The following is my opinion on an article that appeared in http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/ by Rita Banerji.
I think articles such as these ARE intended to malign Gandhi rather than to bring out any part of the "truth" (Irony!) about him or his life.
While it is natural to be shocked to find out that a man considered to be the father of the largest democracy slept next to (not "with") naked young women when he was in his late 70's, it is probably not a great idea to equate him to a pedophile straightaway. One needs to go beyond the scene portrayed by the author and understand what it actually was. This is especially important because, the author seemed to have selectively chosen quotes to paint a distorted (or at least, an incomplete) picture of the facts.
In Gandhi's reply to Parasuram, he says, in addition to what the author has quoted, "I have read your letter with great care. I began it at 3 a. m.; finished reading it at 4 a. m. It contains half truths which are dangerous... Finally, let me tell you that you are at liberty to publish whatever wrong you have noticed in me and my surroundings." He actually says that he liked that he was frank and bold. The point is that this letter by Parasuram is only one side of the coin. There was another side which prompted Gandhi to call his claims as "half-truths". This probably proves nothing but, it does make it clear that it was an opinion/judgment of an individual about another. One has to be careful before adopting this opinion as his own. More so, when the man we are judging is Gandhi. He is one man who stands as powerful now as he did over half a century ago before the greatest powers, with no weapons but with conviction and his "truth".
It is quite understandable that people want to malign him. Because that is the only way his ideology can be weakened. When the whole world was entranced by the might of industrialization and coveted material and military strength, he discovered the most powerful of all weapons in the empty hands of the feeble and enslaved men and women. With that, he inspired so many revolutions that still threatens the rich and powerful empires. It is only understandable that there are individuals who would want to have this removed from the history. It is understandable that they would want to ensure that he is reduced to a sinner because his ideology itself is undefeatable.
I think Gandhi was a difficult man to try and understand. He was definitely not an ordinary man. His obsession with the truth is abundantly clear. He must have had a religion for himself for he believed in a lot of things. He tried to synthesize beliefs. His concept of ahimsa is far more profound than the "non-violence" we read about in the school. Sometimes, his ideas and values are far removed from what is considered normal. It is likely to be viewed as weird and insane. Yet, he stood firm in his beliefs and continued to "fight with himself" and test himself. Freedom for the country was more of a personal battle for him. The scenes depicted here by the author is a part of this "experiment". It is not possible for anyone to justify it. It is his belief and only he can justify it, which he did several times when he was alive.
The values of the society evolve. So do the values of an individual. There was obviously a conflict between the two. His values are likely to remain contradictory to that of the society for long. His act may not be acceptable to us as it was to Parasuram. It may seem outrageous to hear that an old man slept alongside his grand niece on the same bed and at times was naked in the presence of women. But, is this all that one needs to know to believe that his intentions were wrong? It certainly is not. Especially not so, I believe, when the man in question is Gandhi, someone who never tried to hide it and was always to explain himself.
Let me share a few quotes that make me believe that Gandhi is beyond the value system that we have to govern ourselves in our society.
"Bapu is a mother to me. ...Any loose talk about the experiment is most condemnable." - Manuben, the grand niece of Gandhi, in one of her journal entries. (She actually wrote a memoir titled "Bapu: My Mother".)
Although Kripalini doubted whether Gandhi was "using women as means rather than as ends in themselves", he was quick to express his confidence in Gandhi and said "I can only say that I have the fullest faith in you. ...I can never be disillusioned about you unless I find the marks of insanity and depravity in you. I do not find any such marks." This, the author had not bothered to mention in her article.
One has to find more resources to hunt down other quotes that the author has used here to truly understand the context and whether they despised Gandhi as she wants us to believe.
Having said all this, it is my opinion that these experiments were more spiritual than sexual. But, using women as tools to experiment with his celibacy does sound strange and wrong. It is something that can't be accepted. But, does it really matter what we think? Shouldn't the society stay out of the bedroom of individuals, of course, as long as a woman is not coerced into doing anything, even if it is one of Gandhi's spiritual experiment. Clearly, there is nothing of that here!
Also, I am not sure about the authenticity of Parasuram's letter. I couldn't find another copy of this letter anywhere else on the net. Although so many articles talk about it, the text is not available anywhere. There is something odd about the language of the letter. Of course, my skepticism is not based on reasons but instincts. Still, it is better to be skeptical than to compromise on the "truth".
