“Ours is one continued struggle against degradation sought to be inflicted upon us by the European, who desire to degrade us to the level of the raw Kaffir, whose occupation is hunting and whose sole ambition is to collect a certain number of cattle to buy a wife with, and then pass his life in indolence and nakedness.”
- October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948
- British Indian Empire
- Lawyer, religious leader, social activist, political leader
- As a leader of the Indian independence movement, he advocated non-violent resistance (Satyagraha) and contributed to India’s independence from Britain.
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Quote
“Ours is one continued struggle against degradation sought to be inflicted upon us by the European, who desire to degrade us to the level of the raw Kaffir, whose occupation is hunting and whose sole ambition is to collect a certain number of cattle to buy a wife with, and then pass his life in indolence and nakedness.”
Explanation
This statement reflects Gandhi’s condemnation of the racist ideologies underpinning colonial rule, particularly the European view of non-European peoples. The term “raw Kaffir,” used here, was a derogatory and racist label used by Europeans to describe indigenous African people, reflecting the belief in their supposed inferiority to Europeans. Gandhi critiques the colonial mindset that sought to dehumanize people of other races by portraying them as primitive and stagnant.
Gandhi is drawing attention to the colonial oppression that not only sought to exploit the physical and economic resources of India but also aimed to undermine its cultural and intellectual vitality. The comparison to the “raw Kaffir” reveals a colonial narrative that framed European civilization as superior and other societies as primitive or barbaric, which Gandhi strongly opposed. His vision was to resist degradation and stereotyping while upholding the dignity and self-respect of colonized peoples.
This quote also speaks to the wider context of racial prejudice during the colonial era, wherein colonizers often used such demeaning characterizations as a means of justifying their control and exploitation. Gandhi’s response highlights the injustice of seeing people as inherently inferior based on race, advocating instead for the inherent worth and potential of all humans, regardless of their background or race. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of self-respect, human dignity, and the right to self-determination in the face of such oppressive ideologies.
