| Exhibition Review | The Journal of American History, 93.3

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| Exhibition Review | The Journal of American History, 93.3 | The History Cooperative

Exhibition Reviews

Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, the intersection of Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Q St., N.W., and 21st St., N.W., Washington, DC 20008. Permanent memorial, dedicated Sept. 16, 2000. Free. Sculpture, 8 ft. 8 in. high. Pedestal, 9 ft. long, 7 ft. wide, 3 ft. 4 in. high. Gautam Pal, sculptor; A+E Collective, architects. Internet: description of memorial, photographs, related links, http://www.indianembassy.org/gandhi/index.html.
In the spring of 1945, Denton J. Brooks, an African American reporter for the Chicago Defender, arranged a brief interview with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Using the respectful but familiar "Gandhiji," Brooks asked, "Is there any special message you would care to send to the Negro people of America?" Gandhi replied, "My life is its own message"(Chicago Defender, June 10, 1945; reprinted in Raghavan Iyer, ed., The Essential Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, 2005, pp. 40–41). These words, shortened to "my life is my message," adorn the front of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in Washington, D.C. Carved beneath "Mahatma Gandhi" and the dates, "1869–1948," those five words speak to the promise and the challenge of the Gandhi Memorial—to communicate in stone and space the multiple meanings of a long and diverse life.	1
At the center of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, an eight foot eight inch tall Gandhi strides forward, walking stick in hand. Atop a large, red granite block, Gandhi's statue towers twelve feet in the air, much higher than did the approximately five foot three inch man in life. One side of the statue's pedestal quotes Albert Einstein: "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." The sheer size of the statue might ironically help realize Einstein's prophecy. One key detail, however, invests the monument with humanity, reminding the viewer that Gandhi did "in flesh and blood" walk upon this earth. The statue's face looks down. As a result, a visitor can look up to meet Gandhi's gaze.	2
The sculptor, Gautam Pal, explained, "I consulted several photographs to get the exact determined expression on his face." (Savera R. Someshwa, "The Mahatma's Sculptor," Sept. 18, 2000, Rediff,http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/sep/18pmus2.htm). Determination fits the historical moment Pal aimed to capture—the Salt March of 1930, in which Gandhi marched some 240 miles to the sea to make salt. With that simple but carefully planned act, Gandhi began a coordinated protest against a tax on salt that disproportionately affected the poor. It is fitting that a memorial to Gandhi in the United States should recognize the event that first put him on the cover of Time magazine (March 31, 1930). More than any other episode in his life, the Salt March contributed to Gandhi's reputation in America. It is also fitting for a statue of Gandhi on the Salt March to express determination—the ensuing civil disobedience campaign required determination on the part of Gandhi, as well as countless unrecognized Indians. I saw much more than determination in Gandhi's face, however. Looking up into carefully sculpted eyes, I found myself remembering an older Gandhi, walking through East Bengal in the winter of 1946, trying to halt growing violence between Hindus and Muslims. I saw sadness and exhaustion, as well as determination and hope.	3
The statue's pedestal has inscriptions on all four sides, and three separate granite slabs provide more text. The result is a surprising density of print. On one side of the pedestal, we find Gandhi's legacy explained in terms of the Indian nation. We are told that "Gandhi led India to freedom from British rule in 1947" and that "he is hailed as the father of the nation." The same passage, however, describes Gandhi as a "crusader for human rights and liberty" and an "apostle of truth and non-violence (ahimsa)." While the parenthetical use of "ahimsa" reminds the reader of Gandhi's Indian identity, the sentence as a whole presents a leader of global significance. Another side of the pedestal further emphasizes Gandhi's universality, describing him as "a pivotal world figure" and noting that he was "inspired by the world's great religions, and influenced by the writings of Ruskin, Thoreau and Tolstoy."	. . .

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