Gandhi Under Cross-Examination
by G.B. Singh & Tim Watson
Foreword by Prof. Lewis Baldwin
Paperback: 287 pages
Edition: 2nd ed. (June 1, 2009)
ISBN: 978-0-9814992-2-2
Price: $12.50
Size: 6 x 9
Embarking on a critical analysis of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) is a bold adventure. Gandhi was the most revered politician/saint of the 20th century and any author who dares question him risks his own reputation in the modern intellectual world. Yet in this provocative text, retired U.S. Army Col. G. B. Singh and Dr. Tim Watson set out to investigate the origins of the Mahatma by rigorously cross-examining him on the witness stand.
In 1893, Gandhi reportedly suffered a series of racial humiliations during his famous train journey from Durban to Pretoria in colonial South Africa. These humiliations galvanized him to fight against the burgeoning apartheid system and later to oppose British colonialism. Such far-reaching consequences have been attributed to what transpired at the Pietermaritzburg train station where Gandhi was forcibly evicted from a first class train compartment.
The authors scrutinize the evidence for this incident, cross-examining Gandhi himself in their pursuit of historical truth. In the process of cutting past Gandhi's self-described "experiments with the truth," the authors delve into Gandhi's relationship with the blacks of South Africa and his service as a Sergeant Major in the British Army. In the words of Prof. Lewis Baldwin, this book offers "a challenge that no human being should ignore in this age of cynicism, violence, and terror."
Col. G. B. Singh (Ret.) served in the U.S. Army. He is a professional student of Indian politics, world religions and their true historical values and political impacts, and the life and teachings of Gandhi. He lives in Tennessee, USA.
Dr. Timothy Watson gained his higher education in Europe and taught for several years in East Asia. He currently teaches philosophy and communications in Toronto, Canada, and hosts a weekly radio show at ThatRadio.com.
"The greatest injustice against the struggle for liberation of black people was the projection of Mahatma Gandhi as committed to a cause against segregation." ~ Sentletse Diakanyo, Mail & Guardian
"Singh and Watson challenge us to take a new and more serious and critical look at Gandhi’s personality and values." ~ Prof. Lewis Baldwin, Vanderbilt University
"If Gandhi was not thrown off the train in Pietermaritzburg on June 7, 1893, then maybe we would not have had a Gandhi who introduced active passive resistance to fight for freedom and democracy." ~ Anand Sharma, former External Affairs Minister of India