Critics calling for the removal of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Carleton University are making national headlines. A March 27 VICE story reported that some say Gandhi — despite his activism and admirable reputation — was also a misogynist, racist and supporter of India’s caste system.
Two U of G professors were interviewed for the story. Jesse Palsetia, a professor in the Department of History who specializes in South Asian history, said that before taking down a statue, we should re-examine modern day values. He also said that putting an explanatory plaque near the statue to give it context might be better than taking the statue down altogether.
Retired professor Hans Bakker, who taught in U of G’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, was also interviewed for the article. Bakker has written extensively about Gandhi, and said that the idea that the Indian activist’s attitudes are somehow not up to par in 2018 is a difficult argument to make in any meaningful way.
Bakker edited the book Gandhi and the Gita.