Last year, as part of All Indians Matter’s annual Gandhi series, we detailed the Mahatma’s final years and how pivotal they were – not just to India’s birth but also to the journey the country has travelled since then. This year, we go back to the start. This series, ‘Gandhi: The Beginning’, traces the early years of the Mahatma, starting with his grandfather and father – both great influences on his personality – as well as the family’s journey, Gandhi’s mother, his childhood and teenage, going all the way till the young boy from Porbandar turned into a political personality with his first satyagraha in South Africa.
From this, we try to understand the making of Gandhi, the mass leader and Father of the Nation. At every point, we seek to make the conversation contemporary, linking it to present issues and debates. The hope is to peel away the layers of the persona to understand how Gandhi became the man that he came to be.
Like every year, this is a series of conversations between Ashraf Engineer, host of the All Indians Matter podcast, and Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of the Mahatma, author and peace activist.
This series is based on Volume 1 of Gandhi’s biography written by his secretary Pyarelal. It is called ‘Mahatma Gandhi – The Early Phase’. Pyarelal Ji is no longer with us, but this series is as much a tribute to his labour of love as it is to Gandhi.
Episode 4: You sent us a barrister, we sent you a Mahatma
Frustrated at being unable to make professional headway, Mohandas Gandhi hopes to obtain a job – a prime ministership or a judgeship. For that, he would need powerful political backing.
But, Mohan is about to discover that life changes on unexpected moments, moments that seem not that important at the time but which determine the course of your entire life. He is about to take the first step in a journey that would lead to him becoming the ‘father of the nation’.
Mohan’s brother hears from a Memon firm in Porbandar that has built a vast business in South Africa. They need a barrister for a year in a case in which £40,000 is at stake. Mohan’s fee is £105 with all expenses and a first-class return voyage paid for.
To tell us the story of Mohandas Gandhi in South Africa, we have again Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of the Mahatma, an author and peace activist. He is in conversation with Ashraf Engineer, host of the All Indians Matter podcast.
2 Oct 2024
Episode 3: Joy in England, tragedy at home
September 4, 1888. There is the usual pandemonium on the ‘SS Clyde’ as it weighs anchor at 5 pm in Bombay and sets sail for England. Mohandas Gandhi leans against the rail, eyes fixed on the land as it grows more and more distant and finally disappears. He turns around and retires to his cabin, his mind home to a hundred conflicting emotions.
Overcome by acute embarrassment because he cannot handle a knife and fork properly and because he isn’t as fluent in English as he’d like to be, Mohan withdraws to his cabin, eating alone there for days and not even coming out for tea.
Finally, the ‘SS Clyde’ reaches Southampton on October 27, 1888.
Mohandas’ stay in England would have a profound effect on his life as well as his family’s.
Welcome to this conversation between Ashraf Engineer, host of the All Indians Matter podcast, and Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of the Mahatma, author and peace activist.
2 Oct 2024
Episode 2: What he saw is what he learnt
We pick up the story just after Mohandas and Kastur’s wedding. As Gandhi’s father, Karamchand Bapa, rushed to make it to the ceremony, his carriage met with an accident. He suffered serious injuries and Mohandas took over as chief caregiver. Mohan’s academic journey continued alongside this service of his father. It was also a time of great learnings about life, which would be seen later in his leadership of the Freedom Struggle too.
These incidents left a deep impression on Mohan’s mind, showing him that a man of truth must also be a man of care. Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of the Mahatma, author and peace activist, retraces these moments of self-realisation with Ashraf Engineer, host of the All Indians Matter podcast.
2 Oct 2024
Episode 1: Flags of our fathers
Mahatma Gandhi’s story begins in Kathiawar, also known as Saurashtra, a land steeped in mythology and history. It is said that Lord Krishna settled here after his flight from Mathura and established the city of Dwarka, which is today a pilgrimage centre.
According to the Mahabharata, the Yadavas ruled the entire region between Prabha Patan, home to the famous Somnath temple, and the Girnar Hill just beyond Porbandar. At some stage, they earned the wrath and curse of Lord Krishna, eventually killing themselves in a drunken brawl. From this, we get the term ‘yadavi’ which means fratricidal strife. Gandhi often used to tell this tale in his final days, warning that this is what would happen to India if ethnic fires were not doused.
Muslim, Zoroastrianism, Christian and Sufi influences intermingled to form a culture of tolerance in Kathiawar. In Porbandar, for instance, there used to be a haveli in which the name of Allah was chanted along with that of Ishwar and Rama with Rahim’s. It is in this melting pot that the Gandhis lived and thrived, and where an infant named Mohandas came into the world on October 2, 1869.
Welcome to this conversation between Ashraf Engineer, host our of the All Indians Matter podcast, and Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of the Mahatma, author and peace activist.
28 Sept 2024
Gandhi - The Beginning Trailer
Welcome to our special series, "Gandhi: The Beginning", a compelling podcast that delves into the formative years of Mahatma Gandhi, long before he became the leader who shaped India's freedom struggle.
In this special series by All Indians Matter, Ashraf Engineer sits down with the great grandson of the Mahatma, Tushar Gandhi as they explore his experiences in South Africa, his evolution as a lawyer, and the personal challenges that influenced his philosophy of non-violence.
Join us on this journey to understand the man behind the Mahatma. Stay tuned for the full episodes coming soon!
#MahatmaGandhi #GandhiTheBeginning #GandhiPodcast #HistoryPodcast #GandhiInSouthAfrica #NonViolence #IndianHistory #FreedomStruggle #GandhiJourney #PodcastTrailer
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Contact Gandhi - The Beginning
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Gandhi - The Beginning?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
