Was Mahatma Gandhi a racist?

Was Mahatma Gandhi a racist?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-34265882

In The South African Gandhi: Stretcher-Bearer of Empire, Desai and Vahed write that during his stay in Africa, Gandhi kept the Indian struggle "separate from that of Africans and coloureds even though the latter were also denied political rights on the basis of colour and could also lay claim to being British subjects".

They write that Gandhi's political strategies - fighting to repeal unjust laws or freedom of movement or trade - carved out an exclusivist Indian identity "that relied on him taking up 'Indian' issues in ways that cut Indians off from Africans, while his attitudes paralleled those of whites in the early years". Gandhi, the authors write, was indifferent to the plight of the indentured, and believed that state power should remain in white hands, and called black Africans Kaffirs, a derogatory term, for a larger part of his stay in the country.

In 1893, Gandhi wrote to the Natal parliament saying that a "general belief seems to prevail in the Colony that the Indians are better than savages or the Natives of Africa".

In 1904, he wrote to a health officer in Johannesburg that the council "must withdraw Kaffirs" from an unsanitary slum called the "Coolie Location" where a large number of Africans lived alongside Indians. "About the mixing of the Kaffirs with the Indians, I must confess I feel most strongly."

Interesting....sad but interesting.



Who isn't racist these days?

I don't see anything wrong here he was for the Indian Revolution he can't also be for all the revolutions all around the world he was there to serve the Indians and he single-handedly defeated the evil white British Empire

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

I don't see anything wrong here he was for the Indian Revolution he can't also be for all the revolutions all around the world he was there to serve the Indians and he single-handedly defeated the evil white British Empire

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What about people who are for the current British revolution like Tommy Robinson?

Do they have the right to look out for their own people, like the poor little British girls who have been victims of paedophiles? Who actually worship an evil pervert who married a 7-year-old girl!

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Originally Posted by Freedom

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

I don't see anything wrong here he was for the Indian Revolution he can't also be for all the revolutions all around the world he was there to serve the Indians and he single-handedly defeated the evil white British Empire

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What about people who are for the current British revolution like Tommy Robinson?

Do they have the right to look out for their own people, like the poor little British girls who have been victims of paedophiles? Who actually worship an evil pervert who married a 7-year-old girl!

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So there is a "British" revolution led by Tommy Robinson?

People should look out for all, no matter their race/religion, particularly vulnerable children who are victims.

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Originally Posted by Master

particularly vulnerable children who are victims.

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Fairly certain you get called racist for attempting such

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

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Originally Posted by Master

particularly vulnerable children who are victims.

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Fairly certain you get called racist for attempting such

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Not all the victims are children, many are young adults. No one would get called racist for protecting victims if they were trying to highlight all perpetrators.

Anybody who wants to be a revolutionary they can go do whatever they want I have no problem with that let them knock themselves out. Everybody has the right to try to lead a revolution at their own risk.

If Tommy Robinson wants to lead a revolution in the UK then go ahead and let him. Of course he has the right to try. I don't really get the reasoning here. So if Tommy Robinson just wants to help out his own people meaning white people, so be it. Let him be an advocate for white people in the UK. God knows there's enough black advocates for black people in the US and there's enough Hispanic advocates for Hispanic people in the US so what would be wrong with having a white advocate for white people? I don't see what the reasoning is here going on. Mahatma Gandhi did a great thing so I don't really understand what this is about

Protect all victims and catch all perpetrators no matter their race/religion/background.

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

What would be wrong with having a white advocate for white people? I don't see what the reasoning is here going on.

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Blacks looking out for black people: good. Malcolm X was a hero.
Indians looking out for Indians: good. Mahatma Gandhi was a hero.
Chinese looking out for Chinese: good.
Gays looking out for gay people: good.
Whites looking out for white people: racist.

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

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Originally Posted by Master

particularly vulnerable children who are victims.

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Fairly certain you get called racist for attempting such

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Not all the victims are children, many are young adults. No one would get called racist for protecting victims if they were trying to highlight all perpetrators.

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#NotAll ;D


How are you going to protect victims if you have to be all hush hush about the perps?

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Originally Posted by Freedom

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

What would be wrong with having a white advocate for white people? I don't see what the reasoning is here going on.

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Blacks looking out for black people: good. Malcolm X was a hero.
Indians looking out for Indians: good. Mahatma Gandhi was a hero.
Chinese looking out for Chinese: good.
Gays looking out for gay people: good.
Whites looking out for white people: racist.

