Human rights activist Tushar Gandhi talks about the erasure of his great-grandfather Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, and how Hindutva has weakened the fabric of society
On August 9 this year, Tushar Gandhi (63), the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, went down the stairs of his apartment building in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, at 7 am. He was on his way to commemorate the Quit India Day at August Kranti Maidan in Tardeo. It was the day the Mahatma asked the British to Quit India with the slogan ‘Do or die’. The day is also celebrated as a tribute to the sacrifices made by the Indian people during their struggle for independence.
When he reached the compound, a group of men came up to him. Tushar recognised two men as police officers, although they were all in plainclothes. “Where are you going?” said one officer. “You know where I am going,” said Tushar. “That is why you have come to stop me.” “No, no, it’s nothing like that,” said one officer. “Our senior inspector [Rajendra Kane] would like to speak to you.”
“Connect me on the phone,” said Tushar. “No, no,” he said. “Come with us to the [Santa Cruz] police station.” “I am not coming to the station,” said Tushar. “I have to reach Chowpatty at 8.30 a.m. Give him my phone number and let him speak to him while I am travelling.”
After a to-and-fro conversation, they gently coerced Tushar to go to the station. They took him to the senior inspector’s office. Rajendra said, “The DCP [Krishna Kant Upadhyay] is coming. You need to wait.” Tushar again urged the police to release him, but they did not agree. The DCP came and there was a friendly conversation, which lasted for an hour. They asked about Tushar’s ancestry and they expressed their admiration and respect for Mahatma Gandhi.
When asked about the police’s political leanings, Tushar stated they were adept at concealing them. “They are like chameleons. Whoever is in power, they will align with them.” As they spoke, the police were monitoring the television. There was an official function at August Kranti Maidan.
The Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and other ministers were taking part. They were launching the ‘Mera Mati, Mera Desh’ campaign during the Quit India celebrations.
During this time, the police also prevented the noted human rights activist Teesta Setalvad from going out. “The police told her that if she tried to leave, they would arrest her,” said Tushar.
Teesta is out on bail in the many cases the central government has filed against her. She messaged Tushar about what to do. He replied, “Please don’t force the issue. It is not worth risking your freedom.” The police detained a couple of other activists at Lamington Road station.
At 11.15 am, the function concluded. Tushar was told he could leave. This was the first time in his life the police had detained him, although nothing was recorded officially. “Apparently, they were afraid we would stage a demonstration in front of the Chief Minister,” he said.
“Why should we? We Gandhians are a peaceful group.” Thereafter, Tushar went to August Kranti Maidan. Around 20 other activists turned up. Among them was the oldest freedom fighter, GG Parekh (99), and Teesta. They sang songs and hymns and saluted the Indian flag.
On October 21, Tushar was on a two-day visit to Kochi. He took part in a ‘Secular Indian Movement Conference’ and inaugurated a museum on Tibet, set up by the Friends of Tibet Foundation. The Federal met him in the sixth-floor room of the Government Guest House the next day.
Leaned on a sofa, he spoke in a calm voice, and in long and steady sentences, about how Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals are being erased, the growing acceptance of Hindutva among people, the fear of the minorities and the inroads the Sangh Parivar has made into Kerala, and more. Excerpts from the interview:
What is your purpose in life?
To speak about the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, and the necessity to preserve the soul of India. It keeps me engaged and active. But the negative aspect is that my family is always worried about my safety. [Tushar’s family includes wife Sonal Desai, a retired banker, son Vivan, who works with the legal department of the UK government in London, and daughter Kasturi who works with an NGO, Dasra Foundation, Mumbai].
There is talk that Mahatma Gandhi is being erased. Do you agree?
What is being attempted is to erase the ideas of Gandhi: truth, ahimsa (non-violence), inclusiveness and equality. These are the cornerstones on which man has built civilisations. The hate campaign against him is systematically orchestrated and conducted. The government has created a Gandhi, which is convenient: the Gandhi of his spectacles and of cleanliness.
They don’t want a Gandhi who is pointing a finger and saying, ‘You are wrong’. They have erased him from textbooks. But they are also erasing whole chunks of history, which is not acceptable to their viewpoint.
