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| {{Short description|Indian-American activist (1934–2023)}} | {{Short description|Indian-American activist (1934–2023)}} | ||
| {{More citations needed|date=May 2023}} | |||
| {{Use American English|date=May 2023}} | |||
| {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} | ||
| {{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| | name = Arun Gandhi | | name = Arun Gandhi | ||
| | image = Arun Gandhi at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial 4 April 2012 crop.jpg | | image = Arun Gandhi at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial 4 April 2012 crop.jpg | ||
| | caption = |
| caption = 2012 | ||
| | birth_name = Arun Manilal Gandhi | | birth_name = Arun Manilal Gandhi | ||
| | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|4|14|df=y}} | | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|4|14|df=y}} | ||
| | birth_place = ], ], ] |
| birth_place = ], ], ] | ||
| | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|5|2|1934|4|14|df=y}} | | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|5|2|1934|4|14|df=y}} | ||
| | death_place = ], ], India | | death_place = ], ], India | ||
| | spouse = {{marriage| |
| spouse = {{marriage|Sunanda Gandhi|1957|21 February 2007|end=d}} | ||
| | children = 2, including ] | | children = 2, including ] | ||
| | parents = ]<br/>Sushila Mashruwala | | parents = ]<br/>Sushila Mashruwala | ||
| | relatives = |
| relatives = ] (sister)<br />] (grandfather)<br />] (grandmother) | ||
| | nationality = |
| nationality = Indian, South African, American | ||
| | citizenship = |
| citizenship = American | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Arun Manilal Gandhi''' (14 April 1934 – 2 May 2023) was a South African-born Indian-American author, socio-political activist and son of ], thus a grandson of nationalist leader ]. |
'''Arun Manilal Gandhi''' (14 April 1934 – 2 May 2023) was a South African-born Indian-American author, socio-political activist and son of ], thus a grandson of nationalist leader ]. In 2017, he published ''The Gift of Anger: And Other Lessons From My Grandfather Mahatma Gandhi'' (New York: Gallery Books/Jeter Publishing 2017). | ||
| Gandhi criticized the Indian government in an article he wrote after they subsidized a 1982 film based on his grandfather's life with $25 million. He immigrated to the ] with his family in 1987 where he studied at the ]. They later moved to ], ], where they founded a nonviolence institute hosted by the ]. | Gandhi criticized the Indian government in an article he wrote after they subsidized a 1982 film based on his grandfather's life with $25 million. He immigrated to the ] with his family in 1987 where he studied at the ]. They later moved to ], ], where they founded a nonviolence institute hosted by the ]. | ||
| ==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
| Arun Manilal Gandhi was born on 14 April 1934, in ], to ] and Sushila Mashruwala. His father was an editor and his mother was a publisher for the ]. Arun had seen his grandfather ] once briefly at age 5 and didn't see him again until 1946 when he lived with Mahatma Gandhi at the ] ] in ]. Arun returned to the ] in |
Arun Manilal Gandhi was born on 14 April 1934, in ], to ] and Sushila Mashruwala. His father was an editor and his mother was a publisher for the ]. Arun had seen his grandfather ] once briefly at age 5 and didn't see him again until 1946 when he lived with Mahatma Gandhi at the ] ] in ]. Arun returned to the ] in 1947, just weeks before his grandfather was ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-09-30 |title=Arun Gandhi: 'My grandfather saw my anger as fuel for change' |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/30/arun-gandhi-grandfather-mahatma-gandhi-saw-anger-fuel-for-change |access-date=2023-05-07 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> | ||
| While living at ], Arun had the advantage of education over the illiterate farm families who worked the surrounding fields. His grandfather urged him to play with the neighboring children after school in order to "learn what it was like to live in poverty", as well as to teach those children what he learned in class each day, which Arun Gandhi later described as "the most creative and enlightening experience for me." Eventually, crowds of children and their parents started showing up for lessons with the young Gandhi, which taught him compassion and the need to share.<ref name=Columbian>Hewitt, Scott (18 January 2015). . '']''.</ref> | While living at ], Arun had the advantage of education over the illiterate farm families who worked the surrounding fields. His grandfather urged him to play with the neighboring children after school in order to "learn what it was like to live in poverty", as well as to teach those children what he learned in class each day, which Arun Gandhi later described as "the most creative and enlightening experience for me." Eventually, crowds of children and their parents started showing up for lessons with the young Gandhi, which taught him compassion and the need to share.<ref name=Columbian>Hewitt, Scott (18 January 2015). . '']''.</ref> | ||
