(아프리카) 가나에서 문제되는 인종주의자 간디

출처: http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-37430324

** 밝은 하늘 **

   아래 기사를 통해 인도의 성자 마하트마 간디의 세상에 알려지지 않은 다른 면모를 알게 된다. 아프리카인들을 인도인보다 못한 열등한 인종으로 폄하하는 Racist 즉 인종주의자라는 점 말이다. 

   다시 한 번, 우리가 알고 있는 지식이나 사실은 진실의 일부만 보여준다는 생각을 하게 된다. 우리가 알고 있는 게 다가 아니라는 생각으로 우리의 식견을 더 넓여야 한다. 다른 사람의 얘기도 잘 듣고 주요언론매체만 의존하여 세상을 이해하는 편협된 마음을 버려야 한다. 서구의 프로파간다가 우리의 시각을 많이 오염시켜왔다는 자각을 하면서 개방된 마음 openness를 가져야겠다.

Ghana's problem with 'racist' Gandhi

By BBC TrendingWhat's popular and why

22 September 2016

Nelson Mandela said that the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi had helped to topple apartheid in South Africa. Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I, was also an admirer. "Mahatma Gandhi will always be remembered as long as free men and those who love freedom and justice live," he said. Yet not all African leaders are inspired by the man known as the "Father of India". 넬슨 만델라는 인도의 마하트마 간디가 남아프리카의 인종주의를 무너뜨리는데 도움을 주었다고 말했다. 한국전 때 한국에 황실경호부대를 파견하여 한국을 도와주었던 에티오피아의 황제 하일레 셀라시에 1세도 간디를 존경하는 사람이었다. 그렇지만 아프리카의 모든 지도자들이 인도의 아버지라 불리는 간디를 좋아하는 건 아니다.

An online petition, which has been signed by more than 1,000 people, has been started by professors at the University of Ghana. They call for the removal of a statue of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi from the campus grounds in Accra. The academics say that Gandhi, who has been praised by public figures for leading India's non-violent movement to freedom from British colonial rule during the mid 20th century, had a "racist identity". 가나대학교 교수들이 중심이 된 온라인 청원운동에 동참한 사람들이 1,000명을 넘었다. 청원의 내용은 교내에 있는 간디의 동상을 철거해달라는 것이다. 그 이유는 간디가 20세기 중반 영국식민통치에서 비폭력운동으로 해방을 쟁취하면서 대중으로부터 칭송을 받았지만 "인종주의자의 신원"을 유지했기 때문이다.

The petition lists quotes from the writings of the Indian leader, in which he described Africans as "savages or the Natives of Africa" and "kaffirs" (an insulting racial slur for a black African). 간디의 글에서 찾아내 바에 의하면, 그는 아프리카인들을 야만인이나 아프리카의 원주민들 그리고 카피르들(아프리카 흑인들 지칭하는 모욕적이고 인종차별적인 나쁜 말)로 묘사했기 때문이다. (slur: ~ (on sb/sth) 비방[중상](하는 말))

One example comes from a letter written by Gandhi to the Natal parliament of South Africa in 1893, saying that a "general belief seems to prevail in the Colony that the Indians are a little better, if at all, than savages or the Natives of Africa." 간디가 1893년 남아프리카 국회에 보낸 편지에서 한 예를 찾아 본다면, 그는 인도인들이 야만인들이나 아프리카의 원주민들보다는 적어도 약간 더 낫다고 했던 대목이 나온다. (if at all: 적어도 …한다면; …한다고 하더라도[해도])

Image copyrightCHANGE.ORG

All quotations are from Gandhi Serve, an online resource that has collated the collected works of Mahatma Gandhi.

"How will the historian teach and explain that Gandhi was uncharitable in his attitude towards the Black race and see that we're glorifying him by erecting a statue on our campus?" the petition goes on to say.

The statue is a gift to the Ghanaian government from the Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, unveiled when he visited Accra in June.

Image copyrightTWITTER

It drew criticism almost immediately. Some Ghanaians used hashtags such as #GandhiMustComeDown to echo the sentiments expressed by the professors.

Daniel Osei Tuffuor, a former student of the University of Ghana, has signed the petition. He told BBC Trending that "Ghanaians should be confident in themselves and seek to project our own heroes and heroines. There is nothing peaceful about the activities of Gandhi. Anyone who claims to uphold peace and tranquillity but promotes racism is a hypocrite."

The issue of Gandhi's attitudes to black Africans is not a new topic.

His biographer and grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi, said that his grandfather had first travelled to Africa at the age of 24 to practice law. He was undoubtedly "at times ignorant and prejudiced about South Africa's blacks," says Rajmohan Gandhi.

He adds that, while "Gandhi too was an imperfect human being... the imperfect Gandhi was more radical and progressive than most contemporary compatriots."

Image copyrightHULTON ARCHIVE

Image captionA picture of Gandhi when he was practising as a lawyer in South Africa

Dr Obadele Kambon, who is one of creators of the petition, agrees. He told BBC Trending that "ideally, in its place or elsewhere, statues of classical, traditional and modern African heroes could be erected to enhance levels of self-knowledge, self-respect and self-love.

"In the long term, however, we would like to be part of the global movement towards self-respect and pride that we see in the removal of the Rhodes statue in Umzantsi (South Africa), Colin Kaepernick's protest against the National Anthem in the US, and the Black Lives Matter protests.

"At the end of the day, we need images of ourselves for our own psychosocial well-being and not images of those who called us savages... May Gandhi fall that Africa may rise!"

Blog by Megha Mohan