Indians 'infinitely superior' to blacks: Gandhi statue removed for racist remarks against Africans
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.
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.
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Vocabulary :
1. prompt·ing /noun : the action of saying something to persuade, encourage, or remind someone to do or say so
2. pe·jo·ra·tive /adjective : expressing contempt or disapproval
3. ad·vo·cate /noun : a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy
4. e·rect /verb : construct (a building, wall, or other upright structure).
5. pe·ti·tion /noun : a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing to authority with respect to a particular cause.
Questions :
1. The first section of an article should answer the questions "Who?", "What?", "When?", and "Where?" Identify the four Ws of this article. (Note: The rest of the news article provides details on the why and/or how.)
2. Does this article have any bias? Why or why not?
3. Gandhi is internationally respected for his use of nonviolent protest in the fight for civil rights. How does this article challenge traditionally held views about Gandhi?
4. Do you think there is a "time limit" on what people say and do? Should Gandhi be remembered for his racist remarks in 1904, or should he continue to be remembered for his activism in his middle and later years?
5. Many long-admired figures have done things that are considered problematic today. Can you think of anyone who has done something great, but who might have also said or done things that have been hurtful? Do you think it is possible to strike a balance between the two when remembering these individuals, or does one outweigh the other?
6. Compare and contrast the removal of this statue with the removal of Civil War memorial statues in the United States. How are these events similar? How are they different?
