On the Mahatma-isation of Gandhi

On Oct 2, India and Indians all over the world observed Gandhi Jayanti – the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known all over the world as Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma roughly translated the noble one – a sobriquet bestowed upon him by Indians after he passed away. Gandhi was instrumental in India’s struggle for independence from the British. His principle of non-violence even in the face of extreme oppression gained him fame and respect on all corners of the world. Ask an Alaskan to name an Indian and he would probably say Mahatma Gandhi. Notwithstanding that, Gandhi was also responsible for several missteps during the independence struggle. Sadly his non-violent principles led to the decimation of hundreds of hapless, peace-loving folk, predominantly Hindu, in the Nav-khali riots of 1942. Bhagat Singh, a young and dynamic freedom fighter from Punjab, was sentenced by the British to death by hanging with the tacit approval of Gandhi, whose non-violent policies Bhagat Singh eschewed.

Falstaff, in an excellent blog post writes about the making of the mahatma.