times building momentum towards self-determination and civic equality like a giant swing. It is exhaustive, consciously repetitive, and therefore at times tedious, but well worth persevering till the end, without skipping any detail, because most of it presents records of less-known, but significant incidents that shaped Gandhi's thoughts and actions that he then re-finessed in India. The thing to be noted about the actions, is the sustained and repetitive nature of the pleas over years, oftentimes fighting previously-won battles, by strictly following the legislative route, and re-appealing to the leaders' rationality. Even his civil disobedience movement, involving many stints in jail, ultimately conformed to the law (by seeking the punishment that breaking the law would bring)! Gandhi's passive resistance promoted self-suffering without inflicting suffering on others. He was mostly about shaming the government into rightful action.
While the non-violence aspect of his movement is common knowledge, the meliorism that underpinned the movement becomes blatant when one traces the incidents on a proper timeline. It is frustrating to read elected officials go back on promises they made two pages ago, so that the Indians have to prepare again for a new round of peaceful protestation in the following chapter. Each time, the list of basic rights they are deprived of and plead for gets bigger and bigger as the laws and living circumstances are made more and more unbearable! And yet, the movement is almost entirely nonviolent, if not non-confrontational.
It is apparent that Gandhi's experiments in inter-faith and self-discovery helped him cultivate a capacitance for equanimity and persistence, especially through some really low lows. But I wonder where the other leaders, and the majority of the Indian population following his lead got their willpower from!
There is nothing adventitious about Gandhi's work (he even sedulously converts his professional failures into stepping stones for his political ambitions). He may seem, on the face of it, an unlikely universal leader, which is made more astounding by the fact that this was also the most harrowing time in world history for non-whites; but, he succeeds because his is a temperate, moral struggle for fairness, and not a fight against the oppressors. He mainly apprised the people in power that their policies departed from the ideas and traditions of their own rulers, and from the spirit of Christ. Gandhi's loyalty and duty towards the British empire was apparent when he inspired Indians to fight alongside the British during the Anglo-Boer War. He mostly approached the Indian question from the European standpoint, and maintained that the residents of colonies could achieve their complete emancipation only within and through the British empire. To this end, he carefully calibrated his views and demands to suit the political mood of the times, forever acknowledging the asymmetry of power, but attempting to reduce prejudice, even in the face of complete disregard for Indians by both Boers and Britons. In this, perhaps, his struggle in South Africa was different from his later struggle in India... where he demanded complete emancipation from the yoke of imperialism.
Guha is of opinion that Gandhi identified with the sufferings of his Indian compatriots, but was happier to find companionship and intellectual stimulation among the more educated whites - mostly Jews, vegetarians, inter-faith liberals, non-conformists, and people from other dissenting subcultures who experienced prejudice in one form or another (and a few noteworthy Indians).
He was global-minded, and admired the works of many prominent leaders all over the world! He assimilated the philosophies of humanitarians he met or read about with unflinching readiness, urgency, and immediate impact.
Gandhi lived in non-Indian neighborhoods in London and South Africa (even though his work always focussed on advancing the individual and collective causes of Indians). At a time when it was scandalous for white-South Africans to "aid, abet, assist" Indians, he not only made close friends and found admirers among them, but also started mixed-race communal settlements (inspired by Leo Tolstoy and John Ruskin) with them, and ran them using some kind of moral-economy model. He even scandalously lived with many of his white friends at different points in his life! His life was therefore guided by a romantic idealism... perhaps made possible because his eccentricities were backed by his intellect. During the passive resistance movement, there were several times when his white-friends (active leaders of the movement) even defended him against some Indian adversaries.
It must be said here, that even though Gandhi was singular in his ability to extend the bonds of fellowship across religion, class, ethnicity and gender, he still subscribed to conventional hierarchies of race to some extent. It took him two decades of living outside India, to get rid of his prejudice against Africans and to recognize that other races too suffered from the same kind of discrimination that Indians did as a result of decades of subjugation. He still maintained that each community has to work out their own path in overcoming the disadvantages peculiar to it. One must appreciate his capacity to rise above the identities of race to whatever extent, in the context of the heightened multi-diasporic politics and the polyhedral migration of the time. The power equations between the majority and the minority, or colonists and the colonized (immigrants and natives), was so devious that even if it was understood in theory, it was impossible to take a stand on it in practice!
In light of Gandhi's accomplishments as a social reformer, community activist (who also healed divisions within indian communities) and multi-disciplinary spiritualist, the one thing that was jarring, was his peculiar relationship with his family. On the one hand, his equation with family was traditionally patriarchal, so that his wife and children were burdened with following his exacting precepts. On the other hand, he was almost indifferent to their suffering (when he was not nurturing it to serve a greater cause). What was stranger, was his unusual empathy for them at the most unexpected times. It's hard to say what got his goat and what did not! His love for them was complicated by his penance to find self, and to put service above self. But, it is confusing whether he saw his family as being part of or separate from himself (even though he expresses a desire to rid himself of all familial attachments), while they were expected to participate in balancing what he thought were more important strands in his life. At times it also felt unfair, because he lost his parents when he was young, and had the luxury of carving out his own path in life. Then again, you see many people (within and outside his family) willingly follow his lead, and shape history, and it doesn't seem so terrible.
