How today's Kerala views Gandhi

On the 77th Martyrs’ Day, as the nation remembers the Mahatma, TNIE speaks to people from diverse age groups and backgrounds about their idea of Gandhi and his relevance in today’s India
How today's Kerala views Gandhi
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Sunil P Elayidom
Sunil P ElayidomSpecial Arrangement

Sunil P Elayidom, writer and professor at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit

Gandhi’s relevance can be seen in various quarters. In my opinion, two of them are the most important today. One, it was he who introduced the ideals of secularism into the Indian collective consciousness. The earlier nationalist concepts were based on religion. Gandhi successfully argued that the nation’s foundation was the common folk. It was he who transformed national sentiments to align with the concept ‘We the people of India’. And that nationalist thought he stood for is even more relevant today, at a time when our politics has become polarised. The second factor is his unwavering stand against communalism. His interventions to foster Hindu-Muslim unity, and his lonely fight in those turbulent times of Partition became a reality, his final two hunger strikes… they have become more relevant now.

M H Ilias
M H IliasSpecial Arrangement

M H Ilias, professor at School of Gandhian Thought and Development Studies, MG University

Gandhi’s non-violent resistance has been widely accepted worldwide and even inspired several democratic movements, including in South Africa and even several Arab countries. Even now, his concept of hunger strike is one of the major forms of resistance. His idea of development is much more relevant in today’s world, especially in India. Gandhi fought for a humane development that would uplift the poor and be accessible to all. Progress of society, he believed, should be measured by the well-being of the most vulnerable. And for him, democracy was not the voice of the majority, but based on justice. I think, philosophically, he was an anarchist who supported ideas of individual autonomy and freedom.

Gargi Datta
Gargi DattaSpecial arrangement

Gargi Datta, college student

Gandhiji’s aura as the supreme leader of the Indian freedom struggle has surely seen a slump. This is because of the changes in perspectives facilitated by enhanced access to research material on the internet. Figures such as Chandrasekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh, too, have been gaining prominence. Moreover, Gandhi and his ideals are not considered sacred any more – they are open to questioning. He, however, will continue to be revered as the Father of the Nation for his stand against untouchability, respect for Harijans, etc.

Sreejith Panickar
Sreejith PanickarSpecial arrangement

Sreejith Panickar, history researcher and political commentator

That Gandhi alone secured us freedom was a government-sponsored myth that we all learnt from schools. That was gross disrespect to all those people who fought against British rule, especially the 25,000 lives lost, as per records, in armed struggle. It must be noted that Subhas Chandra Bose had been elected for the second term as the president of the INC, defeating Pattabhi Sitaramiah, who was Gandhi’s candidate. Clement Atlee, who was the British PM in 1947, had stated that the Brits left India because of Bose. Besides this, Gandhi’s responses to the Khilafat movement and the Mappila riots, and his choice of Nehru as the leader of independent India against the more popular Sardar Vallabhbai Patel show he was more of a kingmaker, not a superhuman. With all due respect to Gandhi, I would say varied perspectives are helping us evaluate history better.

C Ravichandran
C RavichandranSpecial arrangement

C Ravichandran, professor & writer

I like Gandhi a lot. However, I don’t agree with his politics. Though Gandhi preached secularism, he was not truly secular. He was deeply religious, and he was the first person who tried to integrate the several castes into one religion. He was even willing to give up his life for Hinduism — the Poona Pact (referring to Gandhi’s fast against dividing Hindus). With his hunger strike, he managed to integrate scheduled castes and tribes with Hinduism. In a way, he was the ‘Big Daddy’ of the BJP. He promoted Hinduism, the varna system, the Gita… his secularism was fake. He was superstitious and misogynistic. He also comes across as unscientific and irrational. For instance, he didn’t allow his wife, Kasurba, to take antibiotics when she was down with pneumonia. But this attitude shifted when he fell ill.

