‘A Christian Disciple of Mahatma Gandhi’ : Fr Verrier Elwin

By Dr. Eugene DSouza
Bellevision Media Network

02 October 2011: As the nation observes the 142nd birth anniversary of the ‘Father of the Nation’, Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2011, one can ponder over the relevance of Gandhian philosophy of non-violent satyagraha in modern times. The popular agitation that was launched by Anna Hazare against corruption and in favour of a strong Janlokpal Bill has proved that Gandhian methods of protest are still relevant in modern times provided that the person who leads such a non-violent protest is a person of integrity and impeccable character.

 

 

It is important to note that Mahatma Gandhi who had developed the doctrine of satyagraha against the racial policies of the South African Government against the Asians and Africans at the turn of the twentieth century applied the same methods in agitating against the British government that had been ruling over India for nearly two centuries. Eventually, after a long drawn struggle, India could win independence from the British in 1947. Though the achievement of freedom was the outcome of the struggle waged by various sections of the Indian people against the colonial rule, it was Mahatma Gandhi, as the conscience keeper of the National Movement who has been rightly credited as the ‘Father of the Nation.’

 

On this day of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, it would be appropriate to understand the influence that Gandhi had on different people, not only from India, but also from other countries including England. Among these, a reference may be made to a Christian priest and missionary in India, Fr. Verrier Elwin who identified himself with India’s freedom struggle and called himself as the ‘Christian Disciple of Mahatma Gandhi’.

 

 

Verrier Elwin who was born on August 29, 1902 in Kent, England, had developed a liking to Mahatma Gandhi and his teachings right from his student days at the Oxford. He claims that besides the New Testament he was profoundly influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

 

After completing education at Oxford, Verrier Elwin joined the Anglican Church as a clergyman and chose India for his missionary activity. In the summer of 1927 Elwin joined the ‘Christa Seva Sangha Ashram’ at Poona, founded by another Anglican clergyman, Fr. Jack Winslow. The Christa Seva Sangha Ashram was deeply rooted in the Indian tradition and was greatly influenced by the ancient Hindu scriptures and teachings of great Indian saints. In this ashram Indians and Englishmen lived together  on terms of complete fellowship and equality. The inmates of the Ashram used to conclude the morning and evening worship with the ancient Indian prayer taken from the Rig-Veda: “From the unreal lead me to the real; from darkness lead me to light; from death lead me to deathlessness”.

 

Fr. Elwin first met Mahatma Gandhi in January 1928 when he went to Sabarmati to attend a conference on Inter Religious Fellowship. He was so impressed by the simplicity and spiritual power of the Mahatma that he became his great admirer and eventually a disciple.

 

Through his speeches and writings Fr. Elwin contributed considerably to the promotion of Indian nationalism. His admiration of Mahatma Gandhi and his movement inspired him to contribute in own way to India’s freedom struggle.

 

 

Fr Elwin urged every Indian Christian to support the national movement. He pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi had made one of the noblest attempts to apply Christian principles to a political situation that the world had ever seen. The identification of Fr. Elwin with the cause of India was complete when he said, “I do not speak to you as an Englishman. I regard myself as an Indian. My interests are yours and your sorrows are my own.” 

 

Fr. Verrier Elwin endeavoured to highlight the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi through his own interpretation. According to him Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest man then living in the world and was the very embodiment of the spirit of truth, purity and love. He believed that one of the great secrets of Mahatma Gandhi’s power over men was that he lived a simple life with socialistic ideals. He compared Mahatma Gandhi to St. Francis of Assisi on account of his self-sacrifice, sympathy for the poor and the oppressed and his world embracing love.

 

In order to express his views on India’s freedom struggle Fr. Verrier Elwin effectively made use of the news-paper media. He contributed a number of articles to the ‘Bombay Chronicle’ on the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. In one of the articles he wrote, ”As a man I admire courage and self-sacrifice, as an Englishman I love freedom and hate oppression, as one who has taken India as his adopted country I love her art, her culture, her manners, above all her poor; as a Christian I revere sincere religion wherever it is found.”

 

The political activities of Fr. Elwin, his great admiration of Mahatma Gandhi, his writings and speeches promoting his ideals and his support to India’s freedom struggle ran contrary to his missionary vocation. He felt that these activities prevented him from giving sufficient time to his religious duties. Moreover, he was constantly under surveillance from the government authorities and reprimanded by his religious superiors for his anti-British political activities. After a thorough introspection, Fr. Elwin decided to devote fully to the cause of India and resigned his membership of the Christa Seva Sangha in October 1931 and devoted his remaining life to the upliftment of the tribal people in different parts of Central and Northeastern India.

 

 

After independence, Verrier Elwin took up Indian citizenship. He was appointed as the chief of the Anthropological Survey of India. His work involved the documentation of many native tribes in Central and Northeast India. For his dedicated service Elwin was awarded Padma Bhushan on January 26, 1961.  After a long and fruitful service in India Verrier Elwin died on February 22, 1964. His autobiography “The Tribal World of Verrier Elwin” was published shortly after his death.

 

Verrier Elwin was one of the most fascinating Englishmen who lived and worked in India. He was a man of many talents. He was missionary, a freedom fighter, poet, novelist and anthropologist. His transformation from a clergyman to a staunch disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and later as a dedicated social worker among the forgotten tribals of Central and North-eastern India was amazing.