Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘guru’ was his wife Kasturba. Her life gets honored at Fresno State | Opinion

“Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed,” said President Jimmy Carter in his 1980 message to the nation, designating March 2–8, 1980 as Women’s History Week.

In 1987, in response to women leaders’ calls, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month. As the spring flowers begin to bloom in our San Joaquin Valley, this occasion invites us to reflect on women’s contributions — from our communities and around the globe — in shaping our history and their courage in confronting oppressive systems and forging new frontiers.

An esteemed historian, Gerda Lerner, who helped lead the initiative to establish Women’s History Month, wrote: “Women’s history is women’s right.” We celebrate this right at Fresno State through various programs and performances by focusing on the obscured contributions of women like Kasturba Gandhi, wife and equal partner of Mohandas K. Gandhi (famously known as Mahatma Gandhi). Mahatma Gandhi is known as “Bapu” (father), and his wife Kastur is known as “Ba” (mother; hence Kasturba), who dedicated themselves for Sarvodaya (the uplift of all) . Although Gandhi’s name is recognized globally for his nonviolent resistance campaigns, Kasturba Gandhi’s active participation in the struggles for India’s freedom and social reform movements has not received adequate public attention.

Mahatma Gandhi credited his mother and wife for the positive influences shaping his character and nonviolence philosophy. He called Kastur his “guru” and “teacher of nonviolence.” Although Gandhi struggled with his own earlier patriarchal tendencies, he realized the strength of women and blamed male-controlled oppressive laws for their plight.

Kasturba, although illiterate, demonstrated defiance and courage. She became an equal participant in the resistance campaigns and took on leadership roles when Gandhi was imprisoned. She became a source of great inspiration for women from all walks of life. Thousands of women participated in the small and large campaigns for India’s independence, leading picketing lines and boycotts, participating in marches, and assuming leadership roles in the Congress party. Angered by the general casting of women as weak, Gandhi confronted these tendencies saying, “To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is a man’s injustice to woman.”

Women’s leadership in nonviolent campaigns has not received the broad and deep scholarly analyses and public praise given to their male counterparts. However, according to recent studies, women have played important roles in resistance campaigns across the globe — from Poland, Chile, Egypt, and the United States to Iran and Palestine. According to a 2019 study, the “greater the role of women in the campaign, the more likely the campaign is to use nonviolent methods, even in highly repressive contexts.”

We commemorate the 36th anniversary of Women’s History Month, with its theme, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” by focusing on Kasturba’s contributions that tell us the story of the historical participation of women in fighting against racism, violence, and all forms of oppression. The new documentary, “Kasturba Gandhi: An Accidental Activist: The Journey of a Courageous Woman,” reveals details about Kasturba Gandhi’s fearless journey that inspired countless women — who were shackled by the patriarchal laws of purity and protection — to join the public fight for personal and political freedom.

History missed this story — and it is about time her story is told. This film documents her unique and fascinating story through Gandhi experts, Gandhi’s relatives, and existing archival photos. There will be a free screening at 6 p.m. March 16 at the Peters Educational Center, Fresno State.

Please join us to celebrate and remember Kasturba’s dedication and sacrifice. As Gerda Lerner rightly said about women’s lives who courageously carved out the path for a better world: “It is an essential and indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision.”

Veena Howard is professor in the Department of Philosophy at California State University Fresno. She holds the endowed chair in Jain and Hindu Dharma and also serves as the director of M.K. Gandhi: Inner Peace and Sarvodaya