The Fatal Glorification of Mohandas K. Gandhi as a Saint: His Role in the National Independence Movement in India

Abstract

Fifty years ago, India and Pakistan became independent states, after decades during which a national movement throughout India, consisting of Hindus and Muslims, had fought, mainly using non-violent means, first for self-government within the British Empire and then for full independence. Undisputedly, the most important political leader of the independence movement was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948), who early on was already revered and declared a Mahatma (great soul) and as a type of saint. Gandhi only rarely took up official positions in the Indian National Congress, which has been transformed over the course of the years from simply being a movement to the leading political party. However, he enjoyed authority over the masses that mobilised them, however contentious it may have been. Following the declaration of Gandhi as a Mahatma, any objective, rational and critical academic or political discussion of his actual political role, his political thinking and actions, and above all his impact as a role model for non-violent and peaceful movements throughout the world has largely been neglected.