Mahatma Gandhi not awarded Bharat Ratna and Nobel Prize

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma or "Great-Souled," was born in Porbandar, the capital of a tiny principality in what is now Gujarat, Western India, where his father served as chief minister. His Hindu mother was a devout follower of the faith. She and the rest of the Gandhi family adhered to a sect of Hinduism that prioritized nonviolence and religious tolerance. His family history was later considered as a major factor in Mohandas Gandhi's ability to rise to the position he did in Indian society. Mohandas moved to London to study law in the second half of the 1880s. After finishing his studies, he returned to India to practice as a barrister, and then moved to Natal, South Africa, in 1893, to work for an Indian commercial company.

Gandhi Ji - Following The Power of Truth

Gandhi fought to better the living conditions of the Indian minority in South Africa. He developed a strong Indian and religious dedication, as well as a willingness to self-sacrifice, as a result of his activity, which was primarily geared against increasingly discriminatory policies. He presented a nonviolent approach to the Indian quest for basic human rights with considerable success. The strategy, known as satyagraha, or "truth power," was idealistic in nature; rather than opposing the rule of law as a principle, Indians were encouraged to breach rules that were illogical or oppressive. Each person would have to accept punishment for breaking the law. He should, however, oppose the legitimacy of the law in question calmly but firmly. This, in theory, would force the antagonists first the South African authorities, then the British in India – to admit that their laws were illegal.

Return of Gandhi Ji to India 

When Gandhi returned to India in 1915, word of his accomplishments in South Africa had already made its way back to his homeland. During the First World War, in just a few years,

He rose to prominence in the Indian National Congress. He launched a number of nonviolent activities against the British rulers throughout the interwar period. At the same time, he worked hard to bring Hindus, Muslims, and Christians together in India, and he fought for the emancipation of Hindu society's "untouchables." Gandhi's nonviolence was a matter of principle, but many of his fellow Indian nationalists chose nonviolent techniques against the British solely for practical reasons. People respected him because of his stance on that issue, regardless of their feelings towards Indian nationalism or religion. Even the British judges who sentenced him to imprisonment recognized Gandhi as an exceptional personality.

Gandhi ji’s First Nomination for The Nobel Peace Prize

Members of the network of pro-Gandhi "Friends of India" organizations created throughout Europe and the United States in the early 1930s were among those who held Gandhi in high regard. The Friends of India represented a variety of viewpoints. Gandhi's religiosity was respected by the religious among them. Others, such as anti-militarists and political radicals, were sympathetic to his nonviolence doctrine and backed him as an anti-imperialist.

Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937 by a member of the Norwegian Storting (Parliament), Ole Colbjornsen (Labour Party), and he was chosen as one of thirteen nominees on the Norwegian Nobel Committee's shortlist. The motivation for Gandhi's nomination was not written by Colbjrnsen; it was prepared by leading ladies of the Norwegian section of "Friends of India," and it was, of course, as favorable as could be expected.

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his testament. According to his will, the majority of his income will be awarded to the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine or Physiology, Literature, and Peace.

The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was founded by Sweden's central bank in 1968. So there are six categories in which Nobel Prizes are awarded.

On December 10, 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize was presented for the first time. In 1901, the Nobel Prize was split evenly between Jean Henry Dunant and Frederic Passy, "for his lifelong labor for international peace conferences, diplomacy, and arbitration" and "for his humanitarian efforts to heal injured soldiers and create worldwide understanding."

Between 1901 and 2020, 603 Nobel Prizes including the Prize in Economic Sciences were given.

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Gandhi and The Unawarded Laureates

But the question arises why did Mahatma Gandhi not get Bharat Ratna and Nobel prize or if you ever got caught up in the discussion on Why did Mahatma Gandhi not get Nobel prize? Here’s all that you should know about why Mahatma Gandhi did not get Bharat Ratna so that you can have a solid and factually correct response to the questions posed above. 

In 1937, 1938, 1939, and 1947, M. Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Only after India's freedom did Gandhi become a major contender for this award. In 1948, he was nominated again, and it was assumed that he would win this time. However, he was slain by N.R. Godse just days before the Nobel Peace Prize was to be announced.

The Nobel Committee expressed public regret about Gandhi Ji's absence from the list of Nobel Laureates. The Norwegian Nobel Committee chose not to award the Nobel Peace Prize to anyone in 1948 because of this.

The Nobel Foundation's Statutes from 1974 provide that a Nobel Prize cannot be awarded posthumously unless the recipient has died before the announcement of the prize.

Let us remind you that the Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded posthumously twice before 1974, to Dag Hammarskjold in 1961 and Erik Axel Karlfeldt in 1974. (Nobel Prize in Literature 1931).

The Nobel Committee is extremely disappointed by Gandhi Ji's absence. When the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the Nobel committee chairman stated that the award was "a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi's memory."

For his efforts to create peace and international collaboration, particularly his decisive attempt to resolve the border issue with Eritrea, the Nobel Peace Prize 2019 is awarded to 'Abiy Ahmed Ali'.

Gandhi does not get India's highest civilian accolade, the Bharat Ratna, in addition to the Nobel Peace Prize.

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