DNA Special: How Nehru-Gandhi family was not related to Mahatma Gandhi

We celebrated the 151 birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation on Friday. Not only India, Mahatma is remembered and revered all over the world. Though the Mahatma breathed his last at the age of 79, his life was an era in itself that we call the 'Gandhi era'. This era influenced the world to such an extent that he became global brand. How Mahatma Gandhi changed India and the whole world forever. We will talk about something new about Gandhiji. This story begins with the surname 'Gandhi' - considered to be India's most powerful surname. It is used by a political family which is also called the 'First Family of India' by many people -- the Nehru-Gandhi Family. This family has ruled the country for nearly 50 years. But the biggest question is why this family is called the Nehru-Gandhi family? And how did this family become so powerful because of the mere Gandhi name? The idea of analysing on the subject came to us after looking at a tweet by the Congress party on Gandhi Jayanti.

Many people think Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi are all related to Mahatma Gandhi. But that is not the case at all. There are almost or more than 1.56 lakh people in India who use this surname, then why is it exploited by one political family?

DNA | Curious case of the 'Gandhi' surname

'Gandhi' is considered to be India's most powerful surname but it is exploited by one political family@sudhirchaudhary #GandhiJayanti pic.twitter.com/GTJznohiGQ

— DNA (@dna) October 3, 2020

It is an irony that today's Gandhis live in big government bungalows and exploit the facilities. No one knows the real Gandhis. Most people in the world, including India, feel that the Nehru-Gandhi family is the real descendant of Mahatma Gandhi. But this is totally wrong. We will tell you who are the descendants of Mahatma Gandhi. But before that, let us see how today's Gandhis and Mahatma Gandhi are not only different from each other, but are totally opposite to each other from the perspective of conduct and austerity.

People often understand that members of the Nehru-Gandhi family are relatives of Mahatma Gandhi. This is a kind of fake narrative. Therefore, it is important for all of us to know the basic difference between the real and the fake Gandhi.

- The biggest difference is familism i.e. dynasty. Mahatma Gandhi was a staunch opponent of familism. He never promoted his family. But the 'fake' Gandhis have been believing in familism from the beginning. Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi to Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. The situation is such that no one outside the Gandhi family can be imagined to be the president of the Congress party.

-Mahatma Gandhi always avoided politics. He was the biggest leader of the freedom struggle. But for him, it was not a source of politics. That is why, after Independence, he wanted to abolish the Congress party. But the profession of 'fake' Gandhis is politics.

-The third biggest difference is the hunger for the post. Mahatma Gandhi never took any post. The Congress party was established in 1885. Gandhi became its president only once in 1924. After Independence, he wanted the president or the prime minister to become anything. On the other hand, this Gandhi family is just hungry for power. That is why the Congress party has shrunk to only 52 MPs today. Nevertheless, they did not let the post of chief go out of the family.

- The fourth biggest difference is simplicity. This was the mantra of Gandhiji's life. He lived a life based on minimum needs. He never made a bungalow or property. But this Gandhis live in big bungalows and lead a pompous life.

Mahatma Gandhi is our ideal. The whole country calls them the father of the nation, but when it comes to the genealogy, one will not be going to see the name of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi in his family tree because they have nothing to do with Gandhiji's family.

DNA | Who are the real members of Mahatma Gandhi's family?

Many people think Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi are all related to Mahatma Gandhi, however, that is not the case at all@sudhirchaudhary #GandhiJayanti pic.twitter.com/DDAMYA6zQD

— DNA (@dna) October 3, 2020

Mahatma Gandhi had four sons - Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devdas. As many as 154 descendants of Mahatma Gandhi are residing in six countries. They are doctors, professors, engineers, lawyers, scientists.

Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi contested from Amethi against Rajiv Gandhi in 1989. Gopal Krishna Gandhi, another grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, ran for the the vice-president's post in 2017. He was the opposition candidate, though he lost.

