Was Mahatma Gandhi racist and stereotypical?

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• Jay 9 years ago

  Very insightful piece. Kudos.

  Very insightful piece. Kudos.

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• Che 9 years ago

  This is how he suffered under the apartheid regime. You have not mentioned how he treated the blacks by calling them savages and Kaffirs. You have not talked about how for 21 years was abhorred by the fact that Indians were t ...
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  This is how he suffered under the apartheid regime. You have not mentioned how he treated the blacks by calling them savages and Kaffirs. You have not talked about how for 21 years was abhorred by the fact that Indians were treated the same as the black savages. Gandhi was racist, true and true.

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• United Ghana 9 years ago

  Nothing in this article disproves the fact Gandhi is racist. If Mandela/Tutu were inspired by him, it was out of ignorance of Gandhi's true values. How sad and, embarrassing that any African would defend him.

  Nothing in this article disproves the fact Gandhi is racist. If Mandela/Tutu were inspired by him, it was out of ignorance of Gandhi's true values. How sad and, embarrassing that any African would defend him.

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• Isaac 9 years ago

  Ghandi was both a racist and a victim of racism. He always stood for Indians only. He was no man for the world. He was solely for India and Indians. What did he do for UG to deserve that honour. If UG wants to honour a foreig ...
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  Ghandi was both a racist and a victim of racism. He always stood for Indians only. He was no man for the world. He was solely for India and Indians. What did he do for UG to deserve that honour. If UG wants to honour a foreigner, shouldn't it be the Governor of the Gold Coast at the time of it inception. Let's do the right thing. How do Indian factory owners in Ghana treat their Ghanaian workers. If u know this, u would understand how Indians see black people.

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• Ackah, Norway 9 years ago

  At Makerere University, Kampala, one of their halls is named after Nkrumah of
  GHANA.

  At Makerere University, Kampala, one of their halls is named after Nkrumah of
  GHANA.

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• Kwaku Atta-krufi (Atta-kay) 9 years ago

  Some of us have no idea why the statue was erected in the first place. What does it explain the founding of the University- his contribution for the funding and construction of the institution, or the contribution of India u ...
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  Some of us have no idea why the statue was erected in the first place. What does it explain the founding of the University- his contribution for the funding and construction of the institution, or the contribution of India under his leadership towards the funding and construction of the institution? Why choose someone from outside Ghana to honor on the campus of the University? No one from Ghana made no meaningful contribution towards the founding of the University to be honored in this manner? Where are the J.B Danquahs, the Kwame Nkrumahs, the Kwegyir Aggreys, the Paa Grants at the time whose works led to the construction of the University. Maybe the authorities who approved this statue has a very compelling reasons to choose Gandhi over Ghanaian patriots at the time for this project. We need to know. Another shameful behavior of people in high authrity in our dear country?

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• Isaac 9 years ago

  Ghandi fought alongside the Europeans against the black people on their own land. If he and the white didn't like them (the black people), why did they want their land and resources.

  Ghandi fought alongside the Europeans against the black people on their own land. If he and the white didn't like them (the black people), why did they want their land and resources.

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• ghanaman, Kumasi 9 years ago

  South Africans themselves were recently
  xenophobic towards their fellow blacks.

  South Africans themselves were recently
  xenophobic towards their fellow blacks.

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• anang 9 years ago

  gandhi was a racist towards black peoples so please break the startue into pieces and throw it in a toilet indians and arabs are racist towards black peoples

  gandhi was a racist towards black peoples so please break the startue into pieces and throw it in a toilet indians and arabs are racist towards black peoples

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• Question your heart before you accuse 9 years ago

  very insightful and brings out why Gandhi is not just an Indian but a world leader. As Einstein said, he would serve as an inspiration for several thousands all over the world. Viewing him as Indian and racist is utterly myop ...
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  very insightful and brings out why Gandhi is not just an Indian but a world leader. As Einstein said, he would serve as an inspiration for several thousands all over the world. Viewing him as Indian and racist is utterly myopic and distortion of historical facts, as well as imposing the value systems of our day to a world which was much different when he lived.

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• Prof Lungu 9 years ago

  Ha ha ha!
  
  What is all that about, Nana Yaw Osei?
  
  Nice try!
  
  You start your essay with "...Gandhi was a victim of racism in 1893. For example...".
  
  What is that supposed to mean? That he Gandhi could not be racist hi ...
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  Ha ha ha!
  
  What is all that about, Nana Yaw Osei?
  
  Nice try!
  
  You start your essay with "...Gandhi was a victim of racism in 1893. For example...".
  
  What is that supposed to mean? That he Gandhi could not be racist himself?
  When "He protested that he had a first-class ticket...", was he also arguing that everyone, including Blacks from South Africa, could also buy tickets and ride first class?
  
  Reminds us of people who draw back up the bridge, after they've crossed the river.
  
  It does not cut it!
  
  Seems to us you do not exactly know the statement you yourself present, to wit:
  "...It is a bad habit to say that another man’s thoughts are bad and ours only are good and that those holding different views from ours are the enemies.” “Outward peace is useless without inner peace.” “No man loses his freedom except through his own weakness.”..."
  
  You do not imagine this is a spiritual question, or do you?
  
  Question for you is, whoever made public policy, whoever settled matters truly in the public domain, using the "thoughts", whether "good" or "bad"?
  
  Please read those statements again and again, then again and again with respect to the last one. In that last one, you will see the hegemonic tendencies of Gandhi. After all, Gandhi was entirely in a place surrounded entirely by a people who had entirely lost their freedoms. But those same people, in fact, had first-class tickets in their own homelands.
  
  All that said, we believe there is no point destroying that statue. That, we are very sure of, if we know any lesson in history.
  
  Greetings, Ghana!

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• THE REAL C.Y. ANDY-K 9 years ago

  Indeed, I found myself asking whether Nana Yaw really is conversant with the issue he is writing on. As it turns out, his is a superficial knowledge of the facts,argued with some invalid premises. I urge to read Nyebro Franci ...
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  Indeed, I found myself asking whether Nana Yaw really is conversant with the issue he is writing on. As it turns out, his is a superficial knowledge of the facts,argued with some invalid premises. I urge to read Nyebro Francis Kwarteng's piece and inform himself. The man has even been exposed as a sexual pervert.
  
  All said and done, whether the statue stays or is removed, the myth around him was broken long ago and it must be broken for Ghanaians too.
  
  I blame that tollgate charge imposing VC for this mess. How could he unilaterally take such an important decision without involving the whole university community at least? How much was he paid by the Indian govt?
  He is an intellectual disgrace!
  
  Andy-K

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• yahya, Tamale. 9 years ago

  The writer stated clearly that Gandhi himself was a victim of racism based on historical facts. He provided a valid example, which revealed that Gandhi fought for the colored people having experienced racism. What are you pe ...
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  The writer stated clearly that Gandhi himself was a victim of racism based on historical facts. He provided a valid example, which revealed that Gandhi fought for the colored people having experienced racism. What are you people saying?

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• Prof Lungu 9 years ago

  yahya, Tamale,
  
  Come again!
  
  What do you understand "clearly" by "colored people" in the context of apartheid Rhodesia?
  
  You have your clues in above question to you.
  
  Please do some reading!
  
  Greetings!!!!!!!!

  yahya, Tamale,
  
  Come again!
  
  What do you understand "clearly" by "colored people" in the context of apartheid Rhodesia?
  
  You have your clues in above question to you.
  
  Please do some reading!
  
  Greetings!!!!!!!!

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• yahya, Tamale. 9 years ago

  I thought Rhodesia is used to refer to modern Zimbabwe (southern Rhodesia) and
  Zambia (Northern Rhodesia). What has it
  got to do with south African colony part of was cape of good hope colony.

  I thought Rhodesia is used to refer to modern Zimbabwe (southern Rhodesia) and
  Zambia (Northern Rhodesia). What has it
  got to do with south African colony part of was cape of good hope colony.

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• Prof Lungu 9 years ago

  Sorry, yahya, Tamale!
  
  I meant to say South Africa and the "Colored" concept, under "apartheid".

  Sorry, yahya, Tamale!
  
  I meant to say South Africa and the "Colored" concept, under "apartheid".

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• Nii Teiko 9 years ago

  Nana Yaw sound more simple, straight forward, concise, insightful and very delightful to read. Kwarteng voluminous treatise is nothing but just dancing around in circles.
  
  What Nana Yaw has raised here are verifiable fact ...
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  Nana Yaw sound more simple, straight forward, concise, insightful and very delightful to read. Kwarteng voluminous treatise is nothing but just dancing around in circles.
  
  What Nana Yaw has raised here are verifiable facts, well thought and argued, and leave no trace of ambiguity. Infact, he has beaten Kwarteng to this one.
  
  And what is Andy K and Lungu saying here? That Gandhi was a pervert or pedophile? So these geek-squad so called Nkrumahist cannot see some commonalities in Nkrumah , their deify idol, and Gandhi if the later was really racist and a 'child molester' as they would want us to believe? Was Fatia not some 15 years or thereabout when Nkrumah impregnated and married her? Did Nkrumah not fathered kids with 3-different women outside his matrimonial home, as a prime minister of Ghana. If this is true, then only God knows the number of young girls who were raped on the quiet by Nkrumah who was dreadful, scarely and fearful like "kakai" in those days of oppression and tyranny under his one party autocratic rule.
  
  Hey! What about his afrocentric personality? Did Nkrumah not drive all the Whitemen away from Ghana immediately after independence?
  
  Well, what some of us would want to hear from these NDC-Nkrumahist turncoats is simple; let them challenge Nana Yaw on his succinctly clear and well argued points and stop denigrating Gandhi whose forest of knowledge they cannot match in million years. And let me tell these Geek-Squad, the Hateful-3, that if their wish is to replace Gandhi statue with that of Nkrumah, then they 'lie bad, lalai'. Some of us would support any attempt to bring the statue down if, and only if the perfect gentleman and the originator of the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr. Danquah who was brutally tortured to death in the Nsawam maximum security prosons statue is raised there in his honor.

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• jas 9 years ago

  How come he raised this issue after so long when all over the world his services are recognized. In INDIA he calld Bapu Gandianndhi means Father of the Indian Nation.

  How come he raised this issue after so long when all over the world his services are recognized. In INDIA he calld Bapu Gandianndhi means Father of the Indian Nation.

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• Courage 9 years ago

  Gandhi's opinion on the badge imposed for black africans :
  "but the proceedings of the Town Council are, in our opinion, so scandalous, that we should be failing in our duty if we did not, in the interests of the community ...
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  Gandhi's opinion on the badge imposed for black africans :
  "but the proceedings of the Town Council are, in our opinion, so scandalous, that we should be failing in our duty if we did not, in the interests of the community of South Africa, raise our humble protest against them."
  & on the industry of the native people, this:"We all live upon the great industry of the Natives and Indians engaged in useful occupations in this country. In this sense they are more civilized than any of us, not excluding European non-producers, inhabiting this continent."
  Judge the man according to the times he lived in, the circumstances, compulsions, geo-political realities etc. of his time without imposing our standards on him. It should also be borne in mind that the word kaffir attained its pejorative connotations much after Gandhi died.

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