Virchad R Gandhi A Gandhi before Gandhi

Author(s): Bipin Doshi, Pankaj Hingarh
Publisher: Bipin Doshi, Pankaj Hingarh

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Personality
VRG's forceful speeches and his fear- geted VRG, as if their religion and less yet courteous expressions created a Christian mission was challenged. VRG deep brilliant image that the American made it clear that his remarks were not people were magnetically attracted against Christianity but were against towards him and at their request VRG fanatic Christian missionaries who were prolonged his stay for two years and presenting wrong picture of India and was invited twice later in 1897 and its religions. 1899. VRG made his mission to educate The Literary World, Volume 51 (Page the Western layman about India and its 60, 1895) wrote, “Virchand Raghavji religions since Christian missionaries Gandhi, BA, attacks missionaries in under British rule had misrepresented India, charging them with misrepresenIndian culture. He delivered as many as tation both in regard to the religion and 535 lectures mainly in Chicago, Boston, the lives of the natives, and in regard to New York, Washington in the USA, and their own alleged self-sacrificing life." England, France, Rey. Addison Parker commended, "He ? Rev. Addison Parker commended, "He A
Boston Germany and impressed me as one the brainiest and Transcript report other European most stirring of the representatives of said, “He is an countries. At all
st. I know of no one except earnest and serious these places he
him from whom I would prefer to speaker, carving was well listened, hear facts concerning the life and
deep into the felicitated and prethought of the great people he
philosophies of
represents." sented with
India, of which he medals. After the parliament he became is one of the most able exponents that famous in the USA but at the same time has ever visited America." The New many Christian fanatics began seeing in York Times described the personality of VRG a future threat. The people in the VRG as "wearing a turban of yellow, West began admiring VRG and were signifying knowledge, and a robe of eager to learn more about the oriental purple, portraying purity and activity, philosophy.
Virchand Gandhi.” Buffalo Evening Christian periodicals were flooded Times said, VRG "preaches the uniwith analyses on the speeches of VRG versal brotherhood of man. He is much and his attack on Christian missionaries farther advanced in esoteric philosophy in India (The Review of Reviews, The than the Western theosophists, and gives Monist etc). Some seemed positive and far more lucid explanations of the orient some were negative. Some fanatics tar- teachings. The Hindu is decidedly the