->Rlink2 at 16:07, 25 November 2021

2021-11-25T16:07:33Z

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{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{more footnotes|date=February 2011}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ela Gandhi
| image = Ela-gandhi-2018-phoenix.jpg
| caption = Gandhi at Phoenix Settlement, South Africa, 2018
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|7|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Durban]], [[Natal Province]], [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Natal]]
| occupation = {{csv|Politician|activist}}
| parents ={{ubl|[[Manilal Gandhi]]|Sushila Mashruwala}}
}}

'''Ela Gandhi''' (born 1 July 1940), granddaughter of [[Mahatma Gandhi]], is a [[South Africa]]n peace activist<ref>{{cite web|title=ELA GANDHI|url=http://scnc.ukzn.ac.za/doc/Audio/VOR/GandhiEla/GandhiElaBackground.htm|work=Voices of Resistance|publisher=Voices of Resistance|access-date=23 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224103846/http://scnc.ukzn.ac.za/doc/Audio/VOR/GandhiEla/GandhiElaBackground.htm|archive-date=24 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was a [[Member of Parliament]] in [[South Africa]] from 1994 to 2004, where she aligned with the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) party representing the Phoenix area of [[Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal|Inanda]] in the [[KwaZulu-Natal]] province. Her parliamentary committee assignments included the Welfare, and Public Enterprises committees as well as the ''ad hoc'' committee on Surrogate Motherhood. She was an alternate member of the Justice Committee and served on Theme Committee 5 on Judiciary and Legal Systems.

==Early life==
ELA Gandhi was born in [[Durban]], [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]] to [[Manilal Gandhi]] and grew up in an [[ashram]] of the [[Phoenix Settlement]] near [[Durban, South Africa]].<ref>{{cite web|title=A Life Committed to Satyagraha: 2002 International Peace Award Recipient Ela Gandhi|url=http://www.cofchrist.org/peaceaward/archive/gandhi-intvw2002.asp|work=Int'l Peace Award: Community of Christ|publisher=Community of Christ|access-date=23 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728122533/http://www.cofchrist.org/peaceaward/archive/gandhi-intvw2002.asp|archive-date=28 July 2012}}</ref> She received her B.A. degree at the former [[Natal University]] and later received a B.A. in [[social science]] with honors from UNISA.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ela Gandhi (July 01, 1940 - )|url=http://overcomingapartheid.msu.edu/people.php?id=797|work=South Africa: Overcoming Apartheid, Building Democracy|publisher=South African History Online|access-date=23 May 2012}}</ref> Following graduation, she worked as a social worker with the Verulam Child and Family Welfare Society for 15 years and the Durban Indian Child and Family Welfare Society for five years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ela Gandhi|url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/article487753.ece/Ela-Gandhi|work=Times Live|publisher=AVUSA, Inc|access-date=23 May 2012|author=Tiara Walters|format=News article (interview)|date=5 June 2010}}</ref>

Gandhi served as an executive member of the [[Natal Organisation of Women]] from its inception until 1991. Her political affiliations include the [[Natal Indian Congress]], which she served as vice president, the [[United Democratic Front (South Africa)|United Democratic Front]], Descom Crisis Network, and Inanda Support Committee.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ela Gandhi|url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/ela-gandhi|work=South African History Online|publisher=South African History Online|access-date=23 May 2012}}</ref> During [[apartheid]], Gandhi was banned in 1975 from political activism and subjected to [[house arrest]] for a total of nine years. She worked underground for an end to the practice. One of her sons was killed during the struggle against apartheid.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Life Committed to Satyagraha: 2002 International Peace Award Recipient Ela Gandhi|url=http://www.cofchrist.org/peaceaward/archive/gandhi-intvw2002.asp|work=Int'l Peace Award: Community of Christ|publisher=Community of Christ|access-date=23 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728122533/http://www.cofchrist.org/peaceaward/archive/gandhi-intvw2002.asp|archive-date=28 July 2012}}</ref> She was among the members of the United Democratic Front who met with [[Nelson Mandela]] prior to his release from [[Pollsmoor Prison]] on February 11, 1990. Prior to the 1994 elections, Gandhi was a member of the [[Transitional Executive Council]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Ela Gandhi|url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/ela-gandhi|work=South African History Online|publisher=South African History Online|access-date=23 May 2012 }}</ref>

==Post parliament==
After serving in parliament, Gandhi developed a 24-hour program against [[domestic violence]], founded the Gandhi Development Trust, serves as a member of the Religious Affairs Committee, and oversees a monthly newspaper. She also chairs the Mahatma Gandhi Salt March Committee and the Mahatma Gandhi Development Trust.<ref>{{cite web|title=Durban Living Legend - Ela Gandhi|url=http://wiki.ulwazi.org/index.php5?title=Durban_Living_Legend_-_Ela_Gandhi|publisher=Ulwazi|website=wiki.ulwazi.org|access-date=23 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312224039/http://wiki.ulwazi.org/index.php5?title=Durban_Living_Legend_-_Ela_Gandhi|archive-date=12 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ela Gandhi served as the Chancellor of Durban University of Technology for several years.

==Awards and recognitions==
[[File:Pranab Mukherjee presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards, at the Valedictory Session of the 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ‘Engaging Diaspora Connecting Across Generation’ (1).jpg|thumb|Ela Gandhi receives [[Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]] from [[President of India]] in 2014]]
Ela Gandhi's contribution to politics and society is widely recognised -
* In 2002, she received the [[Community of Christ International Peace Award]].
* In 2007, she was conferred the [[Padma Bhushan]] award from the [[Government of India]].<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=July 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=November 15, 2014 }}</ref>
* In 2013, she was awarded the [[Shanti Doot International Award ]] - the honour for overseas Indians conferred by the World Peace Movement India.
* In 2014, she was awarded the [[Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]] - the highest honour for overseas Indians conferred by the President of India.
* In 2014, she was also honoured as a veteran of the [[Umkhonto we Sizwe]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ela-gandhi-honoured-in-south-africa/article5620913.ece|title=Ela Gandhi honoured in South Africa|date=2014-01-27|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-10-17|others=PTI|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
The [[Embassy of India, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of India Student Hub, Washington, D.C.]], invited Ela Gandhi to speak to over 15,000 graduating students in the Class of 2020 during a virtual graduation ceremony.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Virtual graduation ceremony for Indian students in US in time of coronavirus pandemic|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/virtual-graduation-ceremony-for-indian-students-in-us-in-time-of-coronavirus-pandemic/1843482|access-date=2020-07-15|website=outlookindia.com/}}</ref>

==See also==

*[[List of people subject to banning orders under apartheid]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://archive.today/20120728122533/http://www.cofchrist.org/peaceaward/archive/gandhi-intvw2002.asp Interview of Ela Gandhi] September 25, 2001
*[http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/bios/gandhi-e.htm History of South Africa biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606160632/http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/bios/gandhi-e.htm |date=2011-06-06 }}

{{Mohandas K. Gandhi}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gandhi, Ela}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Anti-apartheid activists]]
[[Category:South African people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in public affairs]]
[[Category:Mahatma Gandhi family|Ela]]
[[Category:Gandhians]]
[[Category:African National Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa]]
[[Category:Natal Indian Congress politicians]]
[[Category:South African people of Gujarati descent]]
[[Category:Women members of the National Assembly of South Africa]]
[[Category:Recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]]

Ela Gandhi - Revision history

->Rlink2 at 16:07, 25 November 2021