Book Review : Gandhi s Search for Perfect Perfect Diet, Eating with the World in Mind By Nico Slate

Mahatma Gandhi truly belongs to all time and all mankind. He was universally acknowledged as apostle of Truth and Non violence. He is also known as the father of Indian Nation. He has been hailed as a Liberal Political Philosopher, Philosopher of Politics of Peace and Protest, Political agitator per excellence, Politician among saints and saint in Politicians and Dramatics of Art of life. It has no exaggeration to say that he was one of the most prominent philosophers who influenced 20^th century in a different manner. Moreover he is recognized as the man of the Millennium. Gandhian Philosophy is still popular and relevant even in the 21^st century across the world, as it is based on humanist, sustainable and holistic perspectives. The year 2018-19 is 150^th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi. Recently the book titled “Gandhi’s Search for Diet, Eating with the world in mind” written by Nico Slate has been published. The main focus of this book is on how intricately meshed were the Gandhi’s ideas and practices concerning eating, morality, ethics and political activities. The author highlights Gandhi’s views on non violence, religious tolerance and rural sustainability developed in coordination with his dietary experiments. His rejections of sugar, chocolates and salt expressed his opposition to economies based on contract labor, slavery and imperialism.    

This study has been divided into seven chapters preceded by an introduction and at the end recipes from Gandhi’s diet, notes, index and bibliography have been appended. The introductory part of the book summarizes a general view of the diet scale of Mahatma Gandhi. According to Nico Slate to understand the man and his life and to connect two of history’s perennial questions how to live and what to eat? Gandhi says the vigour of mind is possible only in healthy body. He believes in the profound connection between the body, purpose and achievements. The scale that mattered was not only weight of body rather all the good health comprised with body. Gandhi developed an ecological diet which respects many connections between the food, physical health, social and political environments. Gandhi redefined the nutrition as a way to improve the world. The pillars of his diet- vegetarians, limiting salt and sweet, rejecting processed food, eating raw food, fasting- were all deeply connected to politics and in  particular, to his conception of non violence what he called Ahimsa.

From the chapter one to seven in this book the author highlights new insight into important periods in Gandhi’s life as they relate to his developing food ethic: his student years in London, his politicization as a young lawyer in South Africa, the 1930 Salt march challenging British colonialism, and his fasting as a means of self – purification and a new canvas for creating new knowledge pertaining to the India’s struggle for independence. his book is unique as it has not only described the Diet of Gandhi but also integrate with values. The scholarly endeavor of Nico Slate undoubtly provides a new knowledge pertaining to the Gandhian thought. The printing quality of the book is good. Language is perfect to understand. Analysis is appropriate with illustrations. It is useful and valuable for scholars of Gandhian studies, Social Sciences, History, Political Science, sociology, medicine and Food and Nutrition studies.