| ==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| In 1982, when ] released the feature film, '']'', based on his grandfather's life, Gandhi wrote an article criticizing the Indian government for subsidizing the film with $25 million, arguing that there were more important things to spend such money on. Though his article was widely reprinted and celebrated, after attending a special screening of the film, Gandhi included that it accurately conveyed his grandfather's philosophy and legacy (despite its historical inaccuracies), and was so moved by it that he wrote another article retracting the first one.<ref>(18 January 2015) </ref> | In 1982, when ] released the feature film, '']'', based on his grandfather's life, Gandhi wrote an article criticizing the Indian government for subsidizing the film with $25 million, arguing that there were more important things to spend such money on. Though his article was widely reprinted and celebrated, after attending a special screening of the film, Gandhi included that it accurately conveyed his grandfather's philosophy and legacy (despite its historical inaccuracies), and was so moved by it that he wrote another article retracting the first one.<ref>(18 January 2015) </ref> | ||
| In 1987, Arun Gandhi moved to the United States along with his wife, Sunanda, to work on a study at the ]. This study examined and contrasted the sorts of prejudices that existed in India, the U.S., and South Africa. Afterward, they moved to ], and founded the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence hosted by the ], a ] academic institution. This institute was dedicated to applying the principles of ] at both local and global scales. As co-founders of the institute, both husband and wife received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award "for bringing the legacy of Gandhi to America"<ref></ref> which was awarded at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. |
In 1987, Arun Gandhi moved to the United States along with his wife, Sunanda, to work on a study at the ]. This study examined and contrasted the sorts of prejudices that existed in India, the U.S., and South Africa. Afterward, they moved to ], and founded the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence hosted by the ], a ] academic institution. This institute was dedicated to applying the principles of ] at both local and global scales. As co-founders of the institute, both husband and wife received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award "for bringing the legacy of Gandhi to America"<ref></ref> which was awarded at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. In 1996, he cofounded the ] as a yearly celebration of the philosophies and lives of Mohandas Gandhi and ]<ref>Housden, R. (1999) ''Sacred America: The emerging spirit of the people.'' Simon & Schuster. p 201.</ref><ref>Morrissey, M.M. (2003) ''New Thought: A Practical Spirituality.'' Penguin.</ref> | ||
| In 2003, Gandhi was one of the signatories to '']'' (] III).<ref name |
In 2003, Gandhi was one of the signatories to '']'' (] III).<ref name="Human Manifesto III Signers">(8 May 2018) </ref> | ||
| In late 2007, Gandhi co-taught a course entitled "Gandhi on Personal Leadership and Nonviolence" at ] in ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr. Brian Polkinghorn Wins Prestigious Elkins Award |url=http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?id=3338 |website=] |access-date=June |
