Mahatma Gandhi is globally celebrated as a symbol of non-violence and India's independence struggle. However, in recent decades, scholars, activists, and social movements have increasingly criticized several aspects of his life and views.
During his 21 years in South Africa (1893–1914), Gandhi campaigned for the rights of Indians under British colonial rule. Yet in his early writings, he frequently used derogatory terms such as "kaffirs" to refer to Black Africans and described them as "troublesome, very dirty and live like animals." He argued that Indians should not be treated the same as Africans, sometimes suggesting that Indians belonged to a higher racial category closer to Europeans. These statements have prompted campaigns such as #GandhiMustFall, leading to the removal of Gandhi statues in Ghana and Malawi.
Gandhi's views on the caste system have also drawn sharp criticism, particularly from Dalit leader B.R. Ambedkar. Although Gandhi campaigned against untouchability and called the untouchables "Harijans" (children of God), he did not call for the complete abolition of the varna (caste) system. Ambedkar argued that Gandhi's approach preserved upper-caste privilege and obstructed true equality for Dalits.
In his later years, Gandhi conducted what he called "experiments in brahmacharya" (celibacy) to test his self-control. These involved sleeping naked alongside young women, including relatives such as his grand-niece. Modern feminist scholars and critics view these acts as exploitative, involving unequal power dynamics and potential sexual coercion, even if Gandhi intended them as spiritual tests.
From the perspective of Hindu nationalists in India, Gandhi is blamed for being overly accommodating toward Muslims, which they claim contributed to the violent Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. This view has led some to sympathize with his assassin, Nathuram Godse, portraying Gandhi as having betrayed Hindu interests.
These criticisms illustrate that Gandhi, while a transformative figure, was also shaped by the prejudices and limitations of his time.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | C | B | A | C |
Overview: The questions test both factual comprehension and the ability to infer meaning from the critical perspectives presented in the text regarding Gandhi's life.