The Forgotten Woman: The Untold Story of Kastur Gandhi, Wife of Mahatma Gandhi

by Arun Gandhi, Carol Lynn Yellin, Sunanda Gandhi

This book is the biography of the woman in Mahatma Gandhi's life. The incredible woman known simply as "Ba" -- Mother, to millions of people in India, her story untold until now. Together since childhood she knew the flaws and human frailties of the man behind the legend. Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and his wife Sunanda, spent almost thirty years gathering the material for this book, which discloses personal facts and details never reported in any other Gandhi biography. Also contains never before published photographs.

Genres: India, Biography, Nonfiction

314 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1997

About the author

Arun Gandhi is the author of picture books and the adult memoir Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence, all of which were inspired by his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi. Arun Gandhi lives in upstate New York.

Reviews

[Janice SHULL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This remarkable woman, known throughout India as “Ba” or “Great Mother” during her lifetime, deserved an accurate and complete biography. Her grandson, Arun Gandhi, and his wife Sunanda decided to write that biography, researching the historical record thoroughly and analyzing carefully Mohandas Gandhi’s writing. After years of effort the book was written, but no publisher in India, England or the U.S. would even read the manuscript because “no one is interested in your grandmother. Write about your grandfather, and we will publish it immediately.” Refusing to give up, the Gandhis finally found a German publisher who specialized in books on Indian philosophy. The book was first published in German in 1979, followed by a Spanish edition in 1983. Still, English language publishers were not interested until finally an obscure company in Arkansas published the English edition in 1998. Putting aside conventional wisdom that Arkansas would be the least likely place to generate interest in Kasturba, Arun Gandhi connected the vicissitudes of getting the book published in English to the story of his grandparents’ lives. He wrote, “They have influenced the most unlikely people and generated interest in the most unlikely places on Earth.”

The very fact that Kasturba Gandhi’s life was deemed of no interest speaks clearly of the status of women’s stories. And even more so is the way in which she had previously been portrayed in biographies of Mohandas Gandhi—as an “ever bumbling fool who had no idea what her husband was trying to achieve” as Arun Gandhi described it. Kastur Kapadia, born in Porbandar, India in 1869, never attended school and only learned to read and write in Gujarati when she was elderly. The education of girls in India in late 19th century was extremely rare. There were very few schools and almost none for girls. Kastur was betrothed to Mohandas K. Gandhi, the son of a prominent neighbor in Porbandar, at age seven and by age thirteen they were married in a lavish ceremony. At the time of Kasturba’s death in 1944, she had been married to Mohandas for 61 years. The story that Arun Gandhi writes is an appreciation of that enduring marriage. Yes, Kasturba played a supporting role, not a leading role, and it was essential in order for Mohandas to succeed with his transformative plans for colonial South Africa and India. But far more significant than the story of the marriage is the story of this simple woman who was married to Gandhi.

Kasturba Gandhi reinvented herself over and over again. She grew from an illiterate child bride to a trusting wife whose husband left her for three long years of study at Oxford University, and then to a courageous wife who accompanied her husband to the unknown land of South Africa where she had to adjust to life beyond the clear boundaries of caste and religion. The Gandhis became “Indian” in South Africa, not Hindus of the Modh Bania caste, and it became her husband’s passion to unify Indians across the lines of religion, caste, language and geography. Kasturba understood her duty as Gandhi’s wife and accepted his unbending commitment to equality for all people. Over time, her natural inclination toward kindness guided her to her own commitment to the greater good for the community. When Mohandas decided to give up his lucrative practice of law in Johannesburg, Kasturba willingly agreed to his vow of poverty and relinquished all but the most basic of material goods. They established their first ashram, Phoenix, in South Africa and Kasturba found satisfaction and joy in the communal life. When they moved to India so that Mohandas could lead the nascent freedom movement, Gandhi established a new ashram. Again, Kasturba learned to manage the ashram during Gandhi’s many absences. When they traveled around India together, Kasturba found ways to connect with the impoverished women in villages, teaching them basic sanitation and health practices. The problems seemed overwhelming, but she believed they could be solved with patience and cooperation—one person, one village at a time.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote that he learned the lesson of nonviolence from his wife. Kasturba unwaveringly believed in his cause and accepted his resistance to the British colonial government. She suffered with him through his fasts, vowing to eat only one small meal a day each time he fasted, nursing him back to health when he almost died. She was imprisoned with him on several occasions and became seriously ill and died while she and Gandhi were in the Aga Khan prison in 1944. Mohandas Gandhi seemed to lose his zeal for the cause after that. The political movement that they believed would unite India and bring equality and freedom to all turned violently partisan in response to the Partition. Gandhi’s life was threatened by extremist Hindus who believed a martyred Gandhi would be better for them than a living Gandhi. He was assassinated in January 1948..

Kasturba Gandhi is a wonderful example of woman power. Having but little preparation for the life that she would experience, she applied her intelligence and her concern for others to solving all kinds of problems. Her husband’s passion became her own and together they made the world change.

This biography contained fascinating details of life in South Africa and India. Arun and Sunanda Gandhi did extensive research to support the stories that they heard from family members and associates of Gandhi. The biography was well written but suffered from poor editing at times. I was frustrated with the frequent lack of transition and gaps over which the reader must leap. It seemed that paragraphs had been chopped from the manuscript for no good reason. But Arun Gandhi told the inspiring story of his grandmother with great sensitivity, understanding and warmth. I would like to see this book included on a list of 100 biographies of women which everyone should read.

[D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prepare to learn and to stand in awe of the Gandhi family. Though Mohandas K. Gandhi (b. 1869) is the most renown, his wife- born sometime that year, though nobody wrote down the date, I feel is just as responsible for the eventual liberation of India in the 1940s.
Kastur and Gandi were companions, spouses, and partners in the movement to gain freedom from the long, powerful rule of their homeland from the British. Kastur is not as well studied, yet after I read this book, I think that is a grave oversight. The book tells of her marriage from her view point and the authors- the son of her 2nd child and his wife- do a masterful job of presenting this "forgotten" person.

[Donna Kubiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book about Ghandi's wife was written by her grandson and his wife. One cannot help but be impressed with the humble yet important life of a wife who is so relatively unknown. It showed how a woman can be the inspiration behind a courageous man who changed the lives of thousands of Indians and South Africans.

[Carol Chimento]

Book is at cottage

[Muikku · Rating 2 out of 5]

En saanut otetta tästä. Kirja sitäpaitsi kertoi enemmän Mohandasista kuin Kasturista.