Gandhi's Grandson Gives Advice To Winnetka Students

WINNETKA, IL — The grandson of Indian independence leader and non-violent revolutionary gave students a lesson in the value of anger, the origin of violence and the purpose of living during a visit to Winnetka Public Schools District 36 schools this week.

Dr. Arun Gandhi was born and raised in South Africa, but he spent formative years in India with his grandfather Mahatma from age 12 to 14.

He went on to spend more than three decades as a journalist, mostly with the Times of India, and authored of several books. His most recent is, "The Gift of Anger," published earlier this year.

He's also the founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Rochester, New York, and the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute, which is based in Waukonda, Illinois.

Anger, Gandhi said, is not something to be ashamed of. It's just as useful as electricity and, like gasoline, can be a powerful fuel, but must be used intelligently. Speaking to students at the Skokie School Monday morning, Gandhi shared various lessons he learned from his remarkable grandfather, according to Daily North Shore.

For instance, Gandhi spoke of how his grandfather conceived of violence as divided between passive and physical violence. He said if passive violence, like discrimination, waste or hate, takes place consistently, day after day, people tend to resort to physical violence, Daily North Shore reported.

Another life lesson passed on involved his efforts to obtain an free autograph from his grandfather, Pioneer Press reported. The elder Gandhi usually charged a five rupee fee per autographs to finance his organizing. Even though he never ended up getting the autograph, he learned his famous grandfather would never become angry at him as he was hounded for the signature.

He went on to speak to students and take questions taking questions at Hubbard Woods later on Monday and at Crow Island and Greeley schools on Tuesday.

His visit was facilitated by his friendship with the family of Hubbard Woods third grade teacher Joanna Amaral and District 36 Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning Barry Rodgers, according to Daily North Shore. Amaral's father, Hal Edwards, met Gandhi in the early 1990s while involved with ecumenical ministry in Chicago. Both Edwards and Amaral have served on the board of the Worldwide Education Institute.

Read more from Pioneer Press and Daily North Shore

_{Top photo: Arun Gandhi | Patch archive}