Arun Manilal Gandhi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arun Gandhi
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Gandhi at a memorial service at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 2012
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| Born |
Arun Manilal Gandhi
14 April 1934 Durban, Natal Province, South Africa
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| Died | 2 May 2023 (aged 89) Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
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| Nationality | Indian citizenship South African citizenship American |
| Citizenship | American |
| Spouse(s) |
Surnanda Gandhi
(m. 1957; died 2007) |
| Children | 2, including Tushar |
| Parent(s) | Manilal Gandhi Sushila Mashruwala |
| Relatives | Vivan Gandhi (grandson) Kasturi Gandhi (granddaughter) Ela Gandhi, Sita Gandhi (sisters) |
Arun Manilal Gandhi (born 14 April 1934 – died 2 May 2023) was an author and activist. He was born in South Africa and later became an American citizen. He was the grandson of the famous Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi.
Arun Gandhi followed in his grandfather's footsteps as an activist. He worked to promote peace and nonviolence around the world. In 2017, he wrote a book called The Gift of Anger: And Other Lessons From My Grandfather Mahatma Gandhi.
In 1987, he moved to the United States with his family. They later started a special center for nonviolence in Memphis, Tennessee.
Contents
Early life and lessons from his grandfather
Arun Manilal Gandhi was born on 14 April 1934, in Durban, South Africa. His parents were Manilal Gandhi and Sushila Mashruwala. His father worked as an editor and his mother as a publisher for a newspaper called the Indian Opinion.
Arun met his grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi, briefly when he was five years old. He did not see him again until 1946. At that time, Arun lived with Mahatma Gandhi at his home, called an ashram, in Sevagram, India. Arun returned to South Africa in 1948. This was just weeks before Mahatma Gandhi was sadly killed in New Delhi, India.
While living at Sevagram, Arun had the chance to go to school. His grandfather encouraged him to play with the children from nearby farms. These children were often very poor and did not go to school. Mahatma Gandhi wanted Arun to "learn what it was like to live in poverty." He also wanted Arun to teach these children what he learned in class each day. Arun Gandhi later said this was a very important experience for him. Soon, many children and their parents came to learn from young Arun. This taught him how important it was to be kind and to share with others.
Career and work for peace
In 1982, a movie called Gandhi was released. It was about his grandfather's life. Arun Gandhi first wrote an article criticizing the Indian government. He felt they should not have spent $25 million helping to make the film. He thought the money could have been used for more important things.
However, after watching the movie, Arun Gandhi changed his mind. He felt the film showed his grandfather's ideas and message well. He was so touched that he wrote another article. This new article took back his earlier criticism.
In 1987, Arun Gandhi and his wife, Sunanda, moved to the United States. They worked on a study at the University of Mississippi. This study looked at different types of unfairness in India, the U.S., and South Africa. After this, they moved to Memphis, Tennessee. There, they started the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. This institute was based at Christian Brothers University. Its goal was to use the ideas of nonviolence to solve problems locally and globally.
Arun and Sunanda Gandhi received an award for their work. It was called the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award. They got it for "bringing the legacy of Gandhi to America." In 1996, Arun Gandhi also helped start the Season for Nonviolence. This is a yearly event that celebrates the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr..
Arun Gandhi often gave talks about nonviolence in many countries. He encouraged people to use peaceful ways to solve problems. For example, during a visit to Israel, he spoke to Palestinians. He urged them to peacefully resist the Israeli occupation to gain their freedom. He believed that peaceful actions could bring about big changes.
He traveled to many places to share his message of peace. In 2009, he visited schools and colleges in Scotland and Tennessee. In 2011, he gave many speeches in Honolulu, Hawaii. He talked about nonviolence as a way to create social change. He also spoke about choosing peace and the power of peace.
In March 2014, Arun Gandhi co-authored a children's book. It was called Grandfather Gandhi. The book tells the story of how his grandfather taught him about anger. Mahatma Gandhi explained that anger could be like lightning. It could either destroy things or light up the darkness. He taught Arun to use peaceful methods to deal with unfairness. The book also shows how Arun tried to make his grandfather proud.
Personal life
Arun Gandhi considered himself a Hindu. However, he believed in ideas from many different religions. He worked closely with Christian priests. His ideas were influenced by Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian beliefs. Like his grandfather, he strongly believed in 'non-violence' (Ahimsa).
Gandhi met his wife, Surnanda, who was a nurse. They got married in 1957. They had two children, Tushar (born in 1960) and Archana. Arun and Surnanda were married until she passed away on 21 February 2007.
Arun Gandhi lived in Rochester, New York, for some time.
Death
Arun Gandhi passed away on 2 May 2023. He was 89 years old. He died in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, at the Sunanda Gandhi home for girls. He had been ill for a short time.
Images for kids
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A robot representing children's content.
See also
In Spanish: Arun Gandhi para niños
