Gandhians

The followers of Mahatma Gandhi, the most prominent figure of the Indian independence movement,[1] are called Gandhians.

Gandhi's legacy includes a wide range of ideas ranging from his dream of ideal India (or Rama Rajya), economics, environmentalism, women's rights, animal rights, spirituality, the truth, nonviolence, asceticism and others. Thus Gandhians hailing from a wide range of work profile attribute their ideas to him.

An overwhelming number of Bharat Ratna awardees are such individuals. In a 2012 poll called The Greatest Indian, the jury decided to keep Gandhi out as it "is impossible for anyone to come close to the father of the nation when it comes to leadership, impact and contribution". The poll included as many as 10 individuals in top 20 who were either close aides, disciples, successors or Gandhian ideologues.[a]

Name Notes
Jawaharlal Nehru Gandhi designated him as his political heir.
Vallabhbhai Patel Along with Nehru, Patel was the closest aide of Gandhi.
Vinoba Bhave He is deemed as the spiritual heir of Gandhi
Nelson Mandela First president of South Africa
François Bayrou French politician who served as cabinet minister of various departments [3]
Martin Luther King Jr. American civil rights movement activist
Ho Chi Minh Founding father of Vietnam[4]
Maulana Azad First education minister of India
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Former Prime Minister of India [5]
Narendra Modi Current Prime Minister of India [6][7]
Abdul Ghaffar Khan Also called "the Frontier Gandhi"
Sarojini Naidu 1st Governors of the United Provinces of Independent India
Tanguturi Prakasam First Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
K. Chandrashekar Rao Current Chief Minister of Telangana
C. Rajagopalachari Last Governor-General of India
Maria Lacerda de Moura Brazilian reformer
Eric Adams Mayor of New York City
George Joseph Indian independence activist
Habib Bourguiba First Prime Minister of Tunisia
Kailash Satyarthi Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Ashok Gehlot Current Chief Minister of Rajasthan
Shankarrao Deo Independence activist
Mehdi Bazargan Leading figure of Iranian Revolution along with Ruhollah Khomeini and Morteza Motahhari
Mirabehn Independence activist, described Gandhi as Jesus Christ
Govind Vallabh Pant First Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
Sushila Nayyar Indian politician and independence activist
Jamnalal Bajaj Indian industrialist
Sharad Pawar Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra[8]
Draupadi Murmu Current President of India
M.G. Ramachandran Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,and influential actor in tamil cinema.
K. Kamaraj Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
  1. ^ Geoffrey Parker (1995). The Times Illustrated History of the World. HarperCollins. p. 290. The hero of Indian independence from the British, and the greatest figure in decolonization, was Mahatma Gandhi
  2. ^ CK, Faisal (10 December 2019). "From Vajpayee's founding speech to Modi's deeds, the BJP has deviated from its stated ideals". Scroll.in. Retrieved 20 November 2021. Vajpayee unequivocally declared that Gandhian Socialism was the foundational ideology of the newly launched party.
  3. ^ Politique (21 September 2018). "Bayrou au pays de Gandhi". Le Point. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Ho Chi Minh: Remembering the King and the Saint". The Wire. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  5. ^ Official Visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the United States, 13-14 September 2000, p. 98
  6. ^ "Where Narendra Modi's Gandhian 'Tapasya' Falls Short". Thewire.in. 26 May 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Gandhian values are becoming increasingly relevant: PM Modi in Tamil Nadu". OneIndia. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  8. ^ Deshpande, Alok (9 January 2020). "Gandhi's non-violence is the only way forward, says Sharad Pawar". The Hindu.


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