Ahimsa

The presence of historical figure Mohandas K. Gandhi looms in the background of Ahimsa, which falls under the genre of historical fiction. Gandhi encouraged civil disobedience and nonviolence as a means to resist British rule in India, becoming a steadfast figure in the independence movement. In the novel, his commitment to nonviolence inspires Anjali and her mother, though they learn about the complexities behind Gandhi’s politics, choosing to focus on his message of nonviolence while also learning to listen to those in their village for whom they’re trying to advocate.

After World War II, Gandhi had expected Britain to give independence to India, and when they didn’t, he began to work more openly against British rule, using nonviolent techniques he’d used for political protest in the early 20th century. While others criticized him at times for being unwilling to use violence to make change, Gandhi remained steadfast in his commitment to peaceful protest (“Bringing Down an Empire: Gandhi and Civil Disobedience.” Teach Democracy). He aided in the beginnings of the Quit India movement in 1942, which Anjali references at the start of the novel by painting a “Q” on the British officer’s door.

When India gained Independence in 1947, Gandhi expressed his wishes to unify India among the followers of both the Hindu and Muslim faiths, despite the tensions between them. Like Anjali’s villages, other cities and villages experienced riots between Muslims and Hindus, so discussions about dividing India into two nations ultimately led to Partition, in which the country was remapped as India and Pakistan. Followers of each religion furiously fled across borders in a transition marked by violence that only exacerbated the separation of the two religions, and the effects of Partition in splitting up families are still felt today (Perkins, C. Ryan. “1947 Partition of India and Pakistan.” Stanford Libraries, Stanford University).

Gandhi’s approach to the Dalit, or “Untouchable,” caste was complex, as he believed in equality among all Indians regardless of caste or religion. Many Dalits were critical of Gandhi, as they saw him as wanting them to assimilate rather than respecting that their experiences in India were specific because of the struggles and oppression they faced. Dr. Bhimrao Raji Ambedkar, himself a Dalit, became a leading activist advocating for Dalits and spoke against Gandhi’s use of Harijan, or “child of God,” in favor of Dalit, which is today preferred by scholars and activists. Gandhi believed that Dalits could be seen as equals within Hinduism and worked to integrate them into Hindu society. Ambedkar, on the other hand, ultimately converted to Buddhism because the faith had no caste system. Three hundred thousand Dalits followed his lead, especially in the wake of his conversion ceremony in 1956. The two leaders were often in conversation and conflict, and they each worked within their own communities and faiths to advocate for change for Dalits (Kapur, Sudarshan. “Gandhi, Ambedkar, and the Eradication of Untouchability.” Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal & Gandhi Research Foundation, 2010).