Gandhi Behind the Mask of Divinity

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Gandhi Behind the Mask of Divinity

Cover page by Prometheus Books.
Author Col. G. B. Singh
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Non-Fiction
Publisher Flag of the United StatesPrometheus Books
Publication date April 2004
Media type Print Hardcover & Paperback
Pages 356
ISBN 978-1573929981

Gandhi Behind the Mask of Divinity written by US Army Colonel G. B. Singh attempts to present the "real" Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi through his own writings and actions over the course of his life. The author, Colonel Singh, stated that he spent 20 years collecting Gandhi's original writings, speeches and other documents for this research book.[1] The book starts by presenting a majority of earlier publications on Gandhi and the interactions and exposure (if any) of the authors of those publications to Gandhi and his ideology. Using Gandhi's original writings, a compelling[1] claim of Gandhi's racism in South Africa towards the natives and later against the white Europeans.[2] is presented. The book presents claims of Gandhi's involvement in covering up the killing of American engineer William Francis Doherty and presents the sequence of events and Gandhi's actions directly and through his close associates after the murder. It also presents the content of original sworn on oath affidavit filed by William Francis Doherty's wife Annette H. Doherty in which she testified that Gandhi resorted to bribery to cover up the murder.[3]

Contents

[edit] Book organization

The book is organized into 7 parts and 30 chapters. The author starts by explaining the reason for yet another book on Gandhi and then continues by presenting the major previous literary work done on Gandhi including the Gandhi movie in the first part of the book. The second part deals with Gandhi's activism during the Bambatha Rebellion (Zulu war) followed by part 3 of the book which talks about the subtle dangers involved in Gandhi's Satyagraha methodology. Later parts 4,5 and 6 attempt at analyzing Gandhi form racism point of view and his politics before and after the Boer War in South Africa. The last part of the book contains Gandhi's activism revolving around the murder of an American Engineer William Francis Doherty and Gandhi's point of view about Ethnic Cleansing.

[edit] Mention in US Congress

United States Congressman Edolphus Towns of the New York's 10th congressional district, in his Congressional debate during the Proceedings and Debates of 110th United States Congress (First Session) recommended the book to be read to broaden ones perspective on Gandhi and asserted that since Gandhi is considered as father of India, its important to understand his character to understand India. Congressman Towns remarked:

“ Madam Speaker, I have recently encountered a book entitled Gandhi : Behind the Mask of Divinity, which sheds new light on the founder of India. The author, Colonel G. B. Singh, USA, portrays Mohandas Gandhi as a person who was more interested in advancing his own group than in the advancement of all people. Using Gandhi's own words, Colonel Singh portrays a very different Gandhi than you and I have been told about.

Colonel Singh argues that the Gandhi we have been told about isn't the real Gandhi . He writes that he hopes that his book will stimulate discussion and provoke people to think about who Mohandas Gandhi really was. Since Gandhi is considered the father of the Indian nation, understanding his character is essential to understanding India.

Colonel Singh's book is definitely controversial, but it is an important contribution to a full understanding of this important historical character.

Madam Speaker, there is an excerpt from the book's introduction on the back cover, which has been reproduced, and I would like to introduce that two-paragraph excerpt into the Record at this time to give a flavor of the book and encourage people to broaden their perspective on Gandhi [4].

 ”

[edit] Reviews, criticism and praises

Congressman Towns calls the book "definitely controversial" but worth reading to broaden perspective on Gandhi and understand the foundations of India[5]. Dr. Baldev Singh, a retired pharmaceutical research scientist and a frequent writer on India related issues mentions that the book has "exploded the Gandhi myth"[1].

Thomas W. Clark, who reviewed the book for American Humanist Association's The Humanist, stated that most readers will find the book "overwrought and unnecessarily inflammatory".[6] As for Singh's accusations of Gandhi destroying incriminating documents to cover up his racist views, Clark labeled them "unsubstantiated hypothesis" and "simply speculation". Clark instead recommended B. R. Ambedkar What Gandhi and the Congress Have Done to the Untouchables (1945) as a "more substantial and balanced account of some of Gandhi's shortcomings".[6] Katie Violin of The Kansas City Star also criticized the book and stated that "Gandhi as a racist doesn't add up."[7]

Author Russ Kick, in his book 50 Things You're Not Supposed to Know, recommends the book "for a no-hold-barred look at Gandhi's hypocricies"[8]

Professor Manfred Steger, author of Gandhi's Dilemma: Nonviolent Principles And Nationalist Power, wrote a review of the book in the December 2005 issue of The Historian.[9] He stated that the author doesn't offer hard evidence for the first thesis in the book - the alleged "Hindu propaganda machine", and found Singh's "eagerness to accuse" without raising or answering relevant questions "deeply disturbing". At the same time, Steger said that the author offers "much better evidence" for the second thesis - Gandhi's racist attitude.[9] He stated, "Perhaps one of the strongest sections of the book is the author's examination of pertinent primary and secondary literature revealing Gandhi's attitude toward black Africans during his two decades in South Africa". Steger noted that numerous other "balanced" critiques of Gandhi exist, such as the works by Ved Mehta, Partha Chatterjee, and Joseph Alter. In comparison, Steger concluded, that the book was a "one-sided attack" on Gandhi, without offering the larger, more complex picture of Gandhi's ethical and political engagements, thus turning it into a "strident polemic".[9]

In his book, Gandhi's Philosophy and the Quest for Harmony, the author Anthony Parel termed Singh's book as "scurrilous", "crude bias" and "deplorable ignorance".[10]

Another reviewer, Xavier William accused the author of mud slinging. While William agreed that Gandhi "had his faults", he wrote, "the mud slung at Gandhi by G.B.Singh only adds to the greatness of the Mahatma. However, William's write-up is devoid of addressing or reviewing the research presented in book as he contends that he is not a student of history and is not in a position to give a real picture of Gandhi. William also slings remarks at G.B. Singh for being a Sikh in his write-up "[11]

Bookviews.com in its 2004 book review applauded the book. In its review, it stated "We need to remember that even great men had their flaws and Col. Singh, a career military officer and student of Indian politics, Hinduism, and of Gandhi, presents his facts in a compelling way."[12]

Reading the author's earlier article "Would the Real Gandhi Please Stand Up"[13] in AAH Newsletter (publication of African Americans for Humanism) one African group in South Africa got sensitive to the issue and following the unveiling of Gandhi's statue in central Johannesburg in October 2003 the opposition gained momentum in the public[14] [15][5] [16].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Gandhi Behind the Mask of Divinity. Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
  2. ^ Singh, G.B. (2004). Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity. Prometheus Books. ISBN 1573929980. 
  3. ^ Annette H. Doherty's Affidavit. Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
  4. ^ Extensions of Remarks - January 09, 2007 by HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS OF NEW YORK IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 110th US Congress (First Session)
  5. ^ a b Extensions of Remarks - December 13, 2005 by HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS OF NEW YORK IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Proceedings and Debates of 109th Congress (First Session)
  6. ^ a b Clark, Thomas W. (July 2006). "Gandhi in question.(Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity)(Gandhi As We Have Known Him)(Book review)". The Humanist. American Humanist Association. ISSN 0018-7399. 
  7. ^ Violin, Katie. "Gandhi as a racist doesn't add up", The Kansas City Star, 2005-01-02, p. 7. 
  8. ^ Kick, Russ (2004). 50 Things You're Not Supposed to Know. The Disinformation Company, 137. ISBN 1932857028. 
  9. ^ a b c Steger, Manfred B. (2005-12-05). "Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity (Book review)". The Historian 67 (4): 781. Phi Alpha Theta. ISSN 0018-2370. 
  10. ^ Parel, Anthony (2006). Gandhi's Philosophy and the Quest for Harmony. Cambridge University Press, 114. ISBN 978-0521867153. OCLC 69484298. 
  11. ^ William, Xavier (October 2004). "Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity.(Book Review)". Reviewer's Bookwatch. Midwest Book Review. 
  12. ^ Caruba, Alan. BookReviews.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
  13. ^ Singh, G. B. (Fall, 2002), “Would the Real Gandhi Please Stand Up?”, AAH Examiner 12 (3), <http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/aah/singh_12_3.htm> 
  14. ^ Gandhi branded racist as Johannesburg honors freedom fighter. Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
  15. ^ An Interview with Col. G. B. Singh. Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
  16. ^ Gandhi hated blacks, say critics of African statue. Retrieved on 2007-12-17.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links