CraigSca
12-09-2004, 06:25 AM
Let me preface this with the obvious - this could just be the ramblings of a single individual, so I may be way off base. However...
A couple of weeks ago I was doing my typical hired cab ride to Boston South Station. Upon entering the cab, I could tell two things. He obviously was a young man of some Asian descent, and he had the likeness of what looked like a Hindu god on the dashboard. I asked which god it was and he confirmed that the likeness was of Hindu origin (as it's been a couple weeks, I have promptly forgotten which one - Vishnu?). Anyway, we then began a conversation on how he came to America from India and how long he's been here (about 7 years). He told me how he worked at a local fast food chain, worked his way up to management and ultimately came to own his own business (which unfortunately ultimately failed). Since that time, he's been working for a limo service to earn enough money to get back on his feet.
The conversation was going pretty well, and I asked him how, in general, do the Hindus and Muslims get along in India (I remember hearing about some violence over in India a year or two ago). He told me that he has no problem with Muslims and that the Hindus and Muslim peoples of India get along pretty well. Somehow, the conversation then moved to Mahatma Gandhi and this is where he told me something that surprised me. He said that the Hindu people of India hate Gandhi. I really don't know the story of Gandhi very well, just the basics, but I told him it was our impression (as an American) that he was a hero who guided the Indian people to independence from the British. He acknowledged that, but also said the Indian impression of Gandhi is that the independence was inevitable, and that Gandhi "sold the poor people out" and brought about his own assassination. He said the movie "Gandhi" was just that - a movie - and not the way the Indian people feel about him. He said the same thing has happend in South Africa. The world considers Nelson Mandela a hero who hastened the end of Apartheid but his own people hate him.
Anyway, I know this is only the rambling of one person, but I found the perspective interesting. From an American point-of-view the names Gandhi, Mandela, etc., have gained almost demi-god status. Maybe I was naiive, but I was amazed to find that perhaps these historical figures aren't as beloved as we make them out to be.
A couple of weeks ago I was doing my typical hired cab ride to Boston South Station. Upon entering the cab, I could tell two things. He obviously was a young man of some Asian descent, and he had the likeness of what looked like a Hindu god on the dashboard. I asked which god it was and he confirmed that the likeness was of Hindu origin (as it's been a couple weeks, I have promptly forgotten which one - Vishnu?). Anyway, we then began a conversation on how he came to America from India and how long he's been here (about 7 years). He told me how he worked at a local fast food chain, worked his way up to management and ultimately came to own his own business (which unfortunately ultimately failed). Since that time, he's been working for a limo service to earn enough money to get back on his feet.
The conversation was going pretty well, and I asked him how, in general, do the Hindus and Muslims get along in India (I remember hearing about some violence over in India a year or two ago). He told me that he has no problem with Muslims and that the Hindus and Muslim peoples of India get along pretty well. Somehow, the conversation then moved to Mahatma Gandhi and this is where he told me something that surprised me. He said that the Hindu people of India hate Gandhi. I really don't know the story of Gandhi very well, just the basics, but I told him it was our impression (as an American) that he was a hero who guided the Indian people to independence from the British. He acknowledged that, but also said the Indian impression of Gandhi is that the independence was inevitable, and that Gandhi "sold the poor people out" and brought about his own assassination. He said the movie "Gandhi" was just that - a movie - and not the way the Indian people feel about him. He said the same thing has happend in South Africa. The world considers Nelson Mandela a hero who hastened the end of Apartheid but his own people hate him.
Anyway, I know this is only the rambling of one person, but I found the perspective interesting. From an American point-of-view the names Gandhi, Mandela, etc., have gained almost demi-god status. Maybe I was naiive, but I was amazed to find that perhaps these historical figures aren't as beloved as we make them out to be.