Mahatma Gandhi Quotes
The only way by which you and I can wean orthodox Hindus from their bigotry is by patient argument and correct conduct.
Gandhi, Mahatma. Young India. Navajivan Publishing House, 1 May 1924, p. 143.
Fiji is a nation which at the time was beset with ethnic strife and tension. In addition to the religious tension there were Indian immigrants who tended to be economically more successful than the indigenous Fijians. There was an English tradition from the days of being a British Colony and the traditional tribal leaders and chiefs were being disenfranchised by modern democratic structures. The military was not under the control of the civilian government and coups pitted some ethnic groups against others.
The traditional Hindu social structure established castes – levels of society with Brahmins at the top and untouchables at the bottom. When India gained independence, the caste system was made illegal. Nonetheless, it is still followed by hundreds of millions of Indians. Religiously the Buddhists and the Hindus have had different philosophies. Ilaiah is a Buddhist who opposes the traditional Brahmin social structure and is a supporter of “Dalitization” – a change in the Indian culture to make the Dalits (untouchables) equal de juro and de facto.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist, who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule, and in turn inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā (Sanskrit: "great-souled", "venerable"), first applied to him in 1914 in South Africa, is now used throughout the world.