The book reads like a suspense novel, at times building momentum towards self-determination and civic equality like a giant swing. It is exhaustive, consciously repetitive, and therefore at times tedious, but well worth persevering till the end, without skipping any detail, because most of it presents records of less-known, but significant incidents that shaped Gandhi's thoughts and actions that he then re-finessed in India. The thing to be noted about the actions, is the sustained and repetitive nature of the pleas over years, oftentimes fighting previously-won battles, by strictly following the legislative route, and re-appealing to the leaders' rationality. Even his civil disobedience movement, involving many stints in jail, ultimately conformed to the law (by seeking the punishment that breaking the law would bring)! Gandhi's passive resistance promoted self-suffering without inflicting suffering on others. He was mostly about shaming the government into rightful action.
While the non-violence aspect of his movement is common knowledge, the meliorism that underpinned the movement becomes blatant when one traces the incidents on a proper timeline. It is frustrating to read elected officials go back on promises they made two pages ago, so that the Indians have to prepare again for a new round of peaceful protestation in the following chapter. Each time, the list of basic rights they are deprived of and plead for gets bigger and bigger as the laws and living circumstances are made more and more unbearable! And yet, the movement is almost entirely nonviolent, if not non-confrontational.
It is apparent that Gandhi's experiments in inter-faith and self-discovery helped him cultivate a capacitance for equanimity and persistence, especially through some really low lows. But I wonder where the other leaders, and the majority of the Indian population following his lead got their willpower from!
There is nothing adventitious about Gandhi's work (he even sedulously converts his professional failures into stepping stones for his political ambitions). He may seem, on the face of it, an unlikely universal leader, which is made more astounding by the fact that this was also the most harrowing time in world history for non-whites; but, he succeeds because his is a temperate, moral struggle for fairness, and not a fight against the oppressors. He mainly apprised the people in power that their policies departed from the ideas and traditions of their own rulers, and from the spirit of Christ. Gandhi's loyalty and duty towards the British empire was apparent when he inspired Indians to fight alongside the British during the Anglo-Boer War. He mostly approached the Indian question from the European standpoint, and maintained that the residents of colonies could achieve their complete emancipation only within and through the British empire. To this end, he carefully calibrated his views and demands to suit the political mood of the times, forever acknowledging the asymmetry of power, but attempting to reduce prejudice, even in the face of complete disregard for Indians by both Boers and Britons. In this, perhaps, his struggle in South Africa was different from his later struggle in India... where he demanded complete emancipation from the yoke of imperialism.
Guha is of opinion that Gandhi identified with the sufferings of his Indian compatriots, but was happier to find companionship and intellectual stimulation among the more educated whites - mostly Jews, vegetarians, inter-faith liberals, non-conformists, and people from other dissenting subcultures who experienced prejudice in one form or another (and a few noteworthy Indians).
He was global-minded, and admired the works of many prominent leaders all over the world! He assimilated the philosophies of humanitarians he met or read about with unflinching readiness, urgency, and immediate impact.
Gandhi lived in non-Indian neighborhoods in London and South Africa (even though his work always focussed on advancing the individual and collective causes of Indians). At a time when it was scandalous for white-South Africans to "aid, abet, assist" Indians, he not only made close friends and found admirers among them, but also started mixed-race communal settlements (inspired by Leo Tolstoy and John Ruskin) with them, and ran them using some kind of moral-economy model. He even scandalously lived with many of his white friends at different points in his life! His life was therefore guided by a romantic idealism... perhaps made possible because his eccentricities were backed by his intellect. During the passive resistance movement, there were several times when his white-friends (active leaders of the movement) even defended him against some Indian adversaries.
It must be said here, that even though Gandhi was singular in his ability to extend the bonds of fellowship across religion, class, ethnicity and gender, he still subscribed to conventional hierarchies of race to some extent. It took him two decades of living outside India, to get rid of his prejudice against Africans and to recognize that other races too suffered from the same kind of discrimination that Indians did as a result of decades of subjugation. He still maintained that each community has to work out their own path in overcoming the disadvantages peculiar to it. One must appreciate his capacity to rise above the identities of race to whatever extent, in the context of the heightened multi-diasporic politics and the polyhedral migration of the time. The power equations between the majority and the minority, or colonists and the colonized (immigrants and natives), was so devious that even if it was understood in theory, it was impossible to take a stand on it in practice!
In light of Gandhi's accomplishments as a social reformer, community activist (who also healed divisions within indian communities) and multi-disciplinary spiritualist, the one thing that was jarring, was his peculiar relationship with his family. On the one hand, his equation with family was traditionally patriarchal, so that his wife and children were burdened with following his exacting precepts. On the other hand, he was almost indifferent to their suffering (when he was not nurturing it to serve a greater cause). What was stranger, was his unusual empathy for them at the most unexpected times. It's hard to say what got his goat and what did not! His love for them was complicated by his penance to find self, and to put service above self. But, it is confusing whether he saw his family as being part of or separate from himself (even though he expresses a desire to rid himself of all familial attachments), while they were expected to participate in balancing what he thought were more important strands in his life. At times it also felt unfair, because he lost his parents when he was young, and had the luxury of carving out his own path in life. Then again, you see many people (within and outside his family) willingly follow his lead, and shape history, and it doesn't seem so terrible.
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