In late 2007, Gandhi co-taught a course entitled "Gandhi on Personal Leadership and Nonviolence" at ] in ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr. Brian Polkinghorn Wins Prestigious Elkins Award |url=http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?id=3338 |website=] |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805175544/http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?id=3338 |archive-date=5 August 2012 |date=17 July 2007 |url-status=unfit}}</ref><!-- original url marked unfit due to redirect to Salisbury University press releases home page -->{{cbignore|bot=InternetArchiveBot}} On 12 November 2007, Gandhi gave a lecture for the Salisbury University Center for Conflict Resolution's “One Person Can Make a Difference” Lecture Series, entitled “Nonviolence in the Age of Terrorism”.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr. Arun Gandhi Speaks on Nonviolence November 12 |url=http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?id=3432 |website=] |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805150823/http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?id=3432 |archive-date=5 August 2012 |date=23 October 2007 |url-status=unfit}}</ref><!-- original url marked unfit due to redirect to Salisbury University press releases home page -->{{cbignore|bot=InternetArchiveBot}} In late 2008, Gandhi returned to Salisbury University to co-teach a course entitled "The Global Impact of Gandhi".<ref>{{cite web |title=SU's Polkinghorn Receives Second Elkins Professorship |url=http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?id=3704 |website=] |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805202544/http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?id=3704 |archive-date=5 August 2012 |date=12 September 2008 |url-status=unfit}}</ref><!-- original url marked unfit due to redirect to Salisbury University press releases home page -->{{cbignore|bot=InternetArchiveBot}} | ||
| In 2007, after the passing of his wife |
In 2007, after the passing of his wife {{ill|Sunanda Gandhi|lt=Sunanda|ml|സുനന്ദ_ഗാന്ധി}} on 21 February, the institute moved to ], and is currently located on the ] River Campus.<ref>, 1 June 2007 press release, ].</ref> After January 2008 op-ed in '']'''s "On Faith" section where Gandhi said that Israelis talked too much about the Holocaust and were losing world sympathy and that Israel and the U.S. were the biggest contributors to the world-threatening "culture of violence", his ties to Rochester were imperiled. He claimed that dwelling on the past wouldn't allow them to move forward. Gandhi apologized by saying he had only meant to say ] ] supporters were part of the problem, but the university did not accept his explanation and informed him that the institute would be closed unless he resigned from it. Gandhi then quit, making an erroneous prediction that he would be able to return in several months when the furor over his actions died down (he never came back in any capacity before his death in 2023).{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} | ||
| Gandhi had given many speeches about nonviolence in many countries. During his tour to ], he urged the ]s to resist Israeli occupation peacefully to assure their freedom. In August 2004, Gandhi proposed to the ] a peaceful march of 50,000 refugees across the Jordan River to return to their homeland and said MPs should lead the way. Gandhi also claimed that the fate of Palestinians is ten times worse than that of blacks in apartheid South Africa. He asked: "What would happen? Maybe the Israeli army would shoot and kill several. They may kill 100. They may kill 200 men, women and children. And that would shock the world. The world will get up and say, 'What is going on?'."<ref>, |
Gandhi had given many speeches about nonviolence in many countries. During his tour to ], he urged the ]s to resist Israeli occupation peacefully to assure their freedom. In August 2004, Gandhi proposed to the ] a peaceful march of 50,000 refugees across the Jordan River to return to their homeland and said MPs should lead the way. Gandhi also claimed that the fate of Palestinians is ten times worse than that of blacks in apartheid South Africa. He asked: "What would happen? Maybe the Israeli army would shoot and kill several. They may kill 100. They may kill 200 men, women and children. And that would shock the world. The world will get up and say, 'What is going on?'."<ref>, 31 August 2004.</ref> | ||
| On 12 October 2009 Gandhi visited the ] in ] to talk to P7's from all over East Lothian in Scotland.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} On 11 November 2009 Gandhi visited Chattanooga State Technical Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to speak and spread his message of peace. |
