Park University to Welcome Mahatma Gandhi's Grandson for Centennial Birthday Celebration
Renowned Indian biographer, historian, politician, and academic Rajmohan Gandhi is set to visit Park University later this month. The grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, Rajmohan Gandhi will be hosted by Park University's Center for Global Peace Journalism (CGPJ) as part of the celebrations marking Mahatma Gandhi's 150th anniversary birth.
Born in 1935, Rajmohan Gandhi has made significant contributions to journalism, peacebuilding, and political activism throughout his career. His family background in journalism is notable; his father was the managing editor of the Hindustan Times, and Rajmohan himself has authored many biographical and historical works, including books on Indian political leaders.
As a peacebuilder, Rajmohan Gandhi has been involved in promoting nonviolence and conflict resolution, drawing on the legacies of his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi. His scholarly work often focuses on communal harmony and peace in South Asia.
Politically, Rajmohan Gandhi has actively participated in Indian politics, joining the Janata Dal in 1989 and contesting Lok Sabha elections against Rajiv Gandhi, and later joining the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014, contesting from East Delhi.
Academically, Rajmohan Gandhi is a research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a scholar in residence at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, where he furthers research on South Asian history and peace studies.
The program on August 26 at Park University's Parkville Campus will focus on Mahatma Gandhi as a journalist and his promotion of journalism as a tool for societal development and peace. The discussion will be followed by a reception.
On August 27, Rajmohan Gandhi will present a symposium on "The Status of Peacebuilding Between India and Pakistan" at 7 p.m. in Hudson Auditorium on Johnson County Community College’s campus in Overland Park, Kan. The symposium is also co-sponsored by the International Relations Council. Admission to both events is free and open to the public, with a reception preceding the presentation on August 27, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Rajmohan Gandhi's involvement in initiatives for reconciliation and democratic rights spans over 60 years. In the 1960s and early 1970s, he played a leading role in establishing Asia Plateau, a 68-acre center of Initiatives of Change in the mountains of western India, which fosters dialogue, reconciliation, and ethical governance and is recognized on the Indian subcontinent for its ecological contribution.
Join us in honouring Mahatma Gandhi's legacy by attending these thought-provoking events featuring Rajmohan Gandhi.
- Rajmohan Gandhi, a renowned scholar and academic, not only contributes to political activism but also focuses on education and self-development, having authored numerous biographical and historical works and being a research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
- Beyond his political involvement, Rajmohan Gandhi's commitment to general news extends to peacebuilding, as he will discuss Mahatma Gandhi's role as a journalist in promoting journalism as a tool for societal development and peace, and present a symposium on "The Status of Peacebuilding Between India and Pakistan."
