Ever read "Liberty or Death" by Patrick French? Perhaps one of the most unflattering take on ol G. The guy has his short comings and in his time attracted awe and ridicule... especially from that drunkard Churchill. These days it's become a fad not to like G-man... Whatever his short comings (and there are many!) he managed to influence millions (well so did Hitler, you say), only they loved him for it. But hey you gotta love the comment...it's got a Groucho Marx touch to it!
Yes, the comment was cool and what was better was his poker straight face while saying it and the excellent analysis of developmentalism that followed. Though I really miss the frantic madness of Shankaran and his obsession with eurocentrism. In fact, alot of the Guha research I did was about people who first loved and then hated Gandhi (both for very legitimate reasons). Haven't read Liberty or Death by Patrick French though.
Obligatory link to George Orwell's essay, Reflections on Gandhi. I'm a huge George Orwell fan, and this essay puts a lot of the things I like as well as don't like about Gandhi into perspective quite well.
I read this great short story which was about an alternate history where the Germans win WWII, and in 1948 panzers roll into the Punjab to "liberate" India from the English (Who in this timeline have not got around to granting independence to India, as they are fighting for survival).
Gandhi greets the "liberators" and demands that they honor the Indians' desire for independence. The Germans decline.
Gandhi then tries his non-violent tactics on the Germans. But it doesn't work as the German press is not like the liberal English press. No news of his protests reaches the German citizens, and so even if they had a conscience, they have no opportunity to act on it.
The Germans are also far more cold-blooded than the English. The Gestapo eliminates almost all the mid-level Congress activists, and leaves Gandhi without his key people. Nehru has to flee to America.
Finally Gandhi goes on hunger-strike. The Germans just let him die.
The Indians become ungovernable, much as Iraq is right now.
The Germans decide that the easiest way to govern the subcontinent would be to depopulate it. They use their armored divisions to systematically wipe entire communities out of existence. People either submit or are simply exterminated. Germany eventually takes control, and India submits, with Indians as sort of skilled helots under German masters.
In the end Nehru sitting in an American refugee camp says, "We assumed they had a conscience, so we didn't help the English. Had the English won, we would have had our independence."
I think Gandhi did have an innate sense of humour but with the celibacy and marching around in protest and trying to inspire millions of people, it didn't really have the chance to blossom.
11 comments:
Are you sure Gandhi was listening when he was asked the question? Frivolous words of great men are taken far too seriously.
Point. Gandhi isn't my favourite guy. He used to eat ubla hua karela and is therefore untrustworthy, as my friend so eloquently said.
Ever read "Liberty or Death" by Patrick French? Perhaps one of the most unflattering take on ol G. The guy has his short comings and in his time attracted awe and ridicule... especially from that drunkard Churchill. These days it's become a fad not to like G-man... Whatever his short comings (and there are many!) he managed to influence millions (well so did Hitler, you say), only they loved him for it. But hey you gotta love the comment...it's got a Groucho Marx touch to it!
Yes, the comment was cool and what was better was his poker straight face while saying it and the excellent analysis of developmentalism that followed. Though I really miss the frantic madness of Shankaran and his obsession with eurocentrism. In fact, alot of the Guha research I did was about people who first loved and then hated Gandhi (both for very legitimate reasons). Haven't read Liberty or Death by Patrick French though.
Obligatory link to George Orwell's essay, Reflections on Gandhi. I'm a huge George Orwell fan, and this essay puts a lot of the things I like as well as don't like about Gandhi into perspective quite well.
I read this great short story which was about an alternate history where the Germans win WWII, and in 1948 panzers roll into the Punjab to "liberate" India from the English (Who in this timeline have not got around to granting independence to India, as they are fighting for survival).
Gandhi greets the "liberators" and demands that they honor the Indians' desire for independence. The Germans decline.
Gandhi then tries his non-violent tactics on the Germans. But it doesn't work as the German press is not like the liberal English press. No news of his protests reaches the German citizens, and so even if they had a conscience, they have no opportunity to act on it.
The Germans are also far more cold-blooded than the English. The Gestapo eliminates almost all the mid-level Congress activists, and leaves Gandhi without his key people. Nehru has to flee to America.
Finally Gandhi goes on hunger-strike. The Germans just let him die.
The Indians become ungovernable, much as Iraq is right now.
The Germans decide that the easiest way to govern the subcontinent would be to depopulate it. They use their armored divisions to systematically wipe entire communities out of existence. People either submit or are simply exterminated. Germany eventually takes control, and India submits, with Indians as sort of skilled helots under German masters.
In the end Nehru sitting in an American refugee camp says, "We assumed they had a conscience, so we didn't help the English. Had the English won, we would have had our independence."
But no one believes him.
Hello Horsey,
Sounds riotous. Who is it by? I'd like to know what he was tripping on!
Gaurav,
I'm guessing then you've read Down and Out in Paris and London.
Assuming for a moment that he meant what he said, I kind of like his sense of humour.
Young Thos,
I think Gandhi did have an innate sense of humour but with the celibacy and marching around in protest and trying to inspire millions of people, it didn't really have the chance to blossom.
Frankly, I'm very suspicious of people who feel the need to test their celibacy physically. What nonsense.
True. But pray, how may that be accomplished non-physically?
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