Multicultural

Gandhi, an upper caste, believed in the Indian caste system. However, he was upset by how lower castes called “untouchables” were treated in India.

Gandhi’s views on the Indian caste system are debatable but he learned a lesson in inclusion while visiting Sree Narayana Guru, a social reformer in the Southern Indian state of Kerala.

Gandhi met Sree Narayana Guru at his ashram in 1925. Pointing to a mango tree, Gandhi told the Guru that like leaves on the tree that were different, human beings belonged to different castes and validated the existence of the caste system and its relevance in Indian society. The Guru replied that while the shape and size of the mango leaves might be different, what was inside the leaves remained the same. He told Gandhi to be inclusive of all people and asked him to shift his thought process regarding India’s caste system.