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Gandhi in Question
Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity by G. B. Singh (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2004); 355 pp. including illustrations, bibliography, and index; cloth $32.00. ISBN: 1-57392-998-0.
Gandhi As We Have Known Him by Gora Lavanam and Mark Lindley (New Delhi, India: National Gandhi Museum, 2005); 301 pp. plus index; paper $18.00. ISBN: 81-212-0863-7.
THESE DAYS THE STATUS of cultural heroes is always in doubt. Whether in the arena of sports, politics, or peace, once put on a pedestal they become targets of debunkers and deflators, eager to show the hero's mere humanity. The higher such a person is held in public esteem, the seemingly greater the satisfaction of bringing that person low.
Perhaps no one has flown higher in public regard than Mohandas K. Gandhi, who became the living embodiment of activist Humanist ideals: selfless sacrifice, principled nonviolence, and unwavering commitment to social justice. His name is still cultural shorthand for such values. But its important to recognize the realities behind the myth. The rhetorical uses of Gandhi's celebrity can obscure complex truths about the person and about his philosophy and its limitations. Being realists about Gandhi, we can build on that portion of his legacy that withstands debunking while retaining the mythic ideal of his boundless concern as a model to emulate in our pursuit of social justice.
The two books reviewed here seek to penetrate the myth of Gandhi in quite different ways; one is constructive, the other not. G. B. Singh's Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity subjects Gandhi the saint to death by a thousand cuts. The man is portrayed as an impostor who harbored racist attitudes toward South African blacks and whose efforts on behalf of Hindu "untouchables" were misguided half-measures, designed merely to build his own reputation and political influence. Using dozens of quotes from newspapers, letters, and biographies, most of which actually show Gandhi in a positive light, Singh aims to deconstruct what he calls Gandhi's pseudo-history. A topic of particular interest to Singh is Gandhi's service as the leader of an Indian stretcher-bearer corps during the 1906 "Zulu rebellion" in South Africa. The generally accepted account is that Gandhi acquitted himself honorably, helping to bring desperately needed medical attention and transport to wounded Zulus...