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India Marks 60th Anniversary of Gandhi’s Assassination
by
findingDulcinea Staff
In a ceremony observing the 60th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s death, his great-granddaughter spread some of his ashes into the Arabian Sea.
30-Second Summary
On Jan. 30, 2008, Mahatma Gandhi's great granddaughter, Nilamben Parikh, memorialized the 60th year since his assassination by pouring the leader's ashes from a brass urn into the Arabian Sea.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi became an international icon thanks to his doctrine of passive resistance during India’s struggle to gain independence from the Britain.
Donning the white garb of a Hindu holy man, he practiced what he termed “satyagraha,” or “holding onto truth.” This, in his view, entailed asceticism and nonviolent disobedience.
Time magazine describes Gandhi as “a cross between a saint and a ward politician … he managed to distill the qualities of both and yet transcend their contradictions.”
His countrymen bestowed the title “Mahatma,” or “great soul,” on the leader for his commitment to nonviolence.
Gandhi was assassinated on Jan. 30, 1948, by a Hindu extremist who felt the leader was too liberal toward Muslims.
Following his death, Gandhi's follower Jawaharlal Nehru took the helm of the Indian nationalist movement, becoming the first prime minister of a newly independent India in August 1947.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi became an international icon thanks to his doctrine of passive resistance during India’s struggle to gain independence from the Britain.
Donning the white garb of a Hindu holy man, he practiced what he termed “satyagraha,” or “holding onto truth.” This, in his view, entailed asceticism and nonviolent disobedience.
Time magazine describes Gandhi as “a cross between a saint and a ward politician … he managed to distill the qualities of both and yet transcend their contradictions.”
His countrymen bestowed the title “Mahatma,” or “great soul,” on the leader for his commitment to nonviolence.
Gandhi was assassinated on Jan. 30, 1948, by a Hindu extremist who felt the leader was too liberal toward Muslims.
Following his death, Gandhi's follower Jawaharlal Nehru took the helm of the Indian nationalist movement, becoming the first prime minister of a newly independent India in August 1947.
Headline Link: ‘India Remembers Mahatma Gandhi’
Jan. 30, 2008, marked the 60th anniversary of the death of Indian leader and peace activist Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He was given the title Mahatma, or “great soul” out of his commitment to nonviolent resistance, which has served as an inspiration for political leaders the world over. His great-granddaughter Nilamben Parikh poured his ashes from an urn into the Arabian Sea as part of a ceremony commemorating the leader’s assassination. Gandhi was killed on Jan. 30, 1948, by a Hindu fanatic who was dismayed with Gandhi’s goodwill towards Muslims.
Source: Al-Jazeera
Key Players: Gandhi
Mohandas K. Gandhi emerged as the leader of India’s resistance to British rule shortly after World War I. He wore the white loincloth of a Hindu holy man, led an ascetic existence, and espoused a doctrine of peaceful “non-cooperation” against the British Raj. Gandhi's pacifistic strategies have since influenced many political dissidents such as Martin Luther King Jr. India gained its independence in 1947, and Pakistan split from the rest of the subcontinent the same year to form a predominantly Islamic state.
Source: FindArticles.com
Opinion & Analysis: ‘Gandhi and Nehru’
In a round-up of eminent Asians from the latter half of the 20th century, Time magazine calls Gandhi “a cross between a saint and a ward politician … he managed to distill the qualities of both and yet transcend their contradictions.” To put his method of nonviolent resistance into words, he created the term “satyagraha,” most directly translated from Hindi as “holding onto truth.” Combined with his skill in assembling people to rally for his cause, his brand of passive resistance positioned him both as a “saint and strategist” for the Indian nationalist movement. His protégé Jawaharlal Nehru drew from Gandhi’s legacy, using his stalwart political passion to push forward the drive for independence.
Source: Time magazine
Reference: Personifying passive resistance
The Web site of the Gandhi Book Center in Mumbai includes links to Gandhi’s writings, photos, videoclips and student projects on the Indian leader.
Source: Gandhi Book Center
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