On 12 October 2009 Gandhi visited the ] in ] to talk to P7's from all over East Lothian in Scotland.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} On 11 November 2009 Gandhi visited Chattanooga State Technical Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to speak and spread his message of peace.<ref> Retrieved 1 August 2024</ref> On 13 November 2009, Gandhi visited Cleveland State Community College in ], to speak and spread his message of peace. On 16 November 2010, Gandhi visited The University of Wyoming in ], to speak and spread his message of peace.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uwyo.edu/uw/news/2010/10/uw-social-justice-research-center-hosts-gandhis-grandson-nov.-16.html|title=UW Social Justice Research Center Hosts Gandhi's Grandson Nov. 16 | News | University of Wyoming|access-date=16 November 2010|archive-date=8 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108001414/http://www.uwyo.edu/uw/news/2010/10/uw-social-justice-research-center-hosts-gandhis-grandson-nov.-16.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
| On 2 March 2011, Arun Gandhi spoke at the East West Center on the campus of the ], ], ]. He spoke about Nonviolence: A Means for Social Change. On the same day, he also spoke at ] in Honolulu, on the subject of The Wisdom of Choosing Peace. On 3 March 2011, Gandhi spoke at the University of Hawaii Architecture Building, in an event sponsored by the Spark Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Honolulu, Hawaii. On 4 March 2011 spoke at the ] in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also spoke at the ] (public auditorium) on the subject of "The Power of Peace to Create a Culture of Human Rights in Hawaii and the World." This was part of the Human Rights Week, sponsored by the State of Hawaii. He also spoke at the Pioneer Plaza Club in downtown Honolulu on the subject of "Gandhian Peace (Nonviolence) A Pathway for Resolving Modern Day Conflict." On 5 March 2011, Gandhi visited ] in Honolulu, Hawaii, to speak and spread his message of peace. He also spoke at To Ho No Hikari Church in Honolulu, in an event sponsored by ], on the subject of "The Way of Nonviolence Towards All Living Beings", and at the ] as part of the PAAAC Youth Conference. On 6 March 2011 Gandhi spoke at Unity Church, Diamond Head, Honolulu, on the subject of "Lessons I Learned With My Grandfather".<ref name |
On 2 March 2011, Arun Gandhi spoke at the East West Center on the campus of the ], ], ]. He spoke about Nonviolence: A Means for Social Change. On the same day, he also spoke at ] in Honolulu, on the subject of The Wisdom of Choosing Peace. On 3 March 2011, Gandhi spoke at the University of Hawaii Architecture Building, in an event sponsored by the Spark Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Honolulu, Hawaii. On 4 March 2011 spoke at the ] in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also spoke at the ] (public auditorium) on the subject of "The Power of Peace to Create a Culture of Human Rights in Hawaii and the World." This was part of the Human Rights Week, sponsored by the State of Hawaii. He also spoke at the Pioneer Plaza Club in downtown Honolulu on the subject of "Gandhian Peace (Nonviolence) A Pathway for Resolving Modern Day Conflict." On 5 March 2011, Gandhi visited ] in Honolulu, Hawaii, to speak and spread his message of peace. He also spoke at To Ho No Hikari Church in Honolulu, in an event sponsored by ], on the subject of "The Way of Nonviolence Towards All Living Beings", and at the ] as part of the PAAAC Youth Conference. On 6 March 2011 Gandhi spoke at Unity Church, Diamond Head, Honolulu, on the subject of "Lessons I Learned With My Grandfather".<ref name="Gandhi's talk in Honolulu">(7 March 2011) </ref> | ||
| ], daughter of ], speaking on the "Peace: The Next Generation" panel at the 2014 ] on the topic of growing up a child of a political figure]] | ], daughter of ], speaking on the "Peace: The Next Generation" panel at the 2014 ] on the topic of growing up a child of a political figure]] | ||
| Gandhi's 2011 tour of Honolulu was sponsored by Barbara Altemus of the We Are One Foundation and by the Gandhian International Institute for Peace. Gandhi is featured in "THE CALLING: Heal Ourselves Heal our Planet" a Documentary Film in Production created by Barbara Altemus, directed by Oscar-nominated ]. |
Gandhi's 2011 tour of Honolulu was sponsored by Barbara Altemus of the We Are One Foundation and by the Gandhian International Institute for Peace. Gandhi is featured in "THE CALLING: Heal Ourselves Heal our Planet" a Documentary Film in Production created by Barbara Altemus, directed by Oscar-nominated ].<ref></ref> | ||
| On 23 March 2012, Gandhi was the keynote speaker at the first annual Engaging Peace Conference at ] in ].<ref name |
On 23 March 2012, Gandhi was the keynote speaker at the first annual Engaging Peace Conference at ] in ].<ref name="Engaging Peace Conference">(23 March 2012) </ref> | ||
