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Himal Southasian ·For the curious

A Gujarati Dalit Writer Reckons with Gandhi’s Fraught Legacy

by Chandu Maheira

Published 2026-07-15 10:57:26+00:00

How do you wear the clothes of a man your mother blames for your family’s struggle?

0:00 / 5:13 · Narrator Algieba

Context

Chandu Maheria grew up in the crowded chawls of Ahmedabad, where even the fabric on a person's back could spark a family argument. In this piece from 15 July 2026, a son’s choice to wear khadi shows the long, tense relationship between Dalit communities and the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. While Gandhi is often remembered as a saintly figure, Maheria looks at the friction he caused in private homes. The essay moves past simple resentment to ask how a community lives with a figure who was both an ally and an obstacle.

Show notes

Chandu Maheria is a Dalit writer and activist whose memoir, Homes Without Windows, recounts his childhood in the industrial suburbs of Ahmedabad. He traces his family’s distrust of Mohandas Gandhi, whose work regarding the caste system remains a point of disagreement within the community. Maheria examines Gandhi’s influence on post-independence India by combining personal stories with the historical debate between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar.

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