India to display intimate Gandhi letters

[Gentelman]

NEW DELHI: A rare collection of letters
between Indian independence icon
Mahatma Gandhi and a South African
bodybuilder with whom he shared a
close relationship is to go on display in
New Delhi on Wednesday.
The archive of letters and photos
belonging to Hermann Kallenbach, a
German-Jewish bodybuilder and architect,
was purchased by the Indian government
last year, just before they were due to be
auctioned by Sotheby’s in London.
It will be the first time that the Indian
public has been able to view the
collection at the National Archives and
the exhibition opens on the anniversary
of Gandhi’s death in 1948, when he was
assassinated by a Hindu extremist. “These
are important documents and throw light
on the early years of Gandhi,” Mushirul
Hasan, chief of the National Archives, told
AFP.
Gandhi lived with Kallenbach in
Johannesburg for about two years from
1907 before leaving South Africa to return
to India in 1914 where he helped unify
the gathering political movement against
British colonial rule. The relationship with
Kallenbach has been a subject of
speculation and gossip for years owing to
their closeness, which was most recently
chronicled in a book by former New York
Times editor Joseph Lelyveld.
“How completely you have taken
possession of my body,” Gandhi was
quoted as saying in a letter to Kallenbach
in Lelyveld’s book, entitled “Great Soul:
Mahatma Gandhi And His Struggle With
India”. “This is slavery with a vengeance,”
the man known as the “father of the
nation” in India is quoted as adding.
Lelyveld was forced to defend his book
against accusations that he had suggested
Gandhi was bisexual. “The word ‘bisexual’
nowhere appears in the book,” he wrote
afterwards.
Hasan of National Archives did not
comment on whether the entire
correspondence between Gandhi and
Kallenbach would be on show for the
public. India has in the past complained
bitterly about private auctions of Gandhi’s
belongings, saying that they insult the
memory of a man who rejected material
wealth.
India to display intimate Gandhi letters - thenews.com.pk
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...64161464255:mf_story_key.-2213535517486379280

NEW DELHI: A rare collection of letters
between Indian independence icon
Mahatma Gandhi and a South African
bodybuilder with whom he shared a
close relationship is to go on display in
New Delhi on Wednesday.
The archive of letters and photos
belonging to Hermann Kallenbach, a
German-Jewish bodybuilder and architect,
was purchased by the Indian government
last year, just before they were due to be
auctioned by Sotheby’s in London.
It will be the first time that the Indian
public has been able to view the
collection at the National Archives and
the exhibition opens on the anniversary
of Gandhi’s death in 1948, when he was
assassinated by a Hindu extremist. “These
are important documents and throw light
on the early years of Gandhi,” Mushirul
Hasan, chief of the National Archives, told
AFP.
Gandhi lived with Kallenbach in
Johannesburg for about two years from
1907 before leaving South Africa to return
to India in 1914 where he helped unify
the gathering political movement against
British colonial rule. The relationship with
Kallenbach has been a subject of
speculation and gossip for years owing to
their closeness, which was most recently
chronicled in a book by former New York
Times editor Joseph Lelyveld.
“How completely you have taken
possession of my body,” Gandhi was
quoted as saying in a letter to Kallenbach
in Lelyveld’s book, entitled “Great Soul:
Mahatma Gandhi And His Struggle With
India”. “This is slavery with a vengeance,”
the man known as the “father of the
nation” in India is quoted as adding.
Lelyveld was forced to defend his book
against accusations that he had suggested
Gandhi was bisexual. “The word ‘bisexual’
nowhere appears in the book,” he wrote
afterwards.
Hasan of National Archives did not
comment on whether the entire
correspondence between Gandhi and
Kallenbach would be on show for the
public. India has in the past complained
bitterly about private auctions of Gandhi’s
belongings, saying that they insult the
memory of a man who rejected material
wealth.
India to display intimate Gandhi letters - thenews.com.pk
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...64161464255:mf_story_key.-2213535517486379280

just want Indian brothers to discuss this matter and clearify the claims as these are creating mis understandings....
well i don't think it can be true....

 

[bronxbull]

yeah yeah please do it,we can get rid off this monster's legacy forever and the family which keeps the name also.

 

[curioususer]

Regardless of his orientation what he has done for the freedom movement cannot be changed or denied.

 

[fast]

It's very possible that the Indian government had doctored these letters to remove the embarrassing parts, otherwise, they won't spend so much money to buy them off to prevent their release. All the juicy details are gone. Pretty sure all the gay stuffs Gandhi did are gone too. GOI always whitewashes its historic image.

 

[scorpionx]

I dont care what gandhi's personal choices were but what I do know is he was successful to inspire billions of people with his ideologies (even if he did not practised it in his own life) and our present generation is still blessed with these principles.

 

[Iggy]

What the problem of he being a gay? Its his personal choice.. Inspiring millions of people and led them to fight against Britishers in a non-violent way is not a small step.. He will remain the Father of India.. There are plenty of things we can learn from him.

 

[KRAIT]

Another thread on Indian personality nothing to do with Paksitan. Banned topic.
@nuclearpak May be you should look into it.

 

[livingdead]

I think he would have liked it to be displayed. He never wanted to keep secret and was truthful to himself.

 

[notsuperstitious]

Didn't we have many threads on the forum claiming india bought the letters to 'hide' them?

In any case why is this important for anyone let alone pakistanis???

 

[Jango]

His sexual orientation isn't our problem...this could be a troll fest.