Feroze Gandhi no Muslim

Reader Roda D. Hakim of Baroda has forwarded to Parsiana a clipping from the Gujarati language newspaper Sandesh dated August 29, 2008 in which it is suggested that Feroze Gandhi, husband of Indira Gandhi, was a Muslim, not a Parsi. In her covering letter, an indignant Hakim wonders "why this malicious writing in Gujarati is not refuted” and adds "even the Internet is full of this crap.”

In an e-mail sent to Parsiana on the same day, Hakim states: "Today’s Indian Express mentions… that Feroze’s grandson Rahul visited his grave at the Allahabad Parsi Aramgah and paid respect to his grandfather by placing a wreath on his tomb… (see "Wreaths for Feroze Gandhi,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, October 21, 2008). Everyone is aware no non-Parsi can be buried in our aramgah. It’s time… a strong body like the Bombay Parsi Punchayet along with the relatives clear this matter and not blaspheme the departed.”

Feroze Gandhi: mistaken identity

Hakim’s reference to similar canards on the Internet was reinforced by an e-mail received by Parsiana from Poona based reader Kersee Kabraji who wrote that this malicious message has "been going around for the last two years. I always thought that the whole thing was cooked up and far from the truth.” Attached to Kabraji’s e-mail was a message received by him from Phil Masters who expressed regret for "having forwarded the e-mail titled ‘Skeletons in Nehru dynasty.’” Masters’ earlier e-mail contained material from the book The Nehru Dynasty written by astrologer K. N. Rao which, in addition to other salacious allegations, claimed that Feroze Gandhi was a Muslim. Masters, urged by friends Farzana Cooper and Feroze Irani and their friends, decided to investigate and came up with the following results:

"Feroze Gandhi had become a prominent force in his own right, criticizing the government of his father-in-law (Jawa-harlal Nehru) and beginning a tirade against corruption. He exposed a scandal involving major insurance companies and the finance minister T. T. Krishnamachari (causing him) to resign at Nehru’s major embarrassment. This is one of the reasons the then ruling party blemished his name by branding Feroze Gandhi as a Muslim to generate disbelief in his findings. Feroze Gandhi began building his own reputation and small coterie of supporters and advisors, and continued challenging the government. He was re-elected to Parliament in 1957.”

Regarding Gandhi’s parentage, Masters reveals that Feroze was born on September 12, 1912 to Ratimai and Jehangir Faredoon Gandhi at Bombay’s Tehmulji Nariman Hospital, meant for use by the Parsi community alone. The Gandhis, who lived in Khetwadi, had, like other Parsi families, migrated to Bombay from Gujarat. Feroze’s mother hailed from Surat while his father came from Bharuch. Jehangir, a simple religious-minded man, entered service as a marine engineer in Killick Nixon and was later promoted as a warrant engineer. He was the first in the country to hold such an office, Masters writes.

The e-mail goes on to add that Indira Nehru’s marriage to Feroze in 1942 was "almost universally denigrated by orthodox Hindus, primarily because it was an intercommunal ‘love marriage’ not arranged by her parents. Her father, Jawaharlal, opposed the marriage on grounds that the couple were somewhat incompatible because both possessed fiery tempers. Publicly, however, both her father and Mohandas Gandhi strenuously defended the marriage, with the Mahatma writing in the journal Harijan that: ‘His (Feroze Gandhi’s) only crime in their (orthodox Hindus’) estimation is that he happens to be a Parsi.’”