Right now, in India, there is and has been a concerted effort to try and erase the legacy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. There is an endeavour to retell our history in a way that minimizes his leadership of the independence struggle, the way that he fired the imagination of a nation while confusing our colonial occupiers with his unique nonviolent means. However, the impact that Gandhiji had on the world at large cannot be downplayed or erased in any way. Places across the globe have statues of Bapu and have roads named after him. Take a look:
At a time when armed conflict was the only way people knew to fight for their rights, concepts of truth, nonviolence and universal brotherhood were new and inspiring. Civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and many others were inspired by Gandhi’s ideas and his methods.
Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore (who bestowed the term Mahatma upon him) remain two of India’s most influential thinkers, respected and revered the world over. This street in Warsaw where Tagore Street meets Gandhi Street is a testament to that.
Successive generations have marvelled at the ability of a frail old man to make what was then the biggest empire in the world sit up, and take notice.
This bronze sculpture of Gandhi can be found in downtown Saskatoon, Canada.
The work of Gandhiji against oppression, inequality and colonial occupation arguably began while he was in South Africa, where he collectivised and raised his voice against a racist regime.
While we can more easily explain the presence of Gandhi in places like South Africa or Canada which has a large expat Indian population, his influence stretches to places like Croatia as well.
In Ulaanbaatar as well, we have a street named after Gandhi.
Buenos Aires in Argentina has a road named for Gandhiji.
Hamburg in Germany has a road named for Mahatma Gandhi.
Indians would be hard put to it to locate Romania on a map, but Bucharest in this country has a street named for Mahatma Gandhi. There are numerous other roads and streets named after him all over the world. In India, we may be forgetting the man and what he stood for – religious tolerance, nonviolence and love for all – thankfully the world remembers.
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