Mandela wine, Gandhi mugs

Just days before the 75th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s death, the University of London indulged in some conspicuous social media advertising of its “notable alumni”, complete with a prominent image of the great man. It does this routinely, even though, as a well-known historian once observed, this particular institution left such little impression on Gandhi, he doesn’t even mention it in his autobiography.
The Mahatma’s appropriation as a marketing tool is not particularly surprising, even if by an entity in the former raj, whose foundations he set out to shake. With a message that was woke before woke was properly recognised as a politically conscious word, the Gandhi brand is very visible, instantly recognisable and absolutely everywhere.

Originally published at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com