Neither an ode of adulation, nor an exercise in iconoclasm, this book on Gandhi gives praise where praise is due; and criticizes where criticism is warranted. The author treads in step with Gandhi as he reveals himself in his Experiments with Truth in an honest attempt to understand the Mahatma in the making. Gandhi's veracity is not in question; but his memory, and selection and omission of episodes, inevitably temper the tenor of truth! His equation of Truth with God can only be understood as justice and fair play analogous to sat or ta signifying the Cosmic Order. Page after page poses questions in a bid to understand Gandhi as he speaks, writes and acts.The author relates how Gandhi discovered himself in South Africa; and formulated a new vocabulary of revolt; a new ideology of non-violence and self-suffering to defeat racial injustice and tyranny; to rouse the corrective conscience of his oppressors. Deliberate defiance of unjust laws, self-effacing humility, unflinching acceptance of punishment, the unfading smile and unfailing forgiveness sum up the transformation of an otherwise ordinary mortal into a Mahatma, who identified himself with all downtrodden humanity! Ahis, satya and satygraha became the watchwords of his philosophy in action. The author explores the meanings of these words; and notes that at times Gandhi's ahis could be devoid of compassion, confined only to self-cleansing, not true to itself.He learned from all religions without conversion to any; and identified religion with morality, without realizing that morality preceded the rise of religion. As basic morality constituting the core of every religion transcends all doctrinal divisions, Gandhi tirelessly advocated religious tolerance; and Hindu-Muslim unity. He lived and died for peaceful co-existence. But his pursuit of moka (release from reincarnation) was irrelevant to the world's welfare!Gandhi upheld human equality and indivisibility regardless of race and colour. The author notes his reverence for the Brahmins; and his painful progress from caste consciousness to its final rejection. He draws attention to Gandhi's unwillingness to mount a satygraha for the liberation of the untouchables from Brahmanical tyranny. Gandhi also took time to realize the woeful plight of the Africans; and to speak of a future which would grant them their due in the land of their birth.The author also takes note of Gandhi's great love of the British, and his faith in their destiny to deliver the world into a dawn of freedom and democracy. He points to Gandhi's celebration of the British success against Indians in 1857! It took a while to shake off that subservience in Gandhi's Hind Swaraj.The book looks closely at Gandhi's relations with his elder brother and friends. The author notes his dictatorial direction of the lives of his wife and sons. His brahmacarya (sexual abstinence) was a capricious imposition on submissive Kasturba; a pathetic denial of the joy of sex mocking mortality and the sorrow of transience. But the book salutes his cruel, uncompromising candour. He practised what he preached. His obsession with sanitation and hygiene unfortunately failed to inspire Indians to follow his example.As an advocate of right means to right ends excluding all violence for the resolution of human disputes, as an enemy of imperialism and champion of human equality, as a practitioner and preacher of religious goodwill and tolerance, as a respecter of the earth and its gifts, as an upholder of the primacy of man over machine, Gandhi remains a beacon of timeless relevance!

AcknowledgementsIntroductionChapter 1 Familial Heritage: Cultural ConditioningChapter 2 In England: New HorizonsChapter 3 Back Home in IndiaChapter 4 In South AfricaChapter 5 The VoyageChapter 6 Proselytizing Push of ChristianityChapter 7 Indians in PretoriaChapter 8 The LawyerChapter 9 Spiritual Quickening Chapter 10 Persuaded to Prolong His Stay in South AfricaChapter 11 The Indian Response Chapter 12 Gandhi Stays OnChapter 13 The Natal Indian CongressChapter 14 Inhumanity of IndentureChapter 15 A Lesson LearnedChapter 16 Immersion in Comparative ReligionChapter 17 Gandhis HouseholdChapter 18 Public Service and the Practice of LawChapter 19 IndiaChapter 20 The Roving PublicistChapter 21 To South AfricaChapter 22 Gandhi Settles DownChapter 23 The Ghastha (Householder)Chapter 24 Spirit of Public ServiceChapter 25 Brahmacarya (Sexual Abstinence)Chapter 26 Gandhis Return HomeChapter 27 Calcutta and the CongressChapter 28 BanarasChapter 29 In Bombay AgainChapter 30 In South Africa AgainChapter 31 Life in JohannesburgChapter 32 Statement of Faith in Human EqualityChapter 33 Spiritual StrivingChapter 34 Indian OpinionChapter 35 Earth and Water CuresChapter 36 European FriendsChapter 37 Coolie Locations and the PlagueChapter 38 Indian Opinion: Phoenix SettlementChapter 39 Return of KasturbaChapter 40 Inroads upon Indian LivelihoodChapter 41 Evolution of IdeasChapter 42 The Zulu RebellionChapter 43 Brahmacarya (Celibacy)Chapter 44 Moka (Salvation)Chapter 45 Tram CarsChapter 46 Return to JohannesburgChapter 47 The Civil Rights CampaignerChapter 48 KallenbachChapter 49 Back at Work: To SatygrahaChapter 50 Fortitude of KasturbaChapter 51 Towards a Union of South AfricaChapter 52 Flagging SatygrahaChapter 53 LondonChapter 54 Henry Polak in IndiaChapter 55 Hind Swaraj: Collision of CulturesChapter 56 Gandhi ReturnsChapter 57 Indentured Labour for NatalChapter 58 The Transvaal SatygrahaChapter 59 Self-RestraintChapter 60 The Travails of SatygrahaChapter 61 The Parting of Ways: HarilalChapter 62 Life on Tolstoy Farm Chapter 63 SatygrahsChapter 64 Gokhales VisitChapter 65 Return to PhoenixChapter 66 BetrayalChapter 67 Crisis at PhoenixChapter 68 Death of Rev. Joseph Doke: Declaration of Passive ResistanceChapter 69 The SceneChapter 70 Negotiations and the Final SettlementChapter 71 Farewell MeetingsChapter 72 Gandhi, the Africans and the BritishChapter 73 Ahis, Satya and BrahmacaryaChapter 74 Steps to Sainthood: Uneasy Birth of a MahatmaChapter 75 Postscript: Relevance of GandhiGlossary of Indian WordsSelect BibliographyIndex