| In March 2014, Atheneum Books for Young Readers published ''Grandfather Gandhi'', a children's book that Arun Gandhi co-authored with Bethany Hegedus, and illustrated by Evan Turk.<ref>Rule, Adi (April |
In March 2014, Atheneum Books for Young Readers published ''Grandfather Gandhi'', a children's book that Arun Gandhi co-authored with Bethany Hegedus, and illustrated by Evan Turk.<ref>Rule, Adi (16 April 2014). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019215056/http://info.vcfa.edu/vcfa-launch-pad/bid/170820/Bethany-Hegedus-Arun-Gandhi-and-GRANDFATHER-GANDHI |date=19 October 2017}}. "the MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults Author Blog", ].</ref> The ] memoir, which carries a pro-peace message, tells the story of how Arun's grandfather, likening anger to lightning that could either destroy or illuminate, taught Arun to respond to injustice using peaceful methods, in order to "turn darkness into light". The book also focuses on how Arun, jealous of the other people who commanded his grandfather's attention, frustrated with his schoolwork, and embarrassed at his inability to control his anger, strove to make his grandfather proud. The book was met with positive reviews for its use of a child's point of view in order to make a complex historical issue understandable to child readers, and for Turk's use of cut-paper abstract images to create illustrations with emotional resonance.<ref>Bird, Elizabeth (8 April 2014). . '']''.</ref><ref>Smith, Robin (4 November 2014). . '']''.</ref><ref>. '']''. Retrieved 6 September 2015.</ref> He also published ''Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/504828.Legacy_of_Love|title=Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence|access-date=2024-08-01|website=]}}</ref> | ||
| ==Personal life and death== | ==Personal life and death== | ||
| Gandhi considered himself to be a ] |
Gandhi considered himself to be a ] and expressed ] views.<ref></ref> Like his grandfather, he also believed in the concept of ']' (]).<ref>(8 May 2018) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190304233505/http://arungandhi.org/2.html|date=4 March 2019}}</ref> | ||
| Gandhi met nurse |
Gandhi met nurse Sunanda in a hospital and they married in 1957. The couple had 2 children, ], born on 17 January 1960, and Archana. Gandhi and Sunanda stayed married until her death on 21 February 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newsable.asianetnews.com/india/author-activist-arun-manilal-gandhi-mahatma-gandhi-s-grandson-dies-at-89-here-s-all-you-need-to-know-ajr-ru0zb1|title=Author-activist Arun Manilal Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grandson dies at 89; here's all you need to know|publisher=Asianet Newsable|date=2 May 2023|accessdate=1 August 2024}}</ref> | ||
| As of 2016, Gandhi resided in ].<ref name="Columbian" /> | As of 2016, Gandhi resided in ].<ref name="Columbian" /> | ||
| Gandhi died at the Sunanda Gandhi Home for Girls in Kolhapur, on 2 May 2023. He was 89.<ref>{{Cite news |date= |
Gandhi died at the Sunanda Gandhi Home for Girls in Kolhapur, on 2 May 2023. He was 89.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 May 2023 |title=Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Arun Gandhi passes away at 89 |work=] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mahatma-gandhis-grandson-arun-gandhi-passes-away-at-89/articleshow/99922508.cms |access-date=2 May 2023}}</ref> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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Latest revision as of 23:20, 9 January 2025
Indian-American activist (1934–2023) | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Arun Manilal Gandhi" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Arun Gandhi | |
|---|---|
 2012 | |
| Born | Arun Manilal Gandhi (1934-04-14)14 April 1934 Durban, Natal Province, South Africa |
| Died | 2 May 2023(2023-05-02) (aged 89) Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India |
| Nationality | Indian, South African, American |
| Citizenship | American |
| Spouse |
Sunanda Gandhi
(m. 1957; died 2007) |
| Children | 2, including Tushar |
| Parent(s) | Manilal Gandhi Sushila Mashruwala |
| Relatives | Ela Gandhi (sister) Mahatma Gandhi (grandfather) Kasturba Gandhi (grandmother) |
Arun Manilal Gandhi (14 April 1934 – 2 May 2023) was a South African-born Indian-American author, socio-political activist and son of Manilal Gandhi, thus a grandson of nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi. In 2017, he published The Gift of Anger: And Other Lessons From My Grandfather Mahatma Gandhi (New York: Gallery Books/Jeter Publishing 2017).
