Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
African days
Dr G.B.Harisha harishagb@gmail.com
Cultural Analyst
M.K.Gandhi(1869-1948) better known as Mahatma
Gandhi is a subject for various kinds of studies in the past
100 years. This paper focuses on his years of life, when
he returned to India permanently from South Africa which
became pivotal in shaping his ideas about Satyagraha,
Ahimsa and people of India. This paper draws attention to
the forgotten writings Dharampal who reconstructed
Gandhian in an integral way. It also uses this opportunity
to introduce the insights given by a wonderful scholar
Dharampal on Mahatma Gandhi for enhancing future
studies on Gandhiji.
Key words: Mahatma, Dharmapal, mythification,
ramarajya, Gokhale, Vivekananda, Tilak, Hind Swaraj,
Benaras Hindu University
I
Introduction:
Indian mind respects the word and concept of Mahatma, it
is widely used in all the classical and modern languages
and their literatures of Bharatha (India).Therefore when in
Haridwar for the first time Gandhi was given the name
(upadhi) mahatma people began to relate his personality
him with ancient Vedic, Buddhist, Jain and folk saints,
sages, sadhus. Because in India such people who lead a
life of sacrifice for higher ideals in life are refered by the
word mahatma. In this way M.K.Gandhi the barrister
became MAHTMA GANDHI and got more and more
reverence by the masses in the growing years.
It is also interesting to note that the Indian mind, which is
immersed in purana (crude translation mythology) has the
natural habit of accommodating new historical
personalities as the contemporary continuation of
characters of Ramayana, Mahabharatha and different
mythological stories, characters. During Indian
renaissance such instances occur in great number. To
illustrate this point one can see the titles offered to various
social and political leaders of Indian public life in the 19-
20th centuries by indian masses and sometimes elite class.
References:
i B.R.Nanda, Mahatma Gandhi A biography complete and
unabridged, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, eleventh
edition 2008 (1958), 129.
ii Nanda,, ibid, 130.
iii http://www.polyeyes.com/Article/Dr-Dharam-Pal-The-
Forbidden-Gandhian-Thinker
iv http://www.samanvaya.com/dharampal/
v
http://www.gandhi-
manibhavan.org/gandhicomesalive/speech2.htm
vi ibid
vii ibid
viii ibid
ix Nanda, 131.
x http://www.samanvaya.com/dharampal/
xi Jag Mohan, Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Builders of
Modern India, Publication Division, Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting, Government of India,November 1979
(Kartika 1901 Saka), 95.