Do you detect a pervasive fear in your travels around the country?
I do. The liberal and secular-minded people feel they are in a minority. They are feeling intimidated. The minorities are always fearful. There is a concerted campaign to terrorise the Muslims and Christians: the mob-lynching, the economic boycotts, and hate speeches. They also target the lower castes.
The Bahujans, Adivasis and Dalits may be over 60 percent of the population, which is why the Centre does not want to conduct a national census. The upper-castes have conducted a genocide on the lower castes for over 5,000 years. There was a viral video of an upper-caste politician [BJP worker Pravesh Shukla] in Madhya Pradesh peeing on a lower-caste man [Dashmat Rawat]. But it did not evoke widespread horror or anguish among the majority community. However, that did not surprise me.
Is the Hindutva ideology here to stay?
Yes. People in South India have largely accepted it as well. It is now a popular choice of the people. Earlier, the upper castes supported it and it remained on the fringes. Now, it is the mainstream. In North India, the people of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and parts of Bihar have embraced it whole-heartedly.
Do you believe the Sangh Parivar has made inroads into Kerala?
I do. In the last five years, they have been visibly present in Kerala and infiltrated every strata of society. In a speech I gave a year ago at the Sabarmati Library in the Congress office in Kochi, I stated that the RSS was complicit in the murder of Bapu. After that, I got legal notices of defamation from three RSS members in Kerala. That’s how strongly they are present now. Earlier, this would not have happened.
Unfortunately, there is an acceptance of Hindutva in Kerala, especially among the upper castes. On August 15, the RSS took out many marches in Kerala. Yes, they are pumping in a lot of money. If the RSS succeeds electorally in Kerala, we will lose all hope.
Your message to the people of Kerala?
As in many parts of India, people are unaware of the dangers posed by an extreme right-wing ideology that could harm the country in the long run.
Is there a danger the country will be Balkanised?
Yes, there is a danger. The fabric of society which unites us has weakened. I don’t know how long India will hold together. The destructive forces sow the seeds of their own destruction in their campaign of divisiveness. They have created so many cracks in this edifice called India that it is going to break. But we don’t know how many pieces it is going to break into.
Will the Bharat Jodo Yatra by Rahul Gandhi have an impact on the 2024 elections?
Too much time has passed since the yatra. Rahul gave them a head start for 2024, but the Congress could not capitalise on it in the manner they should have.
So, will the NDA win again?
I will be happy if the margin of victory of the NDA goes down. If that happens, the daggers for Modi in his party would be out. He has a lot of enemies within. He has kept them subdued because of electoral wins. The reduced margin in 2024 will become unbearable for the party. Of course, if the INDIA alliance is able to defeat them, I will be ecstatic.
There is always a suspicion that the EVM machines are being tampered with. What is your opinion?
If the voting percentage is beyond 70, it will be difficult to tamper with the votes. When voting is less, it is easy to manipulate. In the Gujarat elections, that was what happened. The voter turnout was less. I mentioned this in my meeting with the secular Indian people. On election day, we have to work hard to bring out the people. Many believe their vote doesn’t matter. But it does.
Will secularism make a comeback?
We should embrace atheism. We should have a religion-less nation. Religion in India has caused most of the evils that we see today. The oppression, the segregation, and the caste system have the sanction of religion. The government should disassociate itself from any religion. Secularism is not working. I know nobody will accept my idea. The problem is that wherever there is a religious identity it results in radicalisation.
Talking of radicalisation, is Israel committing genocide in Palestine?
There is no doubt about it. Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government has set up an apartheid system in Palestine. He and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are cut from the same cloth. Under the pretext of obliterating Hamas, they are obliterating the people.
The future looks bleak for the Palestinian people. Do you agree?
The present is bleak, but the Palestinians can always change the future. Even during the darkest moments, the people should keep hoping. Only then they can be resolute in their defiance of the oppressor. If they give up, they are saying it is beyond them. But freedom is never beyond human possibility. You should always work towards freedom by influencing world opinion and by continuously defying the oppressor.
Was Hamas right in slaughtering Israeli civilians?
Violence is never right. Violence always begets violence.
