WI: Gandhi Sex Scandal blown up during his life

Dolan

Banned
It was the most bizarre, morally repugnant aspect about the otherwise Great Man, that he misused his authority at his ashram to force young women and girls, including his own underaged grand-niece, to sleep naked together with him.

Let's say that instead of his "eccentricity" getting successfully shushed under the radar by other Indian Independence Leaders, Gandhi ends up being revealed as sleeping naked with young girls in public by accident or someone reported him early on to the British Authority (before Independence), or Indian Public (After Independence).

Is this scandal enough to discredit Gandhi's image during (the rest of) his lifetime?
 
Muslim League knew about it and publicised it. Did squat.

Pretty much what you could expect. India even today ( and it have improved) have a problem with how women are treated, next the vast majority of Indian was illiterate and had limited access to mass media, so even if they cared they was unlikely to ever find out.
 
This fact was not kept under wraps and the leaders and workers of the Congress had known it earlier and Mahatma Gandhi himself had talked about it. He had described it as his experiment of self control and his colleagues and followers never found any fault with his behavior, but some critics argued that it might affect the girls psychologically. This was also debated inside the party. The common people who had heard about it considered it as another one of his eccentricities and dismissed it as such.
 
Gandhi Used His Position To Sexually Exploit Young Women. The Way WE React To This Matters Even Today

https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2013/1...oit-young-women-way-react-matters-even-today/

‘ . . . Besides this, some of the archival references lead me to believe that Gandhi may well have been practicing the traditional, historic form of Indian celibacy which hinges on one thing only — and that is control of ejaculation. Everything else is permitted. . . ’
And if true, that is seriously messed up.

^ and posters above are right. Many people make excuses for leaders, as well as for the status quo in general.

But as the article shows, some leaders at the ashram (religious community) did try to stop Gandhi, all failing, some leaving as a result, others staying almost seemingly to keep fighting as it were, maybe afraid of how bad things would get if they did leave.
 

Dolan

Banned
This fact was not kept under wraps and the leaders and workers of the Congress had known it earlier and Mahatma Gandhi himself had talked about it. He had described it as his experiment of self control and his colleagues and followers never found any fault with his behavior, but some critics argued that it might affect the girls psychologically. This was also debated inside the party. The common people who had heard about it considered it as another one of his eccentricities and dismissed it as such.
Hmmm... so people in 1940s basically didn't make a big deal of an old man forcing young girls to sleep naked with him as long as there are no touching involved?
 
Hmmm... so people in 1940s basically didn't make a big deal of an old man forcing young girls to sleep naked with him as long as there are no touching involved?
Please keep in mind, that is merely the best goddamn case scenario.

And per the above article, it wasn’t the best case scenario.
 
Everyone knew it happened, they also knew that he made several racist comments in his time in Southern Africa. But this was 1940's India, so sadly I don't think anyone even with that knowledge would care considering how he was hailed as liberating an entire subcontinent.

Sidenote, it is quite sad when I learn that people who we admire commit bad acts. Like when I learned about the negative side of people like Columbus or Winston Churchill or Mother Teresa. It is such a downer.
 
Everyone knew it happened, they also knew that he made several racist comments in his time in Southern Africa. But this was 1940's India, so sadly I don't think anyone even with that knowledge would care considering how he was hailed as liberating an entire subcontinent.

Sidenote, it is quite sad when I learn that people who we admire commit bad acts. Like when I learned about the negative side of people like Columbus or Winston Churchill or Mother Teresa. It is such a downer.
It's called "reality".
 
Everyone knew it happened, they also knew that he made several racist comments in his time in Southern Africa. But this was 1940's India, so sadly I don't think anyone even with that knowledge would care considering how he was hailed as liberating an entire subcontinent.

Sidenote, it is quite sad when I learn that people who we admire commit bad acts. Like when I learned about the negative side of people like Columbus or Winston Churchill or Mother Teresa. It is such a downer.
There's a movement begun in Southern Africa now to tear down Gandi statues in African cities much like the Rhodes Must Fall movement only a lot smaller due to those racist comments.
 
People aren't always black and white.

True. Mostly people are ratherly quiet greyish than burely good/evil. Many gamous people who we think being good role models had and have their own dark side and surelöy people who are generally disliked or even hated have their good sides.
 
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