On Saturday, more than six decades after his death, another portion of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were scattered in the Indian Ocean, off the South African coast. The ashes were with a family friend, Vilas Mehta.
Back in 1948, after Gandhi’s cremation, his ashes were distributed to his family, friends and associates. This particular portion was with the Mehtas. When the matriarch was on her deathbed, she handed over a silver container with the ashes, to her daughter-in-law and asked her to keep it safe. She decided to return it to the Gandhi family.
Gandhi’s granddaughter, Ela Gandhi, who is a respected activist in South Africa, has been quoted as saying, “We started thinking — what shall we do with it? Our broader family said, the ashes must be immersed.” Ela Gandhi who led the ceremony, said they chose the Indian Ocean since it was a link between India and South Africa.
