By Shannon Vicic
Rajmohan Gandhi, a research professor with the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, India, has joined the UI faculty for the fall semester as a George A. Miller visiting professor in the department of history.
Gandhi is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who was instrumental in gaining India's independence from Britain and who also influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders of the American Civil Rights movement, as well as leaders of independence movements throughout the former colonized world.
Rajmohan Gandhi's visit to the university is part of "India 50," a yearlong series of events planned by the Program in South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the UI in recognition of India's 50th anniversary of independence.
Gandhi will be teaching and helping teach several courses in the department of history, including "India From Colony to Nation" and "Revenge and Reconciliation in Indian and South Asian History." He also will give several presentations and lectures.
On Oct. 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday anniversary, Gandhi will present a lecture on "The Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi: An End-of-the-Century Perspective," at 7:30 p.m. on the third floor of Levis Faculty Center. The lecture is part of the CAS/MillerComm98 lecture series.
Gandhi also will give a presentation at the Annual Tagore Festival at the UI on Oct. 25.
Gandhi's biography of his grandfather, "The Good Boatman: A Portrait of Gandhi," was published in 1995. Rajmohan Gandhi's scholarly record, however, extends beyond his lineage. His major publications include biographies of Indian freedom fighters Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and Vallabhai Patel, and a study of Hindu-Muslim relations. His research interests include the history and current state of South Asia, Hindu-Muslim and India-Pakistan relationships, and ethnic tensions and their resolution.
In addition to his academic experience, Gandhi served as member of the Rajya Sabha, the Indian Upper House, from 1990-92, and in 1990 led the Indian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva.
Gandhi's appointment was made possible by the Program in South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies with significant support from the department of history and the George A. Miller Endowment Committee, and with additional support from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, International Programs and Studies, and the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security.
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