Do people of India hate Ghandi? - Historum

Commander · August 25th, 2006, 10:18 AM

I was told that telling someone in India that he is a wise person like Ghandi is not a compliment but an offensive comment. I was a little shocked the hear that because I always thought Ghandi led the people of India to freedom.

Nick · November 26th, 2006, 09:25 PM

What part of India? Gandhi was a Hindu so it may be considered offensive in Muslim areas.

Nick · November 26th, 2006, 09:27 PM

Perhaps they're referring to a different Gandhi: his son killed by a suicide bomber who presented him with flowers? Or his wife who refused to wear her bullet proof vest in front of the cameras and was gunned down by her own bodyguards?

Nikd · December 4th, 2006, 09:47 PM

As in all countries, in Greece we say : "No ones is made saint in his town".

mxolny · January 9th, 2007, 03:21 PM

Perhaps it would be wiser to ask about certain philosophies, without referring directly to the person, and gauge the response, before proceeding. They might like the lyrics but not the lyricist.

spaniard · February 7th, 2007, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Commander

I was told that telling someone in India that he is a wise person like Ghandi is not a compliment but an offensive comment. I was a little shocked the hear that because I always thought Ghandi led the people of India to freedom.

Gandhi and his philosophy is outdated in todays racist and capitalist world. He is just confined to history books now.

mxolny · February 7th, 2007, 11:21 AM

Nothing is ever outdated, merely recycled. Are you familiar with:

"In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked upon as something shocking, but now, God knows, anything goes...
And authors who once knew better words now only write four letter words, heaven knows, anything goes...
Good's bad today and day's night today..."

Now, when (what year) was this written? Any relevance to the present?

**A7X** · September 25th, 2010, 12:18 PM

From what I know, Ghandi is very respected in India.

Alexander · September 25th, 2010, 02:47 PM

It's probably a personality thing. We have a very romanticized concept of him in the west, and there was a lot of stuff under the surface that's less than admirable.

He was abusive, alcoholic, not a pacifist, had strange views of the Nazis and the Holocaust in general, and so on and so forth. One of the big criticisms I've seen of him was his involvement in politics, which some saw as inappropriate for a man of his nature.

**okamido** · September 25th, 2010, 03:40 PM

If he isn't as popular in India, as the Commander alluded to, perhaps it stems from his desire to have Hindu and Muslims live together, and not become violent towards each other.