Ghandi was a horrible father

[pie]

has anyone else ever heard that? I heard he neglected his family and that his child grew up miserable. Does anyone know anything about Ghandi?

[simonee]

Other than the regular stuff, I know that before he became Mahatma, he lived and studied in South Africa, and he sure knew how to live it up with the booze and the chicas.

It's one of those snippets that sits in my head though, not enough details anymore to really know how and what. But I do remember that his younger years were definitely less selfless than the way he's projected now, and that he didn't treat women and children the way he wanted to be treated himself.

[merpk]

simonee, by "his younger years" do you mean his lawyer years in Africa? Honestly (and shamefacedly) I'll admit all Iknow about Ghandi is from the movie (but you have to agree it was a great movie) but it appears that in younger years he didn't pretend to greatness. So why hold him to that standard?

- Amy

[zealsmom]

You mean he was human?

I actually had the opportunity to meet his son last year. He was speaking about his father. From the looks of it, he is not at all bitter, but growing up with a freedom fighter parent, he did have certain things to "compete" with. How sad that any child would feel in competition for their parents' attention.

But I must say that Gandhi is know as the "Father of India" - he is called Bapu. Because of his ideals, India is free from British rule and people hold him in very high esteem. He informs daily thought there. And I, too, will teach my child about his life and what he did for India.

[pie]

Thank you for your insights.

[USAmma]

I don't think Gandhi was the best father to his children or the best husband to his wife in his years as an activist. I think that he had to put his family on hold in order to do the great things that he did for his country and the world. He didn't beat his children or his wife, he just gave up the family role as he took on a bigger one. I think we have to remember that Gandhi was a human being, just a man, once a newborn in some mother's arms. A person is only capable of doing so much.

I thank his wife and children for giving up this man to the world so he could liberatre India and all of us. He was meant for greater things. He was a great person who will always have a special place in my heart. If he were the kind of person who beat his children he could never have achieved what he did with his firm message of ahimsa, non-violence. He taught that gentless is sometimes stronger than all the force in the world. He was not only a very human father and husband, but the father of India, and one of the fathers of modern democracy. He's also an inspiration to me sometimes when I am trying to raise my daughter in a gentle manner so in a sense he's my father as well.

I think rather than see the bad we need to see the greater good in his human-ness. After all, that's what he did.

Darshani

[moon girl]

My father and several of his brothers and sisters spent part of their childhood living at Gandhi's ashram (I'm not sure how long, but it always sounded like maybe for a summer or something like that). From the way they talked, the ideals and the environment were wonderful. My aunt became a vegetarian while living there and is still to this day.

I think it's true that his family suffered from the fact that he had this great mission in life that took his time and focus away from them. A theme that is repeated over and over throughout history unfortunately. (Why does it have to be one or the other).

I agree that Gandhi did amazing things and affected generations of people with his message of non-violence.