Seminar 'Mahatma Gandhi and Social and Religious Pluralism in South Asia' by Ramachandra Guha

Distinguished historian Ramachandra Guha gave a talk at the U Thant House on "Mahatma Gandhi and Social and Religious Pluralism in South Asia”. The event was co-hosted with the Embassy of India and marked the anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi (30 January 1948). Ramachandra Guha is the author of several award-winning and best-selling books, most notably "India after Gandhi" and “Gandhi before India”. Ramachandra Guha spoke about Mahatma Gandhi's life in South Africa and India, his views on pluralism, his legacy, and the history of pluralism in South Asia since independence.

Dr. Thant Myint-U, in his introductory remarks, touched on the perhaps lesser known ties between Mahatma Gandhi and Burma. Mahatma Gandhi visited Myanmar three times: in 1902, 1915, and 1929. In 1929 he was welcomed by a big crowd of Burmese and Indians at the Brooking wharf (now Bogalay-zay street wharf) and spoke to thousands of people, at Fytche square and Jubilee Hall and elsewhere in Rangoon, and later in Mandalay, Pyinmana, Prome and many other towns. His best friend and principal benefactor was the rich diamond merchant P.J. Mehta, a fellow Gujarati who lived first at 14 Moghul Street (now Shwebontha) and later 8 Shwedagon Pagoda Road. It was P.J. Mehta who financed much of Mahatma Gandhi's political work through the 1920s.