Lelyveld speaks of Gandhi's efforts for Hindu-Muslim unity

Betwa Sharma
New York, Apr 8 (PTI) Joseph Lelyveld whose new book
on Mahatma Gandhi had created a controversy in India recently
has spoken of efforts made by the freedom fighter to keep
peace between Hindus and Muslims during the riots leading up
to the partition.
"It's almost Shakespearean in its nobility…the
example it set…and its ultimate failure," Lelyveld, Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist, told an audience at the Asia Society
in New York.
"He was close to despair at the end of his life
yet he trudged on," he said, after reading out passages on how
Gandhi appealed to scores of Hindus and Muslims to stop
fighting but became increasingly sidelined during the
violence.
The book 'Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His
Struggle With India' has sparked controversy for hinting that
Gandhi may have been "homosexual".
Following a ban on the book in Indian state of
Gujarat, the author said he did not reach any conclusion about
Gandhi's sexuality in his book. The author has also slammed
his critics for banning the book without reading it.
Speaking before his New York audience, Lelyveld
spoke on several aspects of the book from Gandhi's years in
South Africa to his battle against untouchability and struggle
for communal harmony.
Lelyveld said that Gandhi became lodged in his
mind when he came to India as a foreign correspondent in 1966.
Responding to a question from the audience, the
author said, "It's impossible to answer".
"If Martin Luther King were alive…how would he be
perceived here," he asked.