A lesser known Gandhi, the son of the Mahatma: Manilal Gandhi

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and this was the case in Manilal Gandhi and his father, the renowned Mahatma Gandhi. While the father of the nation is hailed as an all important figure, his son, Manilal Gandhi too left a mark on the world.

Born on October 28, 1892 in Gujarat's Rajkot, Manilal was the second son of Gandhi and Kasturba. Having been home-schooled because his father did not believe in formal education, Manilal was trained at Phoenix Settlement (founded in 1904) and Tolstoy Farm (founded in 1910). He was regarded as one of the first experimental students.

The education in these systems revolved around manual labour, character building and some formal subjects, and Manilal worked at a printing press in Phoenix.

Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie, Manilal’s granddaughter, in her book Gandhi’s Prisoner? The Life of Gandhi’s Son Manilal writes, “Phoenix and Manilal’s life would become intertwined in ways he could hardly imagine”. Therein, he undertook laborious tasks, worked on the land, spent time in the press assisting in the publication process, and tended to the elderly and sick.

After Gandhi cleared his barrister examinations, he went on to accept a year-long contract with an Indian-owned firm in South Africa. Gandhi's family who were then in India, joined the lawyer in 1897. It was in 1901 that Gandhi made the decision of returning to his motherland. His family followed. In 1902, the family returned to South Africa, again

Following his father’s footsteps?

Manilal felt strongly towards Indians, and identified himself with all non-whites who were struggling due to various reasons - from trying to improve their lives and secure rights to battling racism and oppressive struggles.

He was merely 17 when he joined the Satyagraha movement to mark his resilience against the British in India. He also served four jail sentences between 1910 and 1913.

Dhupelia's book narrates instances that showcased Manilal’s integrity, and the morals that made up the man. In one anecdote, when he had to choose between a 10-day imprisonment or a 30-shilling fine, Manilal picked jail over the penalty. In prison he practiced Satyagraha and suffered solitary punishment for the same but also won the hearts of the prisoners - something that came naturally to Manilal probably became of his father.

Manilal was a key figure in India too, and helped his father found the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. He learnt to produce hand-spun khadi from 1914-1917.
Back in South Africa in 1917, he helped set up Indian Opinion and served as the editor for zero remuneration.
In 1929 he returned to India and joined the Freedom Movement. Manilal was one of the 78 people that accompanied Gandhi on his Dandi March, and also served a 10-month prison sentence for the same.

Dignity and death

Upholding his father’s principles of non-violence and Satyagraha, Manilal believed that this could create a revolution. A notable human rights activist, it is said that he was willing to sacrifice his life for change and had no fear.

On his death, India’s then-President Rajendra Prasad wrote, “Indians in South Africa have lost a prominent leader…The whole Indian community…needed the help, cooperation and guidance of men of his type”.