Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is a figure that is constantly praised. He is often referred to as “Mahatma Gandhi”. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “Mahtma” as “a person to be revered for high-mindedness, wisdom, and selflessness” or “a person of great prestige in a field of endeavor”. Gandhi is often idolized, given the title of “the father of the nation”, and celebrated as a respected example of “non-violent resistance” and “anti-colonial” resistance. In the context of the West, his quotes are seen as inspiring.

Not many people know the truth about this individual. It is important we remove our blindfolds and start to see this man for who he truly was.

Click here to access the sources I used to write this piece.

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Who was Gandhi?

Below I have provided a few points on the background of this figure. I would like to note that it is quite difficult to thoroughly explain complex history in a single post with proper nuance. As always, I suggest you take the time out to thoroughly and critically do your own research to grasp a more developed understanding.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer who was seen to be:

-an “anti-colonial” nationalist

-a political “ethicist”

-an advocate of “nonviolent resistance”

to this day he is honored and

-recognized as one of the twentieth century’s “greatest political and spiritual leaders”

-idolized by many

-given the label of being “the father of the nation” by many indians.

-is quoted and seen as an inspiration not only back home but also within the western worlds.

He is often referred to as “Mahatma Gandhi. “Mahatma” is a term that is used to regard someone with reverence or loving soul

(“maha” means great and “atman” means soul)

Let’s dive into some of his doings that get undermined far too often and see just how “Mahatma” he truly was.

The Truth Behind Gandhi’s Diet

From his vegetarianism to his hunger fasts, Gandhi’s diet is frequently disputed.

Did you know that one of the main factors in Gandhi forcing various dietary restrictions upon himself was his goal to “curb his sex drive”

His bizzare diet often resulted in constipation.

How did he deal with it?- He routinely invited young women to keep him company. He also regularly subjected them to daily enemas (which he often gave himself as well).

He also forced his own diet and lifestyle onto those around him including his wife. He saw his wife as inferior. He said cruel things about her such as “I simply cannot bear to look at Ba’s face. The expression is often like that on the face of a meek cow and gives one the feeling as a cow occasionally does, that in her own dumb manner she is saying something.” He also had intimate bonds with other women who were not his wife (will touch on this later on).

His wife put up with the treatment. In 1944 she died of pneumonia. There was a cure, but Gandhi refused for her to get injected with the penicillin she needed to survive saying he was anti “alien medicine” (hypocritically enough, soon after her death- Gandhi got Malaria but allowed the use of quinine).

Odd Relations

Gandhi was sexist. He claimed that menstruation was a manifestation of the distortion of a woman’s soul by her sexuality and argued that women are to be blamed for sexual assaults that are carried out upon them. He also justified fathers killing their daughters if they had been sexually assaulted- insinuating that they have tarnished the name and “honor” of their family. He labelled women who used contraceptives as “whores” and gave the women in his ashrams stricter punishments than the men. He even chopped off the hair of two female followers who were being harassed.

Gandhi’s personal relations with women were very odd. He kept young girls around him daily and

-routinely bathed with them and asked personal questions

-regularly got nude massages from them

-forced them to sleep with him to “test his chastity”

He also involved his own grandniece and his grandnephew’s wife (both of them being 18) in his “purity experiments”

As mentioned in the last slide, Gandhi was not loyal to his wife. He had intimate relations with several women including Madeline Slade and Saraladevi Chodhurani. He exhanged countless “intimate missives” with Madeline which read like love letters. He reffered to Saraladevi as his “spiritual wife” and kept different standards for her compared to the other girls in his ashram.

Gandhi Sided With Fascism.

Gandhi wrote to Adolf Hitler ATLEAST twice (1939 and 1940). It is easy to dismiss this by sugarcoating it as him trying to bring about “peace” but saying things like “we have no doubt about your bravery or devotion to your fatherland, nor do we believe that you are the monster described by your opponents” to a brutual fascist dictator is not acceptable.

That was not the only context in which Gandhi supported a fascist either. After meeting Mussolini (an Italian fascist leader) in 1931 Gandhi had called Mussolini “one of the greatest statesmen of our time” and said “many of his reforms attract me, he seems to have done much for the peasant class”

Gandhi’s Anti-Blackness

While working in South Africa, Gandhi faced discrimination from the white South Africans and instead of joining Black South Africans in the fight against racism he atttacked the natives. His words speak volumes about his character and mentality.

[expletive] will be used as a substitute of the offensive slurs originally used. The direct quotes with original wording along with MANY others can be found in the book mentioned above.

-Sept. 26, 1896: “Ours is one continual struggle against a degradation sought to be inflicted upon us by the Europeans, who desire to degrade us to the level of the raw [expletive] whose occupation is hunting, and whose sole ambition is to collect a certain number of cattle to buy a wife with and then, pass his life in indolence and nakedness.” — Vol. 1, p. 410

-Sept. 24, 1903: “We believe as much in the purity of race as we think they do… We believe also that the white race of South Africa should be the predominating race.” — Vol. 3, p. 256

-Feb. 15, 1904: “Under my suggestion, the Town Council must withdraw the [expletive] from the location. About this mixing of the [expletive] with the Indians, I must confess I feel most strongly. I think it is very unfair to the Indian population.” — Vol. 3, p. 429

-Sept. 5, 1905: “The decision to open the school for all coloured children is unjust to the Indian community and is a departure from the assurance given… that the school will be reserved for Indian children only.” — Vol. 4, p. 402

-Sept. 2, 1907: “From these views expressed by a White we have a lesson to learn: We must encourage the Whites too. It is a short-sighted policy to employ, through sheer [expletive], a [expletive] for washing work. If we keep in view the conditions in this country and patronize the Whites, whenever proper and necessary, then every such White will serve as an advertisement for the Indian trader.” — Vol. 6, p. 276

-Jan. 23, 1909: “I acquainted the Governor with what had happened and told him there was urgent need for separate lavatories for Indians. I also told him that Indian prisoners should never be lodged with [expletive]. The Governor immediately issued an order for a lavatory for Indians to be sent on from the Central Gaol. Thus, from the next day the difficulty about lavatories disappeared.” — Vol. 9, p. 270

Gandhi’s Casteism

Gandhi has always believed in ancestral occupations.

In 1921 he said “I believe that if Hindu society has been able to stand it is because it is founded on the caste system, to destroy the caste system and adopt the European social system means that Hindus must give up the principle of hereditary occupation which is the soul of the caste system. The hereditary principle is an eternal principle, to change it is to create disorder. I have no use for a brahmin if I cannot call him a brahmin for my life. It will be chaos if everyday a brahmin is changed into a shudra and a shudra is to be changed into a brahmin”

During his time in South Africa, he did not even campaign for Indians who were actually oppressed. He aimed to make those with power more powerful.

There are so many instances where Gandhi spoke for and over Dalits. He was also hostile towards Ambedkar.

When looking into the history and trauma of marginalized groups it is important to learn from those directly impacted. In the context of casteism you should be listening to and amplifying DBA (Dalit, Bahujan Adivasi).

Click here for resources on anti-casteism.

“Peace over violence” is a flawed narrative used to protect privilege. In most cases the idea of nonviolence is used to enable oppressors.

STAY CRITICAL.