The More We Denigrate Gandhi, The More We Disparage Ourselves

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 12 August 2023 Tere Matam Mein Shamil Hain Zamin O Aasman Wale Ahinsa Ke Pujari Sog Mein Hain Do Jahan Wale Tera Arman Pura Hoga Ai Amn-O-Aman Wale Tere Jhande Ke Niche Aaenge Sare Jahan Wale (Nazeer Banarasi immediately penned a long poem, 'Aah Gandhi,' on hearing the news of Mr Gandhi's assassination on January 30, 1948; I've taken only the opening four lines of it) Gandhi's entire life is a quintessential manifestation of the famous adage that only a tree which's laden with fruits is pelted with stones. Vivek Shukla reminiscing M K Gandhi's visit to Mewat region to stop the exodus of Mewati Muslims will not go well with today's neo-Hindus who hate Gandhi and call him a Muslim-pacifier and a Hindu-basher. In fact, today's Hindus, educated at WhatsApp University, justify Nathuram Godse's motive for assassinating the Apostle of Peace. These fanatics forget that Gandhi visited Noakhali, now in Bangladesh, Calcutta and many other places to intervene and stop the raging communal riots. He was in Calcutta on August 15, 1947 when the entire India was euphoric to have got freedom. That Gandhi tried to pacify Muslims and was partial to them is a lie that has become a standard and institutionalized narrative for all those who leave no stone unturned in condemning him. All social platforms are chock-a-block with unverified pieces of 'information' on Gandhi. Because of constant misinformation coupled with extreme hatred for Muslims, today's generation is under the impression that Gandhi was responsible for the Partition and because of his insistence, ALL Muslims didn't migrate to Pakistan and many of them stayed back in India. Those unwanted Muslims who didn't flee to Pakistan and who chose to stay back (because of Gandhi) are creating all sorts of trouble and violence and not letting India become a Hindu Rashtra. In other words, M K Gandhi is a villain to Hindu India. All the sane and sensible readers may have noticed that in the last decade, there has been an organized attempt to malign Gandhi and project him as a traitor and Uncle Tom; a British agent. This relentless vilification is going on and the current political dispensation is silent because Gandhi’s nationwide obloquy goes in its favour. But can the Great M K Gandhi be expunged from the consciousness of all those who love peace and shun violence of all shades and hues? I don’t want to repeat what Albert Einstein said of Gandhi, for, that has become too threadbare and platitudinous, all one can say, the more we denigrate Gandhi, the more we disparage ourselves. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/denigrate-gandhi-disparage/d/130430 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism