Whew! I finally finished "Gandhi, An Autobiography: The Story Of My Experiments With Truth" and I am still processing it. I am finding it difficult to offer a definitive opinion about the man and his work. Obviously, one cannot ignore his contributions to the theory and practice of non-violent militancy/non-cooperation/resistance (Satyagraha). He also set an extremely high standard with regard to personal conduct, integrity and self-restraint. What I am having difficulty with was his apparent allegiance (in his own words) to the British Empire, especially during the Zulu War, Boer War, and World War I. Additionally, there seems to be a lack of solidarity with other Indigenous people, specifically the Africans during his 15+ years in South Africa.His autobiography admittedly paints broad strokes and I will have to research many more sources to get a better understanding of the man, time, context and other players involved. I do admire his unwavering commitment to the truth, something I wish to emulate in my own life.
[P.S. Reading Gandhi's autobiography was no. 49 on my list and writing 100 posts on my blogs was no. 81.]
1 comment:
W.
Ghandi does have a less than noble record when it comes to his views/treatment of Black South Africans. You have to remember that the Hindu religion has a very strict caste system that is often, partially at least, based in attitudes about skin color/tone. He fought against Zulu ( and other tribes)freedom fighters for the British (in the British Army) as well, but this is no different than many Natives fighting for the American and Canadian militaries and proudly killing other brown people for "Flag and Country"; not that I condone this brainwashed state of affairs, I find it repugnant (still ongoing if we look at the amount of Natives in Iraq). I think he acknowledged later in his life that he made many mistakes (we all do), although I don't know if he came correct on the issue of Black African peoples. I used to live in Chicago for many years, before moving back here to Alaska, and I you can see how easy it is for opressed people of color to turn or be turned against each other by the racism and desperation that exists in our communities. I for one, can admit to having a less than righteous attitude towards many Puerto Ricans in Chi-Town due to my almost consistently negative interactions with them on a daily basis. That doesn't make it right, though, and I know that many of my feelings towards them in the past were wrong. Things are always more complicated than they seem.
-Yash
Auk Kwaan Tlingit Territory
Alaska
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