It would be impossible for me, a Pakistani, to write a critical piece on Gandhi and not emotionally provoke the Indian reader. However, I shall attempt to do this as politely as possible and hope for the best. Please be advised that I am neither an anti-Indian nor an anti-Hindu individual. This piece is not meant to offend any one. Please read through the entire text before passing any hateful comments.

“Oh God,” said Gandhi, right after he was shot by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, as he fell to the ground and died. Relatively unknown TV actor Ben Kingsley’s portrayal of the Mahatma made its way into the hearts of millions around the world in 1982’s multiple Oscar-winning Gandhi. In truth, the actual words he uttered right before he died were “Hai Ram”, but since that translates to “Oh one-quarter-avatar-of-the-seventh-reincarnation-of-the-Lord-Vishnu”, the word “God” was used for simplicity. Read the rest of this entry »