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On Gandhi bust, conference centre

Readers have reacted. We now present an edited version of the conversation. As a rule, we don’t comment on comments.

No to both Gandhi Statue, Gandhi International Conference!

Please wake up.  It’s time we Malawians acted in solidarity with other Africans on the continent. Our reputation as Malawians has not been good for the past 40 years. We have been betraying the African liberation struggle in many ways. In most cases, we side with the enemy instead of our fellow Africans and your article looks more like it, siding with the enemy.

What has happened in Malawi shows that the youth in Africa are awakening. The same has happened in Ghana. The youth in South Africa are did the same. They got rid of John Cecil Rhodes’ statue.

If we accept the statue of a person who was calling us animals for a conference hall what would the people in Ghana be thinking about us? And would that not make us whores or prostitutes who accept anyone for money?

Anyway, you do not see things the way most of us see them. This is not about the so-called “Gandhi statue”. Most of us see the Indian imperialism idea behind it. But since most of you are so conditioned and just like most politicians you would rather be happy to see the continued suffering, dehumanization and humiliation of Africans.

 A statue is a powerful mind control tool. The picture of a white Jesus is why Africans are stuck in Christianity up to now.  That is why the Indian government does not have statues of people from other countries in their country but they want to have the statue of their hero in the country they want to control and rule. India is just starting to become a super power and already Malawians are falling for it. Africa has become a playground for any power that decides to try anything and people like you are happy to see things that way.

 Let them take away their conference hall away. So, what? It is not even a need. Let them also take their Indians back to India we don’t need another imperialism. How can we grow if we can’t learn to crawl?

 In case you do not know, the first man to practise non-violence was a black person called Imhotep in Nubia. Gandhi copied from this great African. They do not teach you in school about this.

You should also find out how they treat back people in India

 The issue of Mandela is another issue that you do not really understand. He did not practise violence but rather fought whites. Got in prison and later on whites used him to betray his own people. It’s sad. Anyway, check the story for yourself but I can see that you, just like most Malawians, are directionless. You do not believe in the liberation of Africa.

 Mphwanye, Kabula, Blantyre

 

Yes to both Gandhi Statue, Gandhi International Conference Centre

 

I would like to comment on your article which appeared in the Weekend Nation of 3 November 2018.

 

What you have written is totally true and it has to be supported by us Malawians who wish Malawi well. I remember in our primary school, we used to have topics in history where Mahatma Gandhi was included as a champion of peaceful resistance. And someone to wake up today and say the man was a racist and we cannot have his statue in Blantyre is worrisome. Are we not being racist ourselves?

We have lived with people of Indian descent for all these years and they played a crucial role in developing Malawi. Let us send them back and destroy what they have built. Minus what Indian Malawians have built, what do we remain with?

From the sixties, the Indians have employed us. Where were the so-called activists? They could have told us not to work for the Indians because Gandhi was bad.

Some people are activists today but they don’t know what has Malawi gone through and they bring unrealistic demands. Shame to them!

I believe the activists are just trying to confuse us and have an undisclosed political agenda. It is not Gandhi’s statute they oppose but the building of the international conference centre.  They are messengers of doom. They accept Chinese goodies and push Chinese racism and imperialism under the mat but condemn Indian contributions.  They don’t want good infrastructure to be in Blantyre.  They can fool some people sometimes but they cannot fool us all the time.

My suggestion is that the government should conduct a survey on the take of Malawians on this issue. My take is that the statue and the international conference centre have to proceed.

 Bob, Blantyre

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