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Fuck being a racist bigot xenophobe I'm becoming a full on misanthrope...before the internet I used to get along with people of all backgrounds, now not so much.

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

Fuck being a racist bigot xenophobe I'm becoming a full on misanthrope...before the internet I used to get along with people of all backgrounds, now not so much.

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I like people of all races, but I've become increasingly angry about the unfair double standards that are applied against white people.

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

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Originally Posted by Master

particularly vulnerable children who are victims.

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Fairly certain you get called racist for attempting such

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Not all the victims are children, many are young adults. No one would get called racist for protecting victims if they were trying to highlight all perpetrators.

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#NotAll ;D


How are you going to protect victims if you have to be all hush hush about the perps?

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Just stay quiet during the trial and that is how you protect victims and punish perpetrators.

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Originally Posted by Master

Just stay quiet during the trial and that is how you protect victims and punish perpetrators.

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LOL.....and no memes ;D

Concentrating solely on the plight of the Indians while ignoring the plight of the blacks doesn't make Gandhi a racist, nor does it diminish from the great things he did.

Considering blacks/Africans inferior and referring to them in degrading fashion..... that's racist.

Any questions?

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

Concentrating solely on the plight of the Indians while ignoring the plight of the blacks doesn't make Gandhi a racist, nor does it diminish from the great things he did.

Considering blacks/Africans inferior and referring to them in degrading fashion..... that's racist.

Any questions?

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Yes, why do u excuse Gandhi being a racist

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Originally Posted by walrus

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

Concentrating solely on the plight of the Indians while ignoring the plight of the blacks doesn't make Gandhi a racist, nor does it diminish from the great things he did.

Considering blacks/Africans inferior and referring to them in degrading fashion..... that's racist.

Any questions?

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Yes, why do u excuse Gandhi being a racist

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You missed the point. I thought I was clear enough.

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

Concentrating solely on the plight of the Indians while ignoring the plight of the blacks doesn't make Gandhi a racist, nor does it diminish from the great things he did.

Considering blacks/Africans inferior and referring to them in degrading fashion..... that's racist.

Any questions?

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Yes, plenty of questions. What is wrong with considering them inferior? I consider East Indians to be inferior to Black Americans in basketball does that make me a racist? I consider Mexicans to be inferior to Germans in learning the English language, does that make me a racist? I consider Armenians to be superior in learning Arabic and Farsi to Haitians and Jamaicans does that make me a racist? Mahatma Gandhi considered those people in South Africa inferior to Indians and he was referring to there spirit of entrepreneur ism and pragmatic and Progressive actions regarding education.

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

Concentrating solely on the plight of the Indians while ignoring the plight of the blacks doesn't make Gandhi a racist, nor does it diminish from the great things he did.

Considering blacks/Africans inferior and referring to them in degrading fashion..... that's racist.

Any questions?

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Yes, plenty of questions. What is wrong with considering them inferior? I consider East Indians to be inferior to Black Americans in basketball does that make me a racist? I consider Mexicans to be inferior to Germans in learning the English language, does that make me a racist? I consider Armenians to be superior in learning Arabic and Farsi to Haitians and Jamaicans does that make me a racist? Mahatma Gandhi considered those people in South Africa inferior to Indians and he was referring to there spirit of entrepreneur ism and pragmatic and Progressive actions regarding education.

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I think we both know that when you add those qualifiers, you're skewing the argument. Of course East Indians are generally inferior to Black Americans in basketball.

But when you have a quote like this:

In 1893, Gandhi wrote to the Natal parliament saying that a "general belief seems to prevail in the Colony that the Indians are better than savages or the Natives of Africa".


Then that in itself is racist.

"better" in WHAT, though? Isn't that rather vague?

The vagueness is what makes it racist.

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

The vagueness is what makes it racist.

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I agree it's fishy and insinuating...... Racist is a stretch for me, albeit a SMALL stretch

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

Considering blacks/Africans inferior and referring to them in degrading fashion..... that's racist.

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He did. Read the article.

He was a product of his time, so he would have held prevailing beliefs. Even today, Indians in Africa think they are superior to black Africans .

Just because he held views that people don't agree with nowadays, it does not diminish his achievements. People seem to be rewriting history according to their own moral code.

Muhammad Ali was an incorrigible racist when he was young too.

That's my point. It does not diminish his achievements. Yes... prevailing beliefs back then were different. Society as a whole was a bit more racist, and it was viewed as the norm. As we've evolved, we look back and consider a lot of those things as racist. You meet a lot of older people from previous generation who still hold racist views. It was the way they were brought up... they can't be any different. So when you look back at a historical figure, you do have to consider the context of the time in which he/she was living.

