5 - Freedom, Race, and Francophonie : Gandhi and The Construction of Peoplehood

Abstract

Gandhi (1869-1948) was in South Africa for a period spanning 21 years (1893-1914). During these years his struggles were, of course, centred on laws directed against and affecting the condition of Asians. This does not mean, however, that his ideas remained ethnographically limited or confined. This article explores the evolution of Gandhi’s ideas on racial issues beyond the immediate struggles with which he was involved. It was during his years in South Africa that Gandhi first encountered the pioneering work of such thinkers as the French intellectual, Jean Finot. It is suggested here that the influence on Gandhi of Finot’s work on racial prejudice has been much neglected. This influence was an important factor in the maturing of Gandhi’s views on race. By 1908, while still in South Africa, Gandhi came to envision a non-racial concept of South African peoplehood. A similar non-racial and non-denominational view of “ people ” and “ nation ” would influence Gandhi’s definition of India and even his view of developments in other countries like Guyana. Just as he was influenced by thinkers like Finot, Gandhi himself had an ideational influence in the Francophone sphere which is also examined with particular reference to Africa. His interface with colonial France and some of its policies is also considered.