Writer and historian Rajmohan Gandhi says the extensively annotated edition of B.R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste , introduced by activist and writer Arundhati Roy, has many wrong statements about Mahatma Gandhi.
His response to Ms. Roy will be published shortly by a Hyderabad-based publisher, says Mr. Gandhi, grandson of the Mahatma.
He was in conversation with writer Sudhir Kakar at the launch of his book Prince of Gujarat: The extraordinary story of Prince Gopaldas Desai , at the Goa Art and Literary Festival at the International Centre Goa on Saturday.
To a question on how he felt when Gandhiji was attacked, Mr Gandhi said he certainly felt indignant when anybody attacked him unfairly.
“When Joseph Lelyveld, in his book [ Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India ], tried to belittle Gandhi, I did write a longish piece. But I certainly believe that Gandhi does not belong to me. If others are troubled about untruthful and unfair attacks on him, they should write,” he said.
While he agreed with many of the views expressed by Ms. Roy, in this case, he felt she had made many wrong statements and he felt compelled to respond to put the records straight.
