2
31 total views, 31 views today
Indians ‘infinitely superior’ to blacks: Gandhi statue removed
for racist remarks against Africans
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration ordered
the statue to be torn down, FILE PHOTO. © Flickr
A statue of world-famous Indian independence activist and pacifist
Mahatma Gandhi has been removed from the University of Ghana campus
after protests from students and faculty over racist remarks he
made against Africans.
The Gandhi statue was unveiled in Accra two years ago but was
removed in the middle of the night Tuesday by order of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
Statue of ‘racist’ Gandhi removed from University of Ghana
Ghana’s former government had vowed to relocate the statue but no
such action was taken, prompting students and faculty members to
take matters into their own hands. Now only an empty plinth remains
on the campus in the capital Accra.
Prior to his work as a civil rights activist and independence
advocate who promoted non-violent resistance to British colonial
rule in India, Gandhi lived and worked in South Africa.
In his early writings Gandhi frequently referred to black South
Africans using the extremely pejorative and offensive slur
“kaffir.” During Gandhi’s time in South Africa, Indians were forced
to use the same entrances as native Africans, a move which Gandhi
worried would impact the “civilised habits” of Indian immigrants,
adding that he feared they “would be degraded to the habits of
aboriginal natives.”
“About the mixing of the Kaffirs with the Indians, I must
confess I feel most strongly,” he wrote in a letter in 1904.
He also stated unequivocally that Indians were “infinitely
superior” to black people.
Defenders argue that his views were a product of the time but he
still inspired civil rights leaders in Africa and beyond, including
Martin Luther King Jr. However, modern-day Ghanaians aren’t buying
the excuse.
“It’s a massive win for all Ghanaians because it was constantly
reminding us of how inferior we are,” Benjamin Mensah told the
AFP.
If we show that we have no respect for ourselves and look down
on our own heroes and praise others who had no respect for us, then
there is an issue.
“If we indeed don’t show any self-respect for our heroes, how
can the world respect us? This is victory for black dignity and
self-respect. The campaign has paid off,” head of language,
literature and drama at the Institute of African Studies, Obadele
Kambon said.
A petition to remove the statue began shortly after it was
erected in 2016 by India’s former President Pranab Mukherjee. The
petition failed to garner its stated goal of 2,500 signatures in
over two years, however.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
powered by retwtr.com
Post Views: 30