Another grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi, also tried his luck in politics. He contested the Lok Sabha elections on Samajwadi Party ticket from Mumbai in 1992.

It is a great irony that people used Gandhi surname to come into powers. But nobody knows the real Gandhi. About four years ago, in May 2016, we showed you a report in the show, DNA. We had told you about Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Kanubhai Gandhi. He was 87 years old at that time. Kanubhai Gandhi was the son of Mahatma Gandhi's third son Ramdas Gandhi and was living with his wife in an old age home in Delhi. He stayed in the United States for 40 years and then returned to India in 2014. They had no children, so they had to live in the old ashram.

He stayed in an old age homes in Delhi for two months in 2016. And then went to an old age home in Surat. But he died due to a heart attack in November 2016.

You will be surprised to know that Kanubhai also worked in the US Space Agency NASA and the Defence Department of the United States. Unfortunately, even after doing such a wonderful job, both of them had to spend their last time in the old age home and Kanubhai Gandhi died amid the disparities of life.

They say that when you misspell a word or make any changes, the meaning changes completely. Same is the case with the Gandhis of today. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are the children of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. As you know, Rajiv Gandhi's mother was Indira Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi's father's name was Feroze Jahangir Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi had received the name from his father Feroze Gandhi. But was Feroze Gandhi's name really Gandhi?

Bertil Falk, a famous Swedish writer, wrote a book about Feroze Jahangir Gandhi a few years ago named 'Feroze: The Forgotten Gandhi'. He writes that Feroze Gandhi was born in a Parsi family in Bombay and his father's name was Jehangir Faredoon Ghandy.

DNA | What's in a 'sur'name?

How Feroze Jehangir Ghandy became Feroze Gandhi@sudhirchaudhary #GandhiJayanti pic.twitter.com/xZhLLcBi0X

— DNA (@dna) October 3, 2020

According to the birth certificate of Feroze Jahangir Gandhi, he was born on September 12, 1912. In this birth certificate his father's name is written as Jehangir Faredoon Ghandy and mother's name is written as Ratimai carefully, the surname is spelt as G.A.N.D.H.Y and not G.A.N.D.H.I. According to this birth certificate, the name of the hospital in Bombay where he was born is Parsi Lying-in Hospital.

The hospital was closed in the 1960s. The author of the book we mentioned claims that when Feroze Ghandy became active in politics and his role began to grow, the newspapers at the time changed his name spelling from GHANDY to GANDHI.

For example, a news about Feroze Gandhi's arrest was published in the English newspaper 'The Leader'. The headline had the spelt Feroze Ghandy as Feroze Gandhi. Some say, Feroze Gandhi changed his family name after being influenced by Gandhiji.

DNA | Real vs fake Gandhi

How Feroze Gandhi capitalised on the 'Gandhi' surname@sudhirchaudhary #GandhiJayanti pic.twitter.com/CU6j1GHCFa

— DNA (@dna) October 3, 2020

Let us go through Firoze Jahangir Ghandy's family tree. His father's name was Jehangir Faredoon Ghandy and mother's name was Ratimai Ghandy. His father Jehangir Faredoon Ghandy was a marine engineer by profession and belonged to Bharuch in Gujarat while his mother, Ratimai, was from Surat. Firoze Ghandy was the youngest of five siblings, Firoze's two brothers were Dorab Ghandy and Faridoon Jahangir Ghandy. He had two sisters. This is the purpose of telling the genealogy of Firoze Jahangir Ghandy on the day of Gandhi Jayanti. That Firoze Jahangir Ghandy did not have a blood relationship with Mahatma Gandhi or his family, the Father of the Nation, nor did he have any relationship. If there are people who perfectly into the family tree of Firoze Jahangir Ghandy, they are Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Varun Gandhi.

Through this, DNA has tried to clear the air from the fake interpretation of the Gandhis' relationship with the great Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.