What's wrong with racism?

It denotes ignorance.

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

What's wrong with racism?

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What's wrong with you?

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

What's wrong with racism?

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The troll is strong in this one.

Can anyone give a serious answer though? Just spell it out. If somebody like Mahatma Gandhi did indeed have some kind of racism as described in this threat against blacks tell me exactly what would be the Damage Done To The World if Mahatma Gandhi was indeed a racist?

it's time that this stuff gets questioned and we don't just swallow the Kool-Aid for fear of looking like Hitler or Stalin or something

I'm waiting for somebody to tell me in this thread let the post right after this one give the answer I'm waiting for somebody to tell me right now in this thread what would be the Damage Done To The World if Mahatma Gandhi had harbored racist feelings against the blacks in South Africa as has been implied here

The fact that he wants freedom, self rule and against British colonialism in India but not in South Africa would be hypocritical for one.

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Originally Posted by Master

The fact that he wants freedom, self rule and against British colonialism in India but not in South Africa would be hypocritical for one.

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I 100% agree that that is a hypocritical stance to take. I just don't see the damage that is being done to the world with that

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

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Originally Posted by Master

The fact that he wants freedom, self rule and against British colonialism in India but not in South Africa would be hypocritical for one.

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I 100% agree that that is a hypocritical stance to take. I just don't see the damage that is being done to the world with that

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Leading millions whilst potentially being a hypocrite would be damaging if true.

No, it would be quite normal actually.

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Originally Posted by Gandalf

No, it would be quite normal actually.

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For him it would not be.

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

Can anyone give a serious answer though? Just spell it out. If somebody like Mahatma Gandhi did indeed have some kind of racism as described in this threat against blacks tell me exactly what would be the Damage Done To The World if Mahatma Gandhi was indeed a racist?

it's time that this stuff gets questioned and we don't just swallow the Kool-Aid for fear of looking like Hitler or Stalin or something

I'm waiting for somebody to tell me in this thread let the post right after this one give the answer I'm waiting for somebody to tell me right now in this thread what would be the Damage Done To The World if Mahatma Gandhi had harbored racist feelings against the blacks in South Africa as has been implied here

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Damage Done To The World?

None. If he said the things he said about blacks as described earlier, he was racist. Nothing more... nothing less.

He was still a great man who did great things.

Why does everything around here have to be twisted beyond the original argument?

Tito the way people talk about racism now they talk about it like it's something that will destroy the planet in one day if it gets out of control it's such hyperbolic nonsense get out the violins kind of stuff so when I see these kinds of headlines about Mahatma Gandhi being a racist I think to myself who cares if he harbored feelings inside towards certain people from certain countries? I am very glad that you have admitted that no damage was done to the world but you know darn well that a lot of these social justice Warriors these days are treating the label of racism and xenophobia and sexism as a kind of absolute Universal evil that we should all be terrified of and that we should censor people because of and so in that context I addressed this topic. @TitoFan

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by Gandalf

No, it would be quite normal actually.

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For him it would not be.

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Seemingly not though. However, like others have said, racism has always been a very common facet of human nature. You see it in a lot of literature in times past and from the utterances of politicians. Lincoln too was a complete racist, somewhat akin to Denilson in some ways too. It was quite common.

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

Tito the way people talk about racism now they talk about it like it's something that will destroy the planet in one day if it gets out of control it's such hyperbolic nonsense get out the violins kind of stuff so when I see these kinds of headlines about Mahatma Gandhi being a racist I think to myself who cares if he harbored feelings inside towards certain people from certain countries? I am very glad that you have admitted that no damage was done to the world but you know darn well that a lot of these social justice Warriors these days are treating the label of racism and xenophobia and sexism as a kind of absolute Universal evil that we should all be terrified of and that we should censor people because of and so in that context I addressed this topic. @TitoFan

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I tend not to jump off the deep end on these issues, so I can say someone's a racist without carrying it over to somehow it being the end of the world. I already mentioned that in the past, many people had racist beliefs because that's just the way it was. As someone said earlier..... the prevailing way of thinking. But if a person's racist I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, deny it, cover it up. I'm gonna call it like I see it. If anyone thinks they're superior to others simply because of their race of ethnicity.... that make them racist. They could be the most productive, nicest people in the world.... but they're still racist. Nothing more... nothing less.