Gandhi Had a Gay Lover?
A new book by Joseph Lelyveld was just banned in Gujarat because it hints that Gandhi had a homosexual relationship. The book is titled Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India. I haven't yet read the book, so it's a bit unfair to comment, but I'll go ahead anyway. Of all that I've ever read about Gandhi (and that's a substantial body of work) I've never seen anything that seriously suggests Gandhi was involved sexually with men. From what I know of Gandhi, an ardent devotee of brahmacharya (celibacy), for long stretches of his life he wasn't involved sexually with anyone, man, woman, his wife, or otherwise. He had intense emotional relationships with his students, both men and women, but he was their spiritual teacher. The man posited as his lover, Hermann Kallenbach, certainly had a close relationship with Gandhi. In fairness, Lelyveld himself says he did not state in the book that Gandhi and Kallenbach had a sexual relationship, just that they were emotionally close. Regardless, the book has been banned. Is it really necessary to ban a book that contains information widely known to anyone who has read a biography or two of Gandhi? Probably not. But it makes for good headlines. And maybe Lelyveld will sell a few more books. Just not in Gujarat. Link to SF Gate article.