Tarun George Philip
Tarun George PhilipSpecial Arrangement

Tarun George Philip, college student

Gandhi was highly influential among the common people. One example I can recount is from the annals of my college. When he visited UC College, Aluva, in 1925, he spoke about the importance of adopting khadi. He also spoke against manual scavenging, which existed on our campus at that time. The college adopted khadi and ended the practice of manual scavenging. Now, the coming generation has the added responsibility to read up more on Gandhi and propagate his secular ideas. This society has a huge space for the youngsters to work with his ideas.

Diksha Nair
Diksha NairSpecial arrangement

Diksha K Nair, Class XII student

There has surely been a change in the way Gandhiji is seen now when I compare with my growing-up years. He is no longer viewed as the sole face of the Independence movement. Some of his ideas and practices are being critically analysed. The halo has gone. That’s okay, as he was also a mere human, vulnerable to flaws. Humanising him doesn’t mean taking away the due respect. His Champaran struggle, and the non-violence movement will remain legendary.

Gowri Sudin
Gowri SudinSpecial Arrangement

Gowri Sudin, English & soft skills mentor

The kind of image of Gandhi that was thrust upon my 2000’s generation during childhood was of a saintly man — the ‘half-naked fakir’, peace personified. However, as I grew up and read more about him, that image changed. He became a complicated figure, more muddied. And in the present times, his idea of non-violence wouldn’t be practical. Moreover, his misogynistic views, ideas about segregation, etc., call for a re-evaluation. During the Black Lives Matter protests, there were calls to remove his statue, along with other historical figures, in England. The coming generation’s views about Gandhi would, to a large extent, be shaped by anti/pro propagandistic films and statements that are much more accessible through social media these days.

Bineesh Sadasivan
Bineesh SadasivanSpecial arrangement

Bineesh Sadasivan, financial analyst

When I was young, I viewed Gandhi as a saint-like figure. That was because I had access only to one-sided info. Now as we cruise on the information superhighway, the blind reverence has been waning. One, the myth of Gandhi and Nehru being the sole heroes of the freedom struggle has been shattered. Unsung heroes such as S C Bose and Bhagat Singh are being recognised. Then, there are several questions arising about the austerity he is said to have practised, the way he treated his wife, etc. I also find it hard to digest his idea of nonviolence regarding the Mapilla riots or the violence against the Jews. He is said to have urged the victims to suffer in silence to bring about change.

Sabari Girija Rajan
Sabari Girija RajanSpecial Arrangement

Sabari Girija Rajan, research scholar

There is no doubt about Gandhi’s peerless contributions towards India’s independence. His ideas, such as non-violence, have had a tremendous influence across the globe. Gandhi actually wished that the Poona Pact would make caste Hindus take the effort to bridge gaps with B R Ambedkar and the communities he represented. But they failed him miserably in achieving his vision of Hindus being inclusive of Dalits. Eventually, fanatics belonging to the very same kind he sought to reform took his life. Yet, his vision remains relevant even after 77 years.

Sudeesh Yezhuvath
Sudeesh YezhuvathSpecial Arrangement

Sudeesh Yezhuvath, photographer

I have been part of a recent art project focusing on the last 18 months of Gandhiji’s life. During that period, his primary focus was on communal harmony. He was unhappy, seeing how divided the people were becoming. During our travels as part of the project, we found that there have been efforts to erase the name of the culprits involved in his murder. Be it Godse or his accomplices, there are efforts to shift the narrative. Today, in polarising times, India should rediscover itself in Gandhiji’s message that love is all that we need.

Prabha Varma
Prabha VarmaSpecial arrangement

Prabha Varma, writer

Look around the world, is there any leader who led a freedom struggle but did not assume power when the country finally attained independence? Gandhiji set a fine example of selflessness, which still remains unparalleled. Also relevant are his policies on Panchayati Raj and self-reliance of India’s rural sector, more so now in the age of globalisation. All deviant talk about him now, I believe, is the result of a lack of awareness of his struggles and the political shake-up that has happened in the country. Gandhiji, no doubt, is as relevant as he should be, and that will never change.

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