School children pay homage to a portrait of Mahatama Gandhi, AFP
A person who has been remembered by millions of people worldwide, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, or Mahatma Gandhi was an exceptional man who left a strong mark on the history of India. Not just in India, he is known worldwide for his significant contribution to India’s independence and several other major issues. There is an end number of research and studies on Gandhi which speak on his behalf about his contribution, work, personal life, and his principles.
However, as many facts and information reach people’s ears, most of it often gets translated into something more than reality, thus giving birth to a list of myths about a person. The same was the case with Mahatma Gandhi whose life was no less than a legacy to be remembered. Just like others, there are several myths about Gandhi which continue to remain a topic of discussion to date among people.
Today, on his 153rd birth anniversary, let’s check some of the famous myths surrounding Gandhi and his life.
Myths about Mahatma Gandhi
Being a saint: Owing to the title of Mahatma given to Gandhi, a myth often came around about him being a ‘saint’ and a master of meditation. However, this was far beyond reality as Gandhi was not a saint and the title was given to him because of his contribution to humankind. In his autobiography as well, Gandhi while mentioning the title wrote, “…The title of ‘Mahatma’ has deeply pained me, and there is not a moment I can recall when it may be said to have tickled me.”
Inventor of non-violence movement: It is pertinent to note the role of Mahatma Gandhi in stepping up the non-violence movement or ‘Ahimsa’ in a bid to fight for the freedom of India. Due to this, he also came to be known as the ‘father of non-violence’. However, the concept of ‘Ahimsa’ dates way back. Originally, Ahimsa or non-violence has been a part of Indian religious tradition for centuries following which Gandhi just took it out and turned it into a weapon against the British.
Responsible for Pakistan’s creation: Time and again, it has remained a topic of debate over whether Mahatma Gandhi was responsible for the creation of Pakistan. Around the time of the Partition when Gandhi held several rounds of talks with Jinnah over the idea of dividing India into two parts. While Jinnah strongly favoured a Muslim-dominated country, Gandhi made efforts to convince him to not prefer the partition. However, history speaks otherwise. While historians have been debating whether Gandhi could have done anything to prevent the Partition of India, he had always opposed the same and was never in favour of the two-nation theory or the division.
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