Gandhi and Churchill

After reading this book review in TOI on the book by Richard Toye Henry Holt named “Churchill’s Empire: The World that made him and the world he made”, I got back to Gandhi’s work Hind Swaraj. I have not read the book on Winston Churchill. But I know for sure that Winston Churchill disliked Gandhi and Gandhi never disliked anyone.

"It is alarming and also nauseating to see Mr. Gandhi, a seditious middle temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir of a type well known in the east, striding half-naked up the steps of the vice regal palace, while he is still organizing and conducting a defiant campaign of civil disobedience, to parley on equal terms with the representative of the king-emperor."- Winston Churchill, 1930.

His views on India as highlighted in the article were-

India is a Godless land of snobs and bores-1896.

India is a geographical term it is no more a united nation that the equator-1931

I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion-1942

Nobody of us would like these comments. So let me take you back to Gandhi what he offered us from his work. Gandhi very captivatingly pointed out that if India was not united and Indians did not have the sense of belongingness then British couldn’t divide India. As only UNITY can be broken and not DISUNITY. India was united that is why British could split us. For him unity was never a political unity but unity of hearts.

Therefore religion played a positive role for him. He said that every religion would teach the people the path of friendship with others . Gandhi questions whether Hindus and Muslims were always at war with each or whether this difference evolved with their arrival. Only the evils of western civilization brought in the difference.

Gandhi never loathed anyone but Winston Churchill did. And that makes him different and the epitome of peace and non-violence. Respect what he offered us by giving enlightenment to our thoughts. I don’t fully agree with Gandhi on civilization but a blend of modernity and traditionalism, both can bring development while keeping our culture intact.