Different titles of Mahatma Gandhi | Fusion - WeRIndia

Today is Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. Mahatma Gandhi’s full name is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

However, he is famous as Mahatma Gandhi. It is not an exaggeration to say that people know him as Mahatma Gandhi, rather than Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or MK Gandhi.

He is fondly called as Bapu as well. Gandhi is also considered ‘Father of the Nation’. So, MK Gandhi had many titles.

But, have you ever wondered who gave him these titles and why?

As per some authors, Gandhiji’s ‘Mahatma’ title was first used by Rabindranath Tagore in March 1915. However, some others claim that it was not Rabindranath Tagore, but the residents of Gurukul Kangadi called him as Mahatma in April 1915.

As per some sources, none of the above two, but a journalist from Jetpur referred him as Mahatma in an anonymous letter in January 1915. While giving a reply to an RTI query in 2012, the Indian Council of Historical Research and National Archives of India, Archeology department also said that an ‘unknown scribe’ came up with the title of ‘Mahatma’. The term Mahatma in Jainism refers to a class of priests who practice purity in three ways – thought, word and deed.

Gandhiji is also called Bapu. Bapu means ‘father’ in many Indian languages. The common belief is that Rabindranath Tagore called him Bapu for the first time, while few believe that it was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose who called him Bapu. Few others said that it was Jawaharlal Nehru that called Gandhiji as Bapu.

Gandhiji is considered the Father of Nation. But, no such title was ever formally conferred on him by the government. Article 18 of the Constitution of India prohibits the State from conferring any titles to any person. Subhash Chandra Bose first used the term ‘Father of Nation’ for Gandhiji in a radio address in 1944. Later, Nehru, the first prime minister of India, used it while announcing the death of Mahatma Gandhi saying that the Father of the Nation was no more.

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