As per a report by The Hindu, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a tribute to Indian Congress leader Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary, describing him as the “best teacher” and “the guiding light” who continues to give courage to millions globally.
In an op-ed in The New York Times to mark the birth anniversary of Gandhiji, Modi speaks of the independence leader in high esteem as an apostle of peace.
“The guiding light whose inspiration got Dr King to India was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Mahatma, the Great Soul. On Wednesday, we observe his 150th birth anniversary. Gandhi Ji, or Bapu, continues to give courage to millions globally,” Mr. Modi writes.
Modi notes in his piece that Gandhi “envisioned Indian nationalism as one that was never narrow or exclusive but one that worked for the service of humanity.”
Nonetheless, Modi's affiliation with the Hindu fundamentalist organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), suggests a politics that contradicts that of Gandhi's own.
As one of India's independence movement leaders, Gandhi strove for communal harmony, urging Hindus in Bengal and Bihar to stop the killing of innocent Muslims. At the time, Modi's own organisation, the RSS resented Gandhi's figure for going "soft" on Muslims and the creation of Pakistan. It was a member of that same organisation that eventually killed Gandhi, just before a visit to Pakistan.