Academics mark 100 yrs of Gandhi's return to India in S Africa

Bs_logoImage
Press Trust of India Johannesburg
Last Updated : Feb 27 2015 | 7:02 PM IST
Academicians from around the world converged here to mark the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's return to India through a discourse on his association with South Africa, where seeds of his 'Satyagraha' were sown.
Various speakers from India, the US and Africa participated at a two-day international conference in commemoration of Gandhi's return to India after initiating his passive resistance plans in South Africa.
They delivered papers under the theme 'Gandhi and his legacy: from lawyer to Mahatma' and how South Africa shaped his thought and action besides his impact on Africa.
During the conference - organised jointly by the Centre for Indian Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), and the Indian missions in Pretoria and Johannesburg - various aspects of Gandhi's personality, including his attitude to racial discrimination came under the spotlight.
"Mahatma Gandhi and his association with South Africa, his adopted country for long years, remains an inspiring narrative of the shared values and struggles of the peoples of South Africa and India," said Indian High Commissioner Ruchi Ghanashyam, who cited Gandhi's writings at the conference.
Ghanashyam said it was appropriate that the conference was taking place in Johannesburg where the foundations of his 'Satyagraha' movement were laid.
Tridip Suhrud, director of the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust at the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, highlighted how Gandhi had used his newspaper 'Indian Opinion' in South Africa to create Satyagrahi consciousness in the then colonial South Africa.
Suhrud said the entire collection of the newspaper in which Gandhi wrote in Gujarati and English would soon be available online as a research tool.
Historian Goolam Vahed of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban shared some of the controversial history of Gandhi's views of racial differences between indigenous Africans and Indians.

You’ve reached your limit of 5 free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.

Already subscribed? Log in

Subscribe to read the full story →
Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories

  • Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 27 2015 | 7:02 PM IST

4 out of 5 articles left

Subscribe for unlimited access
Subscribe Now