Gandhi criticized the Indian government in an article he wrote after they subsidized a 1982 film based on his grandfather's life with $25 million. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1987 where he studied at the University of Mississippi. They later moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where they founded a nonviolence institute hosted by the Christian Brothers University.
Early life
Arun Manilal Gandhi was born on 14 April 1934, in Durban, to Manilal Gandhi and Sushila Mashruwala. His father was an editor and his mother was a publisher for the Indian Opinion. Arun had seen his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi once briefly at age 5 and didn't see him again until 1946 when he lived with Mahatma Gandhi at the Sevagram ashram in India. Arun returned to the Union of South Africa in 1947, just weeks before his grandfather was assassinated.
While living at Sevagram, Arun had the advantage of education over the illiterate farm families who worked the surrounding fields. His grandfather urged him to play with the neighboring children after school in order to "learn what it was like to live in poverty", as well as to teach those children what he learned in class each day, which Arun Gandhi later described as "the most creative and enlightening experience for me." Eventually, crowds of children and their parents started showing up for lessons with the young Gandhi, which taught him compassion and the need to share.
Career
In 1982, when Columbia Pictures released the feature film, Gandhi, based on his grandfather's life, Gandhi wrote an article criticizing the Indian government for subsidizing the film with $25 million, arguing that there were more important things to spend such money on. Though his article was widely reprinted and celebrated, after attending a special screening of the film, Gandhi included that it accurately conveyed his grandfather's philosophy and legacy (despite its historical inaccuracies), and was so moved by it that he wrote another article retracting the first one.
In 1987, Arun Gandhi moved to the United States along with his wife, Sunanda, to work on a study at the University of Mississippi. This study examined and contrasted the sorts of prejudices that existed in India, the U.S., and South Africa. Afterward, they moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and founded the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence hosted by the Christian Brothers University, a Catholic academic institution. This institute was dedicated to applying the principles of nonviolence at both local and global scales. As co-founders of the institute, both husband and wife received the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award "for bringing the legacy of Gandhi to America" which was awarded at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. In 1996, he cofounded the Season for Nonviolence as a yearly celebration of the philosophies and lives of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
In 2003, Gandhi was one of the signatories to Humanism and Its Aspirations (Humanist Manifesto III).
In late 2007, Gandhi co-taught a course entitled "Gandhi on Personal Leadership and Nonviolence" at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland. On 12 November 2007, Gandhi gave a lecture for the Salisbury University Center for Conflict Resolution's “One Person Can Make a Difference” Lecture Series, entitled “Nonviolence in the Age of Terrorism”. In late 2008, Gandhi returned to Salisbury University to co-teach a course entitled "The Global Impact of Gandhi".
In 2007, after the passing of his wife Sunanda [ml] on 21 February, the institute moved to Rochester, New York, and is currently located on the University of Rochester River Campus. After January 2008 op-ed in The Washington Post's "On Faith" section where Gandhi said that Israelis talked too much about the Holocaust and were losing world sympathy and that Israel and the U.S. were the biggest contributors to the world-threatening "culture of violence", his ties to Rochester were imperiled. He claimed that dwelling on the past wouldn't allow them to move forward. Gandhi apologized by saying he had only meant to say right-wing Likud supporters were part of the problem, but the university did not accept his explanation and informed him that the institute would be closed unless he resigned from it. Gandhi then quit, making an erroneous prediction that he would be able to return in several months when the furor over his actions died down (he never came back in any capacity before his death in 2023).
Gandhi had given many speeches about nonviolence in many countries. During his tour to Israel, he urged the Palestinians to resist Israeli occupation peacefully to assure their freedom. In August 2004, Gandhi proposed to the Palestinian Parliament a peaceful march of 50,000 refugees across the Jordan River to return to their homeland and said MPs should lead the way. Gandhi also claimed that the fate of Palestinians is ten times worse than that of blacks in apartheid South Africa. He asked: "What would happen? Maybe the Israeli army would shoot and kill several. They may kill 100. They may kill 200 men, women and children. And that would shock the world. The world will get up and say, 'What is going on?'."
On 12 October 2009 Gandhi visited the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh to talk to P7's from all over East Lothian in Scotland. On 11 November 2009 Gandhi visited Chattanooga State Technical Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to speak and spread his message of peace. On 13 November 2009, Gandhi visited Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tennessee, to speak and spread his message of peace. On 16 November 2010, Gandhi visited The University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming, to speak and spread his message of peace.
On 2 March 2011, Arun Gandhi spoke at the East West Center on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii. He spoke about Nonviolence: A Means for Social Change. On the same day, he also spoke at Iolani School in Honolulu, on the subject of The Wisdom of Choosing Peace. On 3 March 2011, Gandhi spoke at the University of Hawaii Architecture Building, in an event sponsored by the Spark Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Honolulu, Hawaii. On 4 March 2011 spoke at the Pacific Buddhist Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also spoke at the Hawaii State Capitol (public auditorium) on the subject of "The Power of Peace to Create a Culture of Human Rights in Hawaii and the World." This was part of the Human Rights Week, sponsored by the State of Hawaii. He also spoke at the Pioneer Plaza Club in downtown Honolulu on the subject of "Gandhian Peace (Nonviolence) A Pathway for Resolving Modern Day Conflict." On 5 March 2011, Gandhi visited The International Society for Krishna Consciousness Temple in Honolulu, Hawaii, to speak and spread his message of peace. He also spoke at To Ho No Hikari Church in Honolulu, in an event sponsored by Dr. Terry Shintani, on the subject of "The Way of Nonviolence Towards All Living Beings", and at the Hawaii Convention Center as part of the PAAAC Youth Conference. On 6 March 2011 Gandhi spoke at Unity Church, Diamond Head, Honolulu, on the subject of "Lessons I Learned With My Grandfather".
Gandhi's 2011 tour of Honolulu was sponsored by Barbara Altemus of the We Are One Foundation and by the Gandhian International Institute for Peace. Gandhi is featured in "THE CALLING: Heal Ourselves Heal our Planet" a Documentary Film in Production created by Barbara Altemus, directed by Oscar-nominated William Gazecki.
On 23 March 2012, Gandhi was the keynote speaker at the first annual Engaging Peace Conference at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
In March 2014, Atheneum Books for Young Readers published Grandfather Gandhi, a children's book that Arun Gandhi co-authored with Bethany Hegedus, and illustrated by Evan Turk. The picture book memoir, which carries a pro-peace message, tells the story of how Arun's grandfather, likening anger to lightning that could either destroy or illuminate, taught Arun to respond to injustice using peaceful methods, in order to "turn darkness into light". The book also focuses on how Arun, jealous of the other people who commanded his grandfather's attention, frustrated with his schoolwork, and embarrassed at his inability to control his anger, strove to make his grandfather proud. The book was met with positive reviews for its use of a child's point of view in order to make a complex historical issue understandable to child readers, and for Turk's use of cut-paper abstract images to create illustrations with emotional resonance. He also published Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence.
Personal life and death
Gandhi considered himself to be a Hindu and expressed universalist views. Like his grandfather, he also believed in the concept of 'non-violence' (Ahimsa).
Gandhi met nurse Sunanda in a hospital and they married in 1957. The couple had 2 children, Tushar, born on 17 January 1960, and Archana. Gandhi and Sunanda stayed married until her death on 21 February 2007.
As of 2016, Gandhi resided in Rochester, New York.
Gandhi died at the Sunanda Gandhi Home for Girls in Kolhapur, on 2 May 2023. He was 89.
See also
References
- "Arun Gandhi: 'My grandfather saw my anger as fuel for change'". The Guardian. 30 September 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ Hewitt, Scott (18 January 2015). "Gandhi's grandson urges change from within". The Columbian.
- (18 January 2015) Arun Gandhi on movie "Gandhi"
- Peace Abbey Awards, list of recipients
- Housden, R. (1999) Sacred America: The emerging spirit of the people. Simon & Schuster. p 201.
- Morrissey, M.M. (2003) New Thought: A Practical Spirituality. Penguin.
- (8 May 2018) Human Manifesto III Signers
- "Dr. Brian Polkinghorn Wins Prestigious Elkins Award". Salisbury University. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- "Dr. Arun Gandhi Speaks on Nonviolence November 12". Salisbury University. 23 October 2007. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- "SU's Polkinghorn Receives Second Elkins Professorship". Salisbury University. 12 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence Relocates to University of Rochester, 1 June 2007 press release, University of Rochester.
- March home, urges Gandhi grandson, 31 August 2004.
- BRIEF: Gandhi’s Grandson Returning To Chattanooga To Push Nonviolence Retrieved 1 August 2024
- "UW Social Justice Research Center Hosts Gandhi's Grandson Nov. 16 | News | University of Wyoming". Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
- (7 March 2011) "Gandhi's talk in Honolulu"
- THE CALLING: Heal Ourselves, Heal Our Planet
- (23 March 2012) Engaging Peace Conference
- Rule, Adi (16 April 2014). "Bethany Hegedus, Arun Gandhi, and GRANDFATHER GANDHI" Archived 19 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. "the MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults Author Blog", Vermont College of Fine Arts.
- Bird, Elizabeth (8 April 2014). "Review of the Day: Grandfather Gandhi by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus". School Library Journal.
- Smith, Robin (4 November 2014). "Grandfather Gandhi". The Horn Book Magazine.
- "Grandfather Gandhi". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- "Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence". Goodreads. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- Arun Gandhi reaches beyond Hindu religious traditions
- (8 May 2018) Arun Gandhi Biography Archived 4 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- "Author-activist Arun Manilal Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grandson dies at 89; here's all you need to know". Asianet Newsable. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- "Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Arun Gandhi passes away at 89". The Times of India. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
External links
- Official Arun Gandhi Blog & Contact Site
- Arun Gandhi Philanthropic Tours
- Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute (Arun Gandhi President)
- M.K. Gandhi institute (Founded by Arun Gandhi)
- 1934 births
- 2023 deaths
- 20th-century Indian philosophers
- 21st-century Indian biographers
- 21st-century Indian novelists
- American Hindus
- American male writers of Indian descent
- American people of Gujarati descent
- American people of Indian descent
- American people of South African descent
- Family of Mahatma Gandhi
- Gandhians
- Indian children's writers
- Nonviolence advocates
- South African emigrants to the United States
- South African people of Gujarati descent
- South African people of Indian descent
- University of Mississippi alumni