In Gandhi146;s Shadow

Pujya pitha shri ni pavitra seva ma In my revered father8217;s sublime service
8212; Manilal Gandhi to Mahatma Gandhi, 1920

The shadow of Mahatma Gandhi hovers large over the psyche of India. Unable to repudiate his contribution to his country, some Indians try to either belittle his legacy, or traduce him in other ways, such as pointing to the ungenerous manner in which he treated his children. But how true is this particular charge against the Mahatma?

In Gandhian historiography, the reaction of the family to having a Mahatma in their midst has been largely overlooked, with notice being taken only of Harilal8217;s revolt, and Gandhi8217;s shaping their lives. Now, Uma Dhupelia Mesthree has opened a new window with her biography of her grandfather, Manilal, the second of Gandhi8217;s four sons. This is no work of filial devotion, but a painstakingly pieced-together work of biography, based on an impressive search through the archives, recovery of rare documents, and interviews with family members and associates of Manilal.

Born In India, Manilal lived his life in South Africa. Gandhi8217;s experiments in all aspects of life meant that Manilal never had a formal education but was taught at home, home being Gandhi8217;s commune at Phoenix. Manilal went to jail for protesting against South Africa8217;s discriminatory laws. In 1920, he took charge of Indian Opinion, Gandhi8217;s mouthpiece, and edited it for the rest of his life. Later, he was to be one of the 72 individuals Gandhi chose for the Dandi March. On his return from India in 1946, he flung himself headlong into the anti-apartheid movement, until his death in 1956.

The pivotal episode in Manilal8217;s life took place when he wanted to marry a girl in South Africa. Gandhi behaved like the classic Indian patriarch and bluntly told him that he could not do so. He wrote to Manilal: 8220;You are a free man; so I cannot force you to do anything.8221; He then told him: 8220;You cannot forget nor will society forget that you are my son8230; If you enter into this relationship, you may not be able to render any service. I fear you may no more be the right person to run Indian Opinion. It will be impossible, for you, I think, after this to come and settle in India.8221; Manila caved in, and married Sushila Mahshruwala, chosen by Gandhi. Dhupelia comments sharply: 8220;Manilal could not forget whose son he was. He did not have the courage to face the consequences of defiance; there really was no future without his father8217;s blessings.8221;

Gandhi8217;s children always had to reckon with that surname, and always were in the position of being compared to him, fairly or otherwise. He shaped their lives, and it is uncomfortable to watch him do so. But is it possible that Gandhi knew his children better than they did themselves? Take a look at the sad revolt and willful self-destruction of Harilal. Then take a look at his siblings, Manilal, Devdas and Ramdas, who bowed before Gandhi. All of them lived lives of rectitude that were happy, exemplary, and productive. Any father 8212; not just the Mahatma 8212; would have been proud of them. Dhupelia has put a question mark in her title Gandhi8217;s Prisoner? because, if Manilal was a prisoner of Gandhi